OM Global Magazine 2022 #1

O P E R AT I O N M O B I L I S AT I O N MAGAZINE 2022 ISSUE NO.1

S H O W I N G L O V E TO AFGHAN REFUGEES

W H Y W E ’ R E N O LO N G E R TA L K I N G A B O U T S H O R T-T E R M M I S S I O N

LEARNING TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

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ISSUE 1 2022

A WORD FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

GLOBAL MAGAZINE

ON THE COVER:

A man poses for a photo in Ghana PI C T U R E BY:

Do Seong Park

IN THIS ISSUE:

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WORLD NEWS

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A FG H A N I S TA N

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OPINION

Celebrating 60 years in the UK Showing love to Afghan refugees Why we’re no longer talking about short-term mission

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EUROPE

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NORTH CAUCASUS

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SHIP MINISTRY

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BLOG

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PR AY ER

Home: the hardest place to serve?

Learning to love your enemies Mobilising Africans for the least reached Four ways to share your experience of mission The impact of faithful prayer

O P E R AT I O N M O B I L I S AT I O N

Registered office: The Quinta, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 7LT. tel: 01691 773388 email: hello.uk@om.org w: www.uk.om.org EDITOR:

Davina Curtis STORIES AND IMAGES:

OM International

© Global magazine 2021. No part of this magazine may be copied or reproduced in any form without written approval from the publishers. Country file information taken from Operation World, 21st Century edition.

Dear Friends, I believe that we as British Christians still have a role to play in reaching the nations with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

As followers of Jesus, we know we all are called to witness and make disciples of all peoples.

My concern is that, as evidenced by dropping numbers in applicants willing to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’, our actions do not necessarily always support the truth of our calling. Especially through this pandemic season are we in danger, as British believers, of being tempted to somewhat enter ‘survival mode’ when it comes to our faith? Are we trying to just hold on to what we have, tending to be a little afraid of stepping out and sharing our faith, especially when it involves crossing cultural barriers?

Church leaders tell me that through the pandemic, youth work especially has taken a hit. Initial enthusiasm with ‘online youth events’ soon waned, and it has become increasingly difficult to engage and disciple young people. As OM we recognise and are concerned with this challenge of seeing the next generation of disciple makers active in sharing their faith. To this end, we are so excited to launch TeenStreet UK. Our vision is that hundreds of young people would join us for TeenStreet UK in July. We are praying that Christian teenagers from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds would meet for an amazing week of worship, Bible study, discipleship and of course fun.

Our longing is that TeenStreet UK would be truly reflective of the richness and diversity of the body of Christ within the UK. Please pray with us that through initiatives like TeenStreet young people might be inspired and mobilised to not just ‘hold on to their faith’ but also become the next generation of disciple makers.

Thankyou for your continued prayers, partnership in all our ministries and especially in helping us get the word out about TeenStreet UK 2022.

Bible references are from the New International Version unless stated otherwise.

Panoramic shots and pressing prayer updates – keep up to date and in touch via social media. /OMUNITEDKINGDOM

M AT T H E W S K I R TO N , UK CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OM

WORLD NEWS

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens….” P S A L M

36:5

Celebrating 60 years in the UK or 60 years OM has been ministering in the UK. “I was first invited in 1962 to preach at a key conference,” George Verwer, founder of OM, recounts. “We came with almost no money and had to battle in prayer for funds. But God provided for us daily including huge financial gifts and vehicles for sending people out.”

Over the years, tens of thousands of people have been inspired and equipped to engage in mission work around the world. And today, by the grace of God, OM has over 275 missionaries from the UK living out His love in over 45 countries and onboard Logos Hope.

WORDS DAVINA CURTIS

“Everywhere I go, almost every church I speak in, I meet people who either have served with OM, or have known somebody who has served with OM. This legacy of British

Christians being mobilised and inspired by OM to engage in mission work is one of the most exciting things as we look back over the last 60 years”, Matthew Skirton, UK CEO, shares. “However, we are seeing a decline in the number of people joining us in short and long-term mission opportunities today. Despite this, we remain encouraged.”

Matthew continues: “God is at work, and we count it a privilege that in some small way He is continuing

to use OM in the UK to fulfil His purposes. Our vision and prayer is that we as OM would continue to help mobilise churches in local as well as global mission efforts. We pray that the Lord would continue to wake us up, shake us from any lethargy and that we all who serve with OM would personally be living missional lifestyles, sacrificially living so that those who are yet to hear and experience the love of God would have that opportunity to do so.”

Have you served with OM? We are actively seeking to build a UK network of OM’s Alumni.

Re-connect with friends you served with, share memories and gain access to exclusive Alumni events and previews of OM news.

Find out more at uk.om.org/alumni.

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A FG H A N I S TA N

Showing love to Afghan refugees

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e are grateful for the wonderful prayer and financial support that is being extended to us in this time unique opportunity.

OM partners have been actively helping Afghan refugees. Thanks to our generous supporters, people are being helped in many ways, from shelter and food to travel assistance.

WORDS PAULA SMIT

One of the refugees, named Azam*, is a local believer. Azam’s wife is not a believer yet, but he has given her freedom to make her own decision.

Along with his family, Azam arrived on the border to Pakistan and took shelter in a local mosque.

But after a few days he was asked to leave. The reason Azam fled his hometown was because he worked for a Christian and he was fearful. “If the Taliban found out, they would kill me,” he shared.

A team are helping him by providing housing for the next few months.

The team also bought necessities for his family such as bedding, crockery, carpets, and provided groceries and cash to handle day-to-day needs.

way to help these people.

MARIE’S* STORY

A leader in the Near East shared recently that people live an average of 17 years in a tent whilst in refugee camps!

What we plan and do today is likely to influence people’s lives for years to come.

I have lived in Central Asia for many years working for an NGO. Today I am involved in researching and planning how best to respond to the Afghan refugee crisis as they flee to neighbouring countries.

We want to be sure that your gifts are invested in the best possible

We are currently involved in research about refugees and internally displaced people’s movement, policies of neighbouring countries, and the regional and international powers influencing local decisions of closing or opening borders.

ISSUE 1 2022

What we plan and do today is likely to influence people’s lives for years to come.

“…take heart! I have overcome the world.” J O H N

We are also talking to local partners, Jesus followers, and like-minded community partners, like churches and NGOs. We are asking questions such as ‘what are your strengths’? What are you providing in the way of psychosocial support, children’s work, safe spaces, health and sanitation, simple distributions of food and clothing?

*names changed

Who in your team has a gift of discernment to know who of the refugees will be ready to receive prayer or has deeper questions?

Who is trained or needs training in ethical evangelism or in project management and partnership with players such as the UN or local government? Do you have an accountant who could deal with a big project and the needed accountability?

Slowly a picture of opportunities

16:33B

is forming, and we are starting to gather a view of what assets in people and skills God has provided, what training or additional resources in people or funds are needed.

The refugees will come; when and how many we do not know, but with your partnership, we will be prepared to care for them as and when they arrive.

Please continue to pray for our partners that they will be wise in their interactions. In the coming months, our partners are planning to engage with refugees at different levels. We value your prayers for these encounters.

To give financially to the Afghan appeal, please head to uk.om.org/ send-help-for-afghanistan-today

OPINION

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Why we’re no longer talking about short-term mission

W O R D S M AT T H E W S K I RTO N

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s a missional movement, we have recently decided to rename our short-term trips. Every year hundreds of Jesus followers join our teams across the world in reaching out with the love of Jesus. Rather than referring to them as ‘short-term missions’ (STMs), we talk about ‘short-term outreaches’ (STOs) whenever possible.

This may sound like an inconsequential change cooked up by pedantic Christians. But the reality is that this simple name change is a small step in beginning to address the fact that many of us misunderstand what mission really is.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” M A T T H E W

The idea of mission is often limited to a specific time or person.

You ‘do’ mission for a short stint and then get on with the rest of your life, or you are ‘called to the mission-field’. Whilst it may be true that some have a specific calling to full-time ministry or overseas mission, the danger many of us fall into is to view mission as an exclusive and elevated activity for a very committed few.

But mission isn’t a unique calling, it is a command given to every Christian. Scripture clearly teaches that all disciples are called to make disciples. Speaking to his followers in Acts 1:8 Jesus tells them, “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” As followers of Jesus, we are witnesses to the saving grace of God. We are commissioned to a life of mission.

So, if mission is about witnessing with your whole life, why bother running short-term outreaches?

It is true that STOs can be run badly. They can become Christian holidays to get some great photos.

Indeed, a strong argument can be made that outreach by locals may be more effective, as they will not have to face the obstacles which overseas volunteers do, such as language barriers. But, if overseas outreach is co-ordinated well, they can, and do, impact local communities — and those that go on them — in a positive way.

5:14

SO HERE ARE MY 7 MUSTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE S H O R T-T E R M O U T R E AC H :

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Preparation is key. Educate yourself on the cultural sensitivities and language.

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Help host churches and teams understand who is coming.

This includes making it clear that the visitors don’t come with any ‘elevated’ authority but are there to join the work the local church is already doing.

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Always be facilitated by, and work in partnership with, the local church.

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Humility is key. Teams are going to serve, not be served, and to learn, not to teach.

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Short-term outreach must support long-term strategy and vision.

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Embed yourselves with the local believers. Remember we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to avoid judgementalism and embrace our cultural differences.

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Local believers should be welcomed completely as team members. Locals are not translators or interpreters, but part of one big team using their gifts in different ways.

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OPINION

When we are aware of these things, the potential impact of short-term outreach is huge. The first time I came to understand this was when I experienced it myself.

I registered to join an evangelistic outreach in Estonia back in my student days. We arrived in Parnu in the south of the country. Small groups of believers had started to meet together in villages, and we were sent to encourage them in their faith and help them reach out to others.

After the initial culture shock, I was beginning to get into my stride a few weeks in. Then I was asked one day to deliver the message.

After much protestation on my part and insistence on the part of my local team leader, I found myself, legs shaking, mouth dry, standing up the front. I managed to say a few words about John 3:16 and how God loves us all

GLOBAL MAGAZINE

and hastily invited the team back to the front. But I had spoken in public about my faith. There was an increasing urgency in my heart. Many of these people had never heard this Good News and would perhaps never have the opportunity to again. God was not only working through our team, but He was also working in my heart.

God used a STO trip to take me and many others like me out of our comfort zones, shake us up and open our eyes to a missional life.

STOs continue to be an important part of what we do at OM. For the hosts, they can bring renewed energy to a local team and provide valuable resource in their mission.

And for those that go, often they return with a renewed joy in what it means to know Jesus as their saviour and a new urgency and confidence in reaching out with the love of Jesus.

“God was not only working through our team, but He was also working in my heart.”

“We love because he first loved us.” 1

EUROPE

Home: the hardest place to serve? he Kingdom of Heaven often turns everything upside down, and Robbie’s life was no exception.

An unsettled sense of ‘home’ and struggles with his identity defined Robbie growing up and followed him into adulthood.

He attempted to escape through losing himself in his profession, and the thrills of partying and travelling around the world, but only found himself slipping into a place of depression.

An encounter with a Jesus follower and a vision from God

Robbie’s heart stirred to serve, and he dedicated one week to a shortterm outreach. But there was a caveat to his offer. “I didn’t want to talk about Jesus with Muslims and refugees,” he admitted. Born to a Turkish Muslim mother and Dutch Jehovah’s Witness father, Robbie had always struggled with his own mixed background. But a week serving with refugees in Serbia was the only option available during the time he had off work.

Those six days changed the course of Robbie’s life. Seeing those he perceived as “outsiders” with a new perspective, he evaluated his own background, sensing God shifting his mentality on his mixed identity. After Serbia, Robbie spent two months in Turkey, where God fully restored his heart. “There was a point when I hated my Turkish background, but God reminded me of my identity,” he said. “I was 100%

An encounter with a Jesus follower and a vision from God transformed everything for Robbie.

Dutch and 100% Turkish and 100% born again in Jesus.”

God gave Robbie eyes to approach his unique position to speak to the Turkish population in the Netherlands. After spending many years avoiding his homeland, God impressed upon him a vision to serve at home. Travelling around the Netherlands, Robbie participates in city outreach days, sharing God’s love with Turkish people, and connecting them to the local church.

Could God be calling you to serve at home?

There are millions of people in the UK who don’t know Jesus.

The need is great and the need is on your doorstep. Start local. Start with a short-term outreach in the UK this year: uk.om.org/go

*names changed

WORDS SARAH FREYMUTH

While raised with a more atheist mindset, Robbie’s mother still instilled a secular Islam into the family growing up. “Sometimes I would turn to Allah for help,” Robbie recalled, “but Allah never came to me.” He also dabbled in Buddhism, hoping in vain that meditation would calm his anxiety.

transformed everything for Robbie.

“Jesus’ arms were wide open,” Robbie marveled. “It was literally beyond understanding.”

JOHN 4:19

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NORTH CAUCASUS

Learning to love your enemies o love our enemies is probably one of Jesus’ most radical teachings.

It can be hard enough to love the ones who are close to us.

But to love your enemies, the people you don’t like at all or even hate, is a totally different ball game. But this is what Jesus called us to do.

GLOBAL MAGAZINE

ISSUE 1 2022

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” M A T T H E W

While reading about Christ’s crucifixion, it is striking to see how Jesus brought this principle into practice himself. He prayed for the soldiers who nailed him to the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). This prayer for forgiveness was an act of unselfish love for those who gave him such intense and deep suffering.

Through learning to love his enemies, Luka became an exceptional instrument in God’s hands.

Jesus calls us as his disciples to follow his example. By loving our enemies, God equips us to be powerful instruments for ministry.

As we are learning to love our enemies, we overcome and work through our own feelings of fear, hate, misunderstanding and eagerness to see revenge.

and war - he hated them. “As a teenager, I was kidnapped by people from the Caucasus. They tortured me, trying to get information which I didn’t know. They beat me with iron rods,” shared Luka.

Often people need to learn how to love their enemies before they can serve effectively. In this article we would like to introduce you to Luka*, a worker with OM in the North Caucasus.

WORDS ANONYMOUS

Luka is a former drug addict who came to faith through one of the rehabilitation centres in Siberia.

He graduated from our Discipleship Centre in 2008 and joined OM with his family in 2010. During 2016, God redirected their ministry to the unreached people groups in the North Caucasus, where people don’t have an opportunity to learn about Jesus.

Growing up, however, Luka associated people from the Caucasus with aggression, violence,

Some years later, Luka had repented and accepted Christ as his Saviour, but he still felt hate towards the Caucasus people. Nonetheless, realising the huge need in sharing the Gospel in that region, Luka with his wife and children decided to go for a short-term outreach to help with a Christian camp.

“One morning I went outside to pray”, recounted Luka, “when I saw a local Muslim man. He was a yard keeper, who was pushing a wheelbarrow with a shovel, rake, and broom. At this very moment I realized that something had changed in my heart. I understood that they were ordinary people, in need of Jesus. Looking at that man I noticed that my heart was filled with love for this people group”.

Since then, God gradually gave Luka clear understanding that he was

5:44

called to serve in the Caucasus and share the Gospel with the people he had once hated. “Somehow I understood that it might be our family who should move to the Caucasus, but I ignored such thoughts”, said Luka. “I didn’t want to agree with it, I tried to ignore God’s calling. I had everything where I was. I loved my ministry, I just finished building my own house, and had many friends. I talked about this decision with my wife, and she immediately humbly agreed to follow God’s calling”.

Since then, Luka has been passionate to share God’s love in this region, developing a wide network with regional churches and ministries. He is leading various ministries such as Christian camps, children at risk and prison ministries. Through learning to love his enemies, Luka became an exceptional instrument in God’s hands.

Is there a people group that God has put on your heart? Have you thought about a short-term outreach, or the possibility of serving there long-term?

OM have a number of shortterm opportunities available at uk.om.org/shorts, or you can email enquiries.uk@om.org to explore going long-term.

UK.OM.ORG/BLOG

“…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” M A R K

16:15

Four reasons to go on a short-term outreach elow we explore four key reasons to consider living out God’s love through a short-term outreach.

1. IT GIVES GOD TIME AND S PAC E TO M OV E

WORDS KERRY WIGGLESWORTH

Short-term outreaches can be beautiful opportunities for God to work in and through you. Of course, God is God, and He can work in any situation. But shortterm outreaches push you out of your comfort zone, meaning you are compelled to trust Him in ways you might not usually have to. It could be trusting Him practically with travel plans, or spiritually to give you the right words to say through the Holy Spirit at a particular moment.

As you witness in word and action, you also allow God to work through you. Offering to pray for someone, or just sitting and listening to them, can create space for people to encounter Jesus.

2. IT INCREASES THE C A PAC I T Y O F L O N G -T E R M TEAMS

OM only ever sends short-term teams to places where long-term teams are already established.

This means that short-term teams can increase the capacity of existing ministries.

For example, in Adaševci refugee camp in Serbia, short-term volunteers go to serve hot drinks, do laundry and chat to refugees in the tea tent run by OM. This frees up the long-term team to engage in the more strategic, logistical, or administrative work that needs doing.

3 . I T I M PAC T S CO M M U N I T I E S

Although you may only be in a community for a few weeks or months, your presence there (alongside the long-term team and the local church) can still have a significant impact for God’s Kingdom.

It might be a conversation that sows a seed. It might be an act of

kindness that demonstrates God’s love. Or it could be leaving behind Bibles that are read by someone long after you’ve gone.

4 . I T I M PAC T S YO U

Short-term outreach can be humbling. It can be a catalyst for growing in your relationship with God. It can enrich your understanding of other worldviews.

And it can open your eyes to God’s heart for people, giving you a greater sense of urgency for them to come to know His Son.

Short-term outreach in 2022 Explore opportunities to live out God’s love through short-term outreaches at uk.om.org/shorts.

Or think about passing on this article to someone you know who is considering going on a shortterm outreach!

PR AY ER

GLOBAL MAGAZINE

The impact of faithful prayer

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e joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). If you have heard the story of OM, then you will likely know it was born from one woman’s faithful prayer.

And as OM has grown, prayer has continued to be at the centre of everything we do. We met with Chris Papworth, writer of OM’s prayer diary, Heartbeat, to discuss what he has learnt about prayer since he joined OM 60 years ago.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH OM

WORDS DAVINA CURTIS

My first encounter with OM was when someone returning from the 1962 summer outreach in France sold me two life challenging books. Shortly after, I was cajoled by a retired lady into joining seven or eight others at a Cambridge missionary prayer group. I was the youngest there by about 50 years, but I learned a lot about how to

ISSUE 1 2022

“The Lord is near to all who call on him...”

PSALM 145:18

pray for places like Congo, Nepal, Peru, North India, Iran, Jaya, and Kalimantan.

In days before modern forms of communication, the monthly news sheet brought the latest prayer information. I clearly remember praying every month for Prem Pathan, a brave leader of the few Christians in Nepal. Usually, he had just been imprisoned again for baptising another new believer.

Newly opened to the Gospel, Nepal was hostile to the few new Christians. I learned to pray for him as if he were my uncle and we knew that God would take care of him as we prayed.

HOW DID YOU GET I N V O LV E D W I T H M I S S I O N S , A N D H O W D I D P R AY E R I M PAC T T H AT T I M E ?

When a group came from OM to speak at the college I attended, I realised I wanted some of what they had. After college and a stimulating summer team selling books in Northern Spain, I joined the engine room team on the first OM ship, Logos. During the maiden voyage to Southern Asia, we had to wait at anchor for ten days in the Canary Islands while God answered our prayers for money for fuel to complete the voyage.

I later worked for six years in the Peruvian Andes on an isolated church planting team. At a time when two of us single men were working together, we found that if we attempted less and prayed more for the work, we got quite a bit more done!

Then in 1978 my wife Jackie and I, with our 10-week-old baby, joined OM’s second ship, Doulos. We served as a family for seven years around Latin America. As we prayed our way round the region, we realised God was doing something big and completely new. For the first time in history the Latin-American Church began to send as well as receive missionaries. Today more than 1,000 Latino missionaries are serving around the world.

H OW H AV E T H E S E EXPERIENCES IMPACT HOW YO U P R AY ?

Since driving home from Southern Asia through Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and other places 50 years ago, I have tried to pray and encourage others to pray and serve amongst these peoples. Surely

the opportunity and the need to seriously pray is now.

So what have I learned about prayer? Do it. Stick at it. Join with like-minded pray-ers. Ask God to put a people or country on your heart. Use resources like Heartbeat and Operation World. Call out to the Lord of the harvest.

Prayer is one of the Christian’s most powerful resources. To help you know how to pray each day, OM have put together a collection of daily prayer points from around the world.

You can read the latest edition of Heartbeat at uk.om.org/publications.

A MINISTRY OF OM

UK OM is launching a brand-new event this summer!

July 24-30, 2022 TeenStreet UK is a discipleship event, encouraging teens to see how their faith can have an impact on the world. It also creates space for community through a variety of games, activities and challenges.

Register Today.

teenstreet.uk

Quinta Christian Centre, Oswestry