Bible references are from the New International Version unless stated otherwise.
Two thousand years ago the disciples approached Jesus and asked him what signs they would see before his return. Jesus responded that there will be wars and rumours of wars, nations rising up against nations, earthquakes, famines and persecution and then he warned his disciples not to be deceived by false prophets and urges his followers to stand firm even though the love of most will grow cold (Matthew 24). And then Jesus speaks these words:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” - Matthew 24:14
As we look at the world today, we see suffering caused by manmade and natural disasters, persecution of followers of Jesus in many countries and too often we see people being deceived as their love for the Lord goes cold. Many churches are experiencing decline and are struggling to hold to and proclaim the central truths of the gospel and yet, at the same time, as you will read in this edition of Global, people are coming to know Jesus in our country and around the world. Whether it is teens growing in their faith and sharing that faith with others, young people joining our short-term training and outreach programs or others heading out or continuing to serve in cross cultural mission work, we see God at work in and through His people.
As OM, we remain committed to seeing the gospel preached in the whole world. This is why we want to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers within reach of every person in the world and this is why we continue to do what we do and value so much your partnership with us in our mission.
Thank you for continuing to pray for and support us as we remain committed to making Christ known to all peoples.
Serving together,
MATTHEW SKIRTON, UK CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OM
Restoring hope in Cambodia
To the rest of the world, the slums of Cambodia may seem like an abyss of despair: a place where poverty lingers over people’s lives and hunger gnaws at hope. But to OM workers and church partners, it is a place where the love of Christ is demonstrated by providing nourishment for hungry bodies and weary souls; one plate and one prayer at a time.
In Cambodia, the scars of a painful history are evident everywhere. The country continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge era: communities plagued with homelessness, crushing debt, and relentless struggles. Children residing in slums suffer some of the worst effects of poverty: malnutrition, lack of educational opportunities and disease. But most importantly, they have limited access to God and His truth. The OM team in Cambodia is addressing these pressing issues, offering hope and tangible support to those in need.
For Azi* and his family, life was defined by violence, drug addiction, homelessness and malnutrition during their early days as slum dwellers. In the midst of their struggles , OM reached out by offering counselling to
navigate through their past traumas and challenges, supporting them by starting a small cake-selling business, building them a home, and even taking care of their medical needs.
“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.” - Psalm 146:7
However, the most important transformation in Azi’s life came when OM shared the message of Jesus Christ with him. As Azi embraced his new faith, everything started to change. His entire family came to Christ, and their lives started to improve with their newfound faith. The sense of community and support they found within the body of Christ played a crucial role in their transformation.
Today, Azi works diligently in cleaning and construction, contributing to his family’s wellbeing and setting a positive example for others.
There are thousands of people like Azi and his family in Cambodia and around the world who need support. We are raising vital funds to build stable shelters, provide nourishment and aid these vulnerable communities. But we need your help.
Will you restore hope by helping people like Azi access the healthcare and support they need? There is still time to respond to our Mercy Appeal. Give now at uk.om.org/mercy
Hope for the Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides lie a three-hour ferry ride from Scotland’s western mainland.
Huge skies crown these rugged islands, treeless landscapes buffeted by Atlantic winds and rain. Moors, peat bogs, rolling hills and mountains are fished and farmed by Gaelic-speaking peoples with Viking roots, and a culture steeped in Christianity, the scene of past revivals.
So why did two congregations on Lewis, the largest island, seek OM’s help in sharing the gospel in their rural village of Carloway in the summer of 2024?
OM had brought an international team to two neighbouring Hebridean islands in 2023, to help churches with a week’s outreach. Revd Thomas Davis of Carloway Free Church had heard about the excitement this generated amongst
those churches and communities.
“It was so ‘different’ from normal life,” he says. “Folk saw very diverse people coming here from around the world, all saying, ‘the best thing I ever did was put my faith in Jesus!’ It challenged long-standing stereotypes about ‘church’, made everyone sit up and take notice.”
The Carloway request was coordinated by Lewis native Clare Macleod, one of the Short Term Missions leaders at OM’s Shropshire base, who left the island four years ago to join OM. The team she recruited were a 22-strong blend of individuals, couples and families. This diverse group represented Germany, Jamaica, Syria, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, France, Wales and England. Significantly, several had been on the 2023 mission, and couldn’t wait to revisit the area!
Meanwhile, the two local churches formed an organising team, who devised a week’s programme to reach everyone in Carloway for the gospel by hosting community
events in the village centre, and visiting every home.
The OM team arrived on a Saturday, and joined local worship on the Sunday morning. They were greeted with a real buzz of welcome which continued in the evening service, followed by a ‘Praise Night’ from 8pm to 9pm which saw the Free Church packed with believers from both Carloway and neighbouring villages. Thomas says it was “a real joy. It rapidly established a real beautiful bond between the OM team and our congregations here”.
Throughout the week, every Carloway household was visited by the OM team, who worked in twos and threes. With the three hundredplus houses scattered across a three mile stretch of coastal landscape, this made for a lot of walking (often in wet weather) especially with many homes being on ‘crofts’, halfmile strips of moorland used for semi-professional sheep farming.
Along with invites to the week’s special community events, every home received a gospel of Mark, a gospel tract and a specially-prepared booklet of testimonies from local believers, as well as an invite to a ‘Christianity Explored’ course which the churches were arranging as a post-outreach follow-up.
“Meeting the local people of Carloway was special in itself,” says Sebastien, UK-based but born in France. “It’s not often that knocking on a door leads to an hour’s chat about faith, with coffee and cake!” These house visits yielded many fresh contacts, including new residents whom the churches were unaware of, and previous relationships have been re-established. Sometimes, meeting a foreigner was a catalyst for deep conversations—like the former soldier who had served in Germany, who only began to share about matters of life and faith when he realised his visitors Damaris and Karin were Germans!
JESUS, OUR TEAM CAPTAIN
Attracted by the invites and news on church social media, 30 children between 3 and 12 crowded into the Carloway community centre for
the first church Holiday Club since lockdown. Across two afternoons, Thomas used the theme of sport to explain the gospel: about the Injury (sin), the Substitute (Jesus taking our place), the Victory (the Resurrection) and the Team Captain (He’s the one we follow). This was accompanied by a ‘mini-Olympics’ led by OM volunteers. There were no medals as prizes, but lots of sweets! “It was lots of fun,” says volunteer Melanie, “backed up by lots of prayer for young lives to be changed.”
“A
TREMENDOUS ENCOURAGEMENT”
Thomas Davis says that both Carloway congregations have been greatly boosted by a large group of international believers coming to such a remote location, joining worship services and church life, and developing lasting friendships with their hosts. “It was a tremendous encouragement for a community our size,” he says. The OM team set a wonderful example to the churches by their readiness to go out and meet people, sharing the Gospel. “That was very inspiring, and should have a lasting effect on the congregation,” Thomas concludes.
Clare Macleod felt so blessed to serve on her home island: ‟The OM team bonded so well both with each other and the other churches. They were so involved and servant hearted, learning in humility from the island people”.
Anglo-French volunteers Sebastien and Madeleine summarised what the experience was like for the OM team:
“Part of our holidays? No, it was just so much more. We met new people and made new friends in Christ, in a new stunning place, the Isle of Lewis. Yes, the week was hard work, but it was God’s work. We came back refreshed in our faith and belief that Jesus is the saviour for all people, no matter where they live or their background!”
Could you join us in sharing the good news of Jesus with communities in the UK like in the Outer Hebrides? Explore our outreach opportunities: uk.om.org/serve-in-the-uk
Helping hands in a landfill community
Three teams from our newest vessel, Doulos Hope, recently had the opportunity to serve people living in a landfill area in Subic Bay, Philippines, alongside partner organisations, Project Life Subic and Mercy in Action, who work to battle poverty and inequality in their communities.
“To see the programme participants smile while getting a book and teaching them some English words was really a blessing. Seeing the work these organisations do was very special,” shared Doulos Hope crewmember Sarah, who is from the Netherlands.
Crewmembers visited the community living at the landfill site each Thursday during their
visit to Subic Bay. They enjoyed a meal together, while seeking to encourage the people through games, conversation, music and sharing God’s Word.
“You are willing to extend your hands,” reflected Marlene, a midwife and social worker from Mercy in Action who makes regular visits to the community. “For me it was a different experience, personally hearing stories from [the crew] that really touched me. Regardless of the heat, you are ready to dive into every ministry.”
The group was led to two pregnant women and a newborn baby that day. They needed care, but had not yet been found, because they were in a place that was hard for the midwives to reach.
On this day the team was able to provide the care needed. Sarah said, “I was reminded to always be happy with what you have and to see the good things in everything, because God is there, even in the struggles.”
Will you fuel hope?
Join the journey and see what God has in store as the ships keep sailing, serving and sharing knowledge, help and hope. Give now: om.org/fuel
Want to join the ships? Find out more: uk.om.org/join-the-crew
Uniting churches and players through sport
In Chad, a football tournament organised by OM workers is uniting churches and bringing together players of all religious backgrounds.
The idea came from a group of coaches who regularly met to encourage one another: a tournament that would bring together football players from different backgrounds and mobilise churches to work with one another in reaching the community.
Solomon*, who works with OM in Central North Africa, was part of the group of coaches who helped with the planning. Originally from Zimbabwe, Solomon learnt how to use sport to tell people about Christ after attending a sport training programme in Zambia.
“I chose sport because it’s easy to build relationships with people despite linguistic, cultural and ethnic barriers,” explained Solomon. With a desire to share the good news with those who had never heard about Jesus before, Solomon moved to Central North Africa where he began putting into practice all he had learnt.
The Inter-Church Tournament, the first of its kind, attracted 140 players who were then split into four teams comprising both Christians and Muslims. Seven matches were played in two stadiums, and each game was well attended by around 300 fans.
The tournament ran smoothly, without any conflict on the field—an unusual occurrence as undisciplined players, biased referees and corrupt organisers are the norm in Chad.
One pastor who watched the tournament commented on the character and attitude of the young men, attributing their good behaviour to the hard work of the coaches. This was very encouraging for the OM team as it was a confirmation of the transformation that has occurred in the players they’ve invested in.
Five churches took part in the tournament, a big step in promoting unity among Christians. One of the churches, who had previously made known their disinterest in
participating in sport ministry, formed a team after seeing the good work being done in the young men’s lives. The church now sees the importance of sport ministry and how football can be used to glorify God.
With his heart for people and sport, Solomon has become well known in his area: “I am a father and a role model on the pitch as well as in my community. Most people don’t know me by name, but just as ‘coach.’ They respect me because I am a coach. The youth and kids love me by the fact that I am a coach besides anything else.”
Praise God for the opportunity to minister to young people through sport! Praise Him that the tournament was well-attended by players and spectators. Pray for the churches as they follow up with players, and for the players to maintain the good relationships they formed during the tournament.
5 ways your church can partner with OM this year
What can often feel like the longest month of the year, January, is finally behind us. We can look forward to brighter and longer days ahead.
This is also a good time to pause and reflect again on what God is calling us to in the coming months. With all the change the New Year may have brought with it, God’s purpose for our lives remains the same: to make Him known!
Around the world, there are 3 billion people living in places where it’s challenging to engage communities with the gospel.
At OM, we are dedicated to reaching the least-reached with the gospel. When OM speaks of ‟least reached,” we mean communities where:
a) There has been no gospel engagement, or
b) There has been engagement, but no one is proclaiming the good news, or
c) There is a community of Jesus followers, but access to them is limited by cultural, linguistic, or geographic barriers.
Our heart is to give everyone the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus. Will you and your church family join us in taking the gospel to the least-reached in 2025?
Here are 5 ways your church can partner with OM this year:
1. BOOK AN OM SPEAKER
Our speakers are people who have lived and worked with OM teams worldwide. They would love to visit your church and share their experiences, stories of how God is at work in hard-to-reach places and unique insights into mission life.
Find out more: uk.om.org/om-speakers
2. HOST AN OM GLOBAL PRAYER MEETING
OM is an international family at work in over 147 countries. We host a global meeting once a month to bring our community together for a time of prayer and encouragement, online and inperson. This is a great way to get plugged into what we’re doing and hear stories of God’s work around the world through news, updates, prayer requests and more.
Book your free place here: uk.om.org/events
3. GIVE FINANCIALLY
OM serves God’s mission by mobilising and equipping the Church to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least-reached. This work is possible because of the generosity of the body of Christ. Could your church partner with us financially to help reach more people with the gospel?
Give now: uk.om.org/give
4. SEND SOMEONE FROM YOUR CHURCH AND SUPPORT THEM
Have you ever experienced God’s mission overseas before, or is there someone your church could send? Every year, OM offers short and long-term outreaches all over the world. From training for crosscultural mission with our REACH programme in Zambia, to our Christian interrailing adventure, Race Across Europe, there’s a mission opportunity for every age and experience level.
Explore our outreaches: uk.om.org/go
5. GROUP OUTREACH
Thinking about joining an outreach? Why not go with others from your church? OM field teams love welcoming groups who serve together. Do you have a youth group in your church? You can bring your teens with you too! There’s a place for everyone on our outreaches.
Find out more: uk.om.org/shorts
As one church, united in Christ, we are called to share the gospel with all nations. Together, we can spread His love and salvation to every corner of the world.
Will you partner with us in this mission?
Find out more: uk.om.org/church-partnership
A call to serve
Since joining OM 10 years ago, Gerardo has worked to strengthen local churches across El Salvador, train Jesus-followers to share the gospel, and invite more individuals and churches to live out their faith in their daily lives.
Ever since his introduction to OM through a friend, Gerardo Genoves has worked tirelessly to advance the Word of God in his native country of El Salvador, as well as several other countries in South America. However, being involved in ministry and mobilisation was not Gerardo’s initial intention.
“I was planning to become a pastorgoing to seminary, being there for four or five years at a desk, studying - and God changed things,” said Gerardo.
“He sent me and gave me all the resources. And so, He changed my plans. I didn’t expect this.”
Gerardo’s ministry partners with local churches in El Salvador to strengthen and disciple believers while equipping and encouraging them to reach out to others in their own country and beyond.
Gathering and training volunteers to share the good news of Christ is a vital part of Gerardo’s work and
sharing the gospel. Currently, 13 team members work with Gerardo.
Gerardo and the team often travel around the country and visit local churches, where they present what they do and invite others to join them. Those who decide they want to be involved are invited to attend monthly meetings, where guest speakers from around the world share about their ministry in different cultures and contexts.
“I was planning to become a pastor - going to seminary, being there for four or five years at a desk, studyingand God changed things ... He sent me and gave me all the resources. And so, He changed my plans. I didn’t expect this.”
Gathering volunteers has been more difficult in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the interest in mission work has not disappeared, and Gerardo and his team are excited to work with people who want to get involved.
Some of the volunteers who join have backgrounds in theology or short-term missions. Others come with a passion for serving the Lord and sharing His goodness and Word.
“We try to follow a discipleship [programme] with them … [we] find out where they fit, and then we try to send them to training,” said Gerardo.
The ministry has experienced growing pains. One of the main challenges that Gerardo and the team face is the growing individualistic nature of churches throughout El Salvador.
“After the pandemic, something that was confined within the church became more outwardly visible. They want to strengthen themselves if something like a pandemic comes again,” said Gerardo. “Virtually, I can visit a church in the USA, in Australia, in Spain. So, I think now that the biggest struggle is the thought of the church trying to have all the people inside the four walls.”
Through these struggles, the hand of God is evident. Gerardo and the ministry have recently started
working with Christian Alliance Mission, a church in El Salvador that is eager to invite international missionaries and has been receiving missions workers from Canada, the USA and Europe.
“[Christian Alliance Mission in SV] is inviting the whole Central America Church of the Alliance to do something together, to go to a country in Central America, and for all of them to serve together with OM and the churches they visit,” said Gerardo.
Pray for Gerardo, his wife and their family. Ask for good health and wisdom as they raise their children and continue to work among the churches of El Salvador. Pray for good relationships between the ministry and the churches. Please pray for the provision of a van that fits at least 13 people to aid in outreaches to different communities and church visits.
The mysteries of the Silk Road
Have you heard of the Silk Road, or even travelled this ancient path yourself? The Silk Road—a trade route connecting the East and West—has captivated minds for centuries, with its many mysteries, dangers and treasures.
It is not just a single road, but an interconnected web of routes that has linked China, India, Persia, Arabia, Europe and Africa for over 1,500 years. As its name suggests, it was used to transport silk, a valuable and rare commodity that China exported to the West. It was also used to trade other luxury goods like spices, porcelain, tea and paper.
The Silk Road served as more than just an economic connection between East and West; it represented a living heritage of cultural, artistic and intellectual exchange. As well as goods, travellers brought stories, ideas, religions and philosophies that have left an enduring legacy on
art, architecture, literature and music. In the early first century, Christian missionaries braved this route and established communities across Persia, Central Asia and China. These missionaries shared their beliefs with diverse audiences, beginning interreligious dialogues that would impact generations to come.
Today, sharing Christ’s love in rural mountainous regions can be an almost impossible task. The valleys and ridges are scattered with small clusters of homes, isolated from one another by a lack of roads. For many churches in Central Asia, these geographical barriers can make it extremely challenging for Jesus-
followers to share their faith with people in the region.
The Silk Road Challenge (SRC) project works with local churches to send Central Asian believers on short-term mission trips. This project seeks to reach those who have never heard the gospel while encouraging local churches to have mission as part of their DNA. Teams are sent out to share the gospel in different countries across Central Asia.
OM focuses on the least-reached regions, and teams have the opportunity to share testimonies of how God is at work in the midst of persecution. Nastya*, who has participated in the Central Asian
“We can’t do anything for you; we can’t promise anything will happen, but we do believe we have an almighty God, and, if He wills, you will be [healed].”
outreach six times, said that one particular trip stands out. In a small village, she and her team had ordered food and then started talking to the owner of the building. Initially, she wanted to know more about Nastya’s home country and the team members, but “it ended up [with us] telling her about God.”
The team prayed for the woman. Afterwards, she started crying. She asked, “Can you come to my home? My brother is sick, and he can’t even move.”
“Yes, we will pray for him,” the team agreed.
As they followed the woman to her house, though, they were worried. They wondered, “What if we pray and nothing happens?”
Upon arrival, they prayed as a team, “God, it’s not us who will do a miracle. We don’t want to promise to these people that something will happen.”
Inside the building, the whole family was standing around the sick brother’s bedside. The young team introduced themselves to the oldest relatives first, and then they addressed the woman’s brother. “We can’t do anything for you; we can’t promise anything will happen, but we do believe we have an almighty God, and, if He wills, you will be [healed]. If you want, we can pray for you.”
The man and his family agreed to receive prayer, so the team sat down, grabbed each other’s hands and prayed in the name of Jesus. Half an hour later, the man in the bed sat up. A couple hours later, he asked for food.
The team exclaimed, “God, you did it!” Just before the team left the house, the man who was sick came out to their car. “I praise God to whom you prayed,” he told them.
This year, six alumni from the project will lead new teams, drawing on their experiences to mentor fresh participants, creating a cycle of training and leadership that builds a sustainable, self-propagating outreach model.
The Silk Road, famous as a pathway of commerce and culture, now serves as a powerful symbol of Central Asia’s spiritual transformation. By working alongside local believers, the Silk Road Challenge is helping create a new legacy of connection and resilience. Join us in praying for all those who will take part in the challenge, and for all those they will meet along the way.
A mission for all generations
The Race Across Europe (RAE) outreach for young people launched in the spring of 2023, and what an adventure it has been so far!
between the ages of 50–75 embarked on their own “race” across Europe - though perhaps at a more leisurely pace than previous journeys! They ventured into countries like Turkey, the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium, Austria, Romania and Bulgaria.
Through this initiative, we have seen several young people sent out on an interrailing adventure across Europe, sharing the gospel as they travel from city to city. But why should this opportunity be limited only to young people?
One evening last year, Matthew Skirton, team leader of OM in the UK, preached at a church where he shared incredible stories of God’s work through the RAE programme. As he did so, it was clear that enthusiasm for the programme wasn’t just limited to young people.
Age doesn’t limit our capacity to do extraordinary things or respond to God’s call, and so last summer, a group of older participants
FROM CWMBRAN TO THE CONTINENT
David, from Cwmbran, South Wales, decided to trade his quiet life in the valleys for the bustling streets of Europe. After a few weeks, he returned not just with a few new passport stamps but with a powerful testimony of sharing the love of Jesus with strangers.
David shares how he had encounter after encounter with people from different backgrounds.
“I was able to talk to a young guy from Brussels for about two hours on God, creation, other religions, the atonement and so on. He was so interested; his girlfriend had studied theology and actually watched The Chosen on TV.
“There was Luka on the platform in Brasov, a young trendy lad who didn’t want God, as he had experienced a lot of difficulty in his life. He’d had cancer when he was seven and lots of trouble with his family. His questions were difficult to answer, but by God ’s grace, I explained to him that we live in a fallen world because of sin, and God’s redemption plan is through Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit can do the work.”
From impromptu conversations on the train to moments that seemed divinely orchestrated, David found himself exactly where he was needed.
“Near the end of my journey, I found a desperate young lad called Russel, 19, studying IT in Turkey. We sat on rocks by the sea, and with tears in his eyes, he told me he was lonely and missed his family back in his home country. I told him about a friendly church locally. He wasn’t very keen, as it can be hard for young people to go to church alone. But with tears in his eyes, I told him I was
his friend and so was Jesus. I explained the gospel, gave him a hug, and prayed for him. May the Lord save his soul.”
David said it was important to remember that God is the one who saves; we are simply His messengers, sharing His goodness and light.
“I crossed to the other side of Izmir on the ferry and chatted with a young guy in Starbucks. We sipped cold frappuccinos, watching the ships on the sea and talking about life, meaning, and everything. The air conditioning and big picture windows with fantastic views made it feel so inviting. The list goes on. When we prayed each day, God gave us divine appointments. It was so wonderful.
“Then there was a young man from the UK in Vienna who was travelling around Europe to all the Coldplay concerts.
“There was the journey from Brussels to Vienna, where I had loads of fun with a Hungarian family, teaching their young son English with simple sentences. His dad really appreciated this and shared food and drink with me. As a retired primary teacher, I was in my element.
“Then there was a lovely young lady on the train who drew me a picture of the cross with love, faith, and hope written on it.
“As I say, the list goes on. It would take the pages of a book to record all the precious times we had.”
Bob, 72, has spent 50 years in both mission work and the army. He reflected, “I enjoyed RAE alongside the others and also the challenge of working with people I had never met before, but God helped us all. I learned the challenge of trusting God and also the blessing of seeing God answer prayer immediately.”
The experiences of David, Bob and many others is a powerful reminder that God’s mission knows no age limits. Could you join us on our next Race Across Europe or another short term outreach?
Find out more: uk.om.org/shorts
Join with Christian teens from around the UK for an action-packed week of teaching, small group time, worship, sport and more!
