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AskAMissionary

#AskAMissionary – The Role of Technology in Missions

#AskAMissionary: Where you can submit a question for consideration of a video reply. Click here to send us your question.  https://youtube.com/shorts/U6p5J-aagho?feature=shared Links: Mary Esther Penner How The Japanese Deaf Are Sharing The Gospel The Unspoken Word of God JSL Bible Transcription: In 1993, when the Japanese Sign Language Bible Translation Project started, there was an analog studio: VHS cassettes. And you had to be at home and play that cassette in your player, or you didn't know what the Bible said, and you had to fast forward rewind to try to find the verse you wanted. Then we went up…
March 16, 2024
Joshua Project

Joshua Project: Prayer For the French Jewish in Belgium

If you missed this month's prayer time, here is the link: https://youtube.com/live/7vcP0voN8Lg?feature=share Links Mentioned: Joshua Project Survey  Joshua Project Landing Page  Joshua Project Website  About Keith Carey, our co-host with Joshua Project  About Gordon Ellison, our co-host with WorldVenture 
March 7, 2024
Features

Falling In Love, Going On Mission

WorldVenture::In Review featured Matt and Elizabeth Van Wart from Uganda  This was a live stream from February 29, 2024. Click here to watch: (Approximately One hour) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA0R0lNIa2k Links: Learn About the Van Warts Read the story referenced in the video. Be sure to bookmark this story. We will try to post updates when possible. Upcoming Events Feel free to share your favorite quotes to your social media with the link to this blog.  Transcript Highlights: The transcript is not a complete transcript. To see and hear the stories, press play.    What was the most challenging recipe you ever had…
February 29, 2024
Features

A Church Plant in Ireland

By Mandy Post "It's almost like a fresh start." I was having coffee recently with a new friend, and we were chatting about the history of Galway City Baptist Church (GCBC) and what it looks like today after sending a core group to start another church. That's when she made this comment. And I quite liked the sound of it! In the beginning, GCBC was very much a missionary led church. We WorldVenture workers began the work, created the programs, led the worship services, and made up the elder board. Over the years, that has begun to shift, and we…
February 29, 2024
Features

Almost Killed Over Sunglasses

In Uganda, if you steal something, you risk getting beaten, even killed. While the Van Warts entertained guests and visited the market, Matthew Van Wart and his friends left the women to continue shopping. When Matthew approached his car, he noticed the car door open. A man hopped out, closed the door, and started to walk away. “I realized we were being robbed, and I started to chase the guy. We took off running—or I should say he took off running, and I lumbered briskly after him. We rushed around a corner, and he found himself cornered with a fence…
February 28, 2024
Features

YWAM Tragedy: Our Hope is in The Lord

By Rich Peterson, Church Relations  In a tragic accident in Tanzania this past weekend, eleven members of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) lost their lives when a large truck experiencing brake failure collided with and overwhelmed one of the organization’s minibuses. It is the largest loss of life in the history of YWAM. As fellow workers in the mission's enterprise, WorldVenture grieves for the families, friends, co-workers, and YWAM supporters touched by this heartbreaking calamity. The WorldVenture family also prays for God’s healing to those who continue to struggle for life, comfort to those who are experiencing pain and loss…
February 28, 2024
Features

Single For The Savior

By Rich Peterson, Church Relations Did the Apostle Paul really have it right when he wrote: “It is good for a person not to marry?"  On the surface that sounds a bit like some of these unflattering quotations about marriage: I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. – Rita Rudner All marriages are happy. It’s the living together afterward that causes all the trouble.– Raymond Hill I never knew what real happiness was until I got married. And by then it was too late.…
February 20, 2024
Features

Ministry Leaders: Building Your Self-Care Toolbox

By Brian Larson, MDiv, MA, LPC “Mary has chosen what is better…”  - Luke 10:42 In Luke 10, we see Jesus arriving in a village where Martha opened her home to him. Martha also had a sister named Mary, and we are told that she sat at the feet of the Lord, listening to what he said. Where was Martha? She was super busy, all spun up, and highly anxious about the preparations. Jesus said, “Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things.” (v. 41) Our worry and anxiety distract us from what is important and what we value.…
February 17, 2024
Features

To Continue With A Knife In Your Heart

By Rich Peterson, Church Relations  We need the goodness of God the most when we’re wounded, when we’re hurting, when things are falling apart, and we’re broken. As I read through Hebrews 11 recently, I came across a list of unnamed heroes of faith. They lived in caves, were poorly clothed, thirsty and hungry, persecuted, and sawn in two. All they ever accomplished was to suffer and die. In our culture, the hero is the person who is a winner; the one who gets measurable results. But as followers of Jesus, we need to focus our faith not on results,…
February 10, 2024
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Features

Dr. Paul Geary: Medical Missions, Indonesia, And Bethesda Hospital

If you missed the livestream, watch it here!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDIa2oahyOE   Sharable Quotes: (copy and paste your favorite to social media) "And then and then that this thought began to grow as especially as I went through my career, my education, medical education. And then eventually I got internal medicine and began to see more and more what this could do and how it how it impacts people, health and illness and so on, and begin to experience it myself. How it's a powerful tool, really, to be present with people in a time of great suffering, in a time of…
February 10, 2024
FeaturesJoshua Project

Pray For Sirtican Bedouin of Libya

Joshua Project and WorldVenture have teamed together to pray for the Bedouin of Libya, an unreached people group. Click below to view the live stream. https://youtube.com/live/b1SOAPEx5Xw?feature=share Links to Know: Sirtican Bedouin in Libya Joshua Project Landing Page  Learn About Keith Carey Learn About Gordon Ellison
February 7, 2024
Features

Unloading More Than Furniture

By Drew Brown  When Javier stopped by to deliver the shelves he made, I thought it would be a simple transaction - 5-15 minutes tops. God had other plans for our afternoon and evening. After he brought in the two bookshelves, I settled the bill. Michele saw that his wife was traveling with him, so we offered them coffee. We discovered they lived on the Caribbean side of the country. “You drove 5 hours just to deliver this one job?” I asked, curious what would motivate someone to accept the work, given the distance. “Yes. I am actually a pastor,…
January 29, 2024
Features

Good News or Bad News?

By Rich Peterson, Church Relations My youngest daughter’s ninth birthday is a day that will live in infamy around the Peterson household. On that day (January 4, 2013) we were just coming away from a church member’s cabin in the Rocky Mountains on our way to be with our older children, their friends, and our friends from Australia at a nearby ski resort, when instead of taking the necessary sharp right turn in the road I accidently drove straight off the side of the mountain before us! So, do you want the good news or the bad news first? The…
January 27, 2024
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

How To Use Your Church Live Stream

By Nikole Hahn You wouldn't invite people to an empty church. Likewise, you don't invite someone new to the church to an empty chat. Risking All as a Christian means seeing technology as an opportunity to make Gospel Impact in your community and beyond. While chat options are available on most social networks during a live stream and even on website streams, we will focus on Facebook for today's topic. A live stream isn't a podcast or like watching Netflix on your device, where you turn it on and focus on other things. The live stream is a two-way conversation…
January 26, 2024
Features

A New View For The New Year!

By Rich Peterson  Has the news of late got you down? Has life become so overwhelming that you have forgotten Him who is your life? Has life become so frustrating with the endless demands of family and job that you rarely experience the freedom of grace? Has life become so boring, so mundane, so routine, and so bothersome that you have lost all hope of ever accomplishing anything amazing for your God? Has life become so hard that you have lost the joy of your salvation? Has life become so predictable that you have lost all hope? Has life become…
January 12, 2024
Features

How To Do Ministry With Your Family

From our workshop on January 10, 2024. Click here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TIiJBk75JI This is an edited version of the live workshop. While the richness of the interactions online is edited out, you can still get a wealth of useful and practical insight to help your family get more involved in God's plan for the church. To view future online workshops and live streams, go to worldventure.com/events. Links: BethMeverden.com Growingkidsforthekingdom.com biblicalparenting.org The Five-Day Devotional  
January 11, 2024
Features

Imperfect (And Yet… )

By Rich Peterson  I attended a memorial service recently for a former Worship Pastor who was engaged in active ministry in the Denver area for over 40+ years. His younger brother (a retired Senior Pastor) presented the “raw truth” about the deceased, highlighting the great impact of his ministry while never sidestepping the fact that his brother wrestled with many personal demons even into the last few weeks of his life. The comments reminded me of some things I came across while doing research about the rather obscure Old Testament character with the unusual name, Jephthah. I’m not certain who…
January 7, 2024
FeaturesJoshua Project

Joshua Project: Wolane in Ethiopia

We had some technical difficulties with the live stream and only streamed via Facebook. However, we have prepared the recording here: https://youtu.be/WCc7wf8lTw0?feature=shared   Featuring: - Allan Starling, Global Recordings Network - Keith Carey, Joshua Project - Gordon Ellison, WorldVenture http://www.worldventure.com/JoshuaProject Links mentioned: https://globalrecordings.net/en/program/64912 https://grnmapapp.org https://globalrecordings.net/using-5fish
January 3, 2024
Features

Discipleship is Devotion to Jesus

By Rich Peterson  Devotion is an amazing quality. It enables men to lay down their lives for their country. It empowers spouses to see in their mates what no other person is able to see. Devotion is that which pushes a person to become what they would never be without it. In Acts 2:42, the Bible tells us that the new believers in Christ “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.” The teachings of the apostles were the narratives and instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, as His words and deeds were passed on to those trusted few. Through the…
December 8, 2023
FeaturesJoshua Project

Joshua Project: Prayer For The Talieng In Laos

Click here to view video: https://youtube.com/live/Babcm7fVmnc?feature=share Links: People group to pray: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15216/LA Joshua Project page: worldventure.com/JoshuaProject Keith Carey (Learn more) Gordon Ellison (Learn more) Dave Childers (Learn more) Note: We originally showed praying for the Pashtuns of the United Kingdom. We apologize for the wrong people group. Joshua Project has the Talieng for today.   
December 6, 2023
Features

Big Ears, A Smile, And A Happy Heart!

By Rich Peterson When I was a little boy, I had very large ears. So large in fact that my parents took me to a plastic surgeon to see if there was anything to be done about them. He simply shared with us that my ears were “large” but that my head would eventually grow into them and all would be well. I will let you be the judge of whether or not the doctor was right – but ever since then I have been aware of the fact that I have been given two big ears – the better…
December 1, 2023
Features

How to Walk Your Dog

By Rich Peterson As Christians, our lives have been transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. Our life is no longer our own, for we have been bought at the considerable price of Christ’s sacrificial death. We are transformed because of His love; our lives ought to bear that out daily. The Apostle Paul once wrote, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). From another translation, we read, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” What does a “life worthy of…
November 18, 2023
FeaturesCampus Co-Op

Recruiting The Next Generation

Recruiting The Next Generation features Campus Co-Op. Join us for a special broadcast to pray for a new prayer tool made especially for the next generation and for WorldVenture recruitment efforts. Come and learn about how two of our people are getting involved in the lives of the next generation. Learn what keeps the next generation from going and how you can help the next generation step into their callings. Click here to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/live/v8S6pBkGk40?feature=shared  
November 17, 2023
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FeaturesJoshua Project

Praying For The Sherdukpen In Bhutan

You may have missed the livestream of this episode, but you can still pray! Click here to watch the video:   https://youtube.com/live/sbFx7Zp_RX0?feature=share Links: Joshua Project More about Keith Carey More about Gordon Ellison  Our Joshua Project landing page for more information on this series. 
November 1, 2023
FeaturesJoshua Project

Prayer For The Buddhist World

Click here to watch this 15-minute recording of our livestream and use this as a time of prayer to learn how to pray for Buddhists around the world.     https://www.youtube.com/live/AiUYLgRYHZ8?feature=shared Links:  Joshua Project website WorldVenture.com/JoshuaProject WorldVenture.com/AsiaST WorldVenture.com/Campus
October 18, 2023
Features

Venture Church Network: A Journey Into Disciple-Making

This is the recording from our livestream on Tuesday, October 10. Dr. David Whitaker joined us for a conversation on disciple-making! Click here to see recording: https://www.youtube.com/live/va20mPqr-Cw?feature=shared Learn more: https://venturechurches.org Other Posts: Joshua Project and WorldVenture: Bengali-Speaking South Asians in Finland Missions In the City: Pastor Mark Hanke How We Mobilize Prayer Focus: Khalaj in Iran How To Be Creative With Missions When You Are Not Creative  
October 11, 2023
Features

The Most Positive People In The World

By Rich Peterson True or False? Most people would rather be happy than sad. Most people choose gladness over sadness. Most people choose celebration over mourning. Most people prefer attending a wedding over attending a funeral. Most people prefer joy to sadness. And most people prefer to be around those who are joyful rather than hang around people who are depressed. That said, there is nothing more ridiculous than pretend joy. Nothing more preposterous than a plastic, put on, pump-yourself-up, artificial hope. Nothing worse than the TV commercial mom who becomes overwhelmingly euphoric when her liquid detergent does a number…
October 8, 2023
FeaturesJoshua Project

Joshua Project: Bengali-Speaking South Asian in Finland

Gordon Ellison (WorldVenture) and Keith Carey (Joshua Project) came together to pray with others on the Bengali-Speaking South Asian in Finland. Related Links:  Bengali-Speaking South Asian in Finland (Joshua Project) Joshua Project Unreach Page (WorldVenture) Our Online Events (WorldVenture) For Students! (WorldVenture)   If you missed the recording, click the link here to watch: https://www.youtube.com/live/RmmEYq4oMdQ?feature=shared We had a sound tech glitch, but you can click here to watch/listen to the music at the end and use that for your own personal prayer time.
October 4, 2023
Features

Until Jesus Shows Up

By Rich Peterson In a very real way, life is both meaningless and hopeless UNTIL JESUS SHOWS UP. Life, for a great many people, feels like a condemnation to live in a sunrise/sunset reality for ever and ever without purpose or end. Enslaved to get up, go to work, go to sleep, go to the grave, life is hopelessness and despair. Life, as the existential philosophers claim, is meaningless and nothing. Not only nothing, but nothing without end – no conclusion, no full stop. On and on the cycles of world history spin – no one can do a thing…
September 17, 2023
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

Missions in The City: Pastor Mark Hanke

How one WorldVenture partner church is changing things up in Salem, Oregon and the world! Click this link:  https://www.youtube.com/live/g-Eb2KB5UR8?feature=shared   Salem First Baptist: https://www.fbcsalem.org/ Video: 45 minutes  God can use you to change the world, too. If you liked what Pastor Mark said, write down a couple of quotes and share them to your social media platforms. If this video inspired you to think differently, please let us know in the comments. Other Special Broadcasts: Justin Long: Equipping Leaders For The Great Commission  An Interview With Dan Scribner of Joshua Project Visit Our Unreached People Group Page Are you a…
September 15, 2023
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Features

I Need More APPs!

By Grace Sandeno No, not that kind! I have too many of that kind on my phone already. What I need more of is Audacious Powerful Prayers! I recently completed a Bible study called, “Psalms: Real Help for Real Life” by Ray Ortlund. It was just what I needed since, in many ways, I’ve had a little more “real life” than I bargained for over the past few years. Out of all that poetic goodness (for those of you who don’t know this, the Psalms are Hebrew poetry), one idea kind of grabbed me by the throat and shouted at…
September 14, 2023
FeaturesCampus Co-Op

How We Mobilize

If you missed the mobilization workshop and wish to learn more about how to inspire interest in missions, we have provided the recording from our time on Zoom. Click this link:   https://youtu.be/r9fjLOdXIYU?feature=shared For the slides: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFtyX32DL8/_-1Ut-5G7aDCfDp_h87FeA/edit?utm_content=DAFtyX32DL8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton To Connect With Quincy: https://linqapp.com/quincy_thompson
September 8, 2023
FeaturesJoshua Project

Prayer Focus: Khalaj in Iran

On September 6, 2023, Keith Carey (Joshua Project) and Gordon Ellison (WorldVenture) joined together to pray for the Unreached People Group of The Day.  People Group Focus: Khalaj in Iran  https://www.youtube.com/live/IHcbfTzqIZg?feature=shared Challenges:  Reaching an Unreached People Group with the gospel can be a challenging task due to various reasons. Here are some of the challenges associated with reaching an unreached people group with the gospel: Cultural and Linguistic Barriers: Unreached People Groups are often characterized by cultural and linguistic barriers, making it challenging for traditional missionary methods to reach them effectively. Religious Challenges: Animosity toward Christianity is one of the…
September 6, 2023
Features

How To Achieve Individual and Corporate Transformation

By Rich Peterson I am finding it more difficult these days to locate Christ-followers who are maintaining the “balance” between our Christian call of individual righteousness and corporate transformation. For followers of Jesus, this dual calling can never become as one-sided as it appears to have become over the last number of years for a great many Christians (perhaps especially in the United States). The Bible tells us that God “rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity” (Ps. 9:8). The Scriptures also tell us that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne” (Ps. 89:14).…
September 5, 2023
Features

Celebrate Our Great God

By Rich Peterson We went with the trumpet-playing priests – and the singers…They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director. Many sacrifices were offered that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away (Nehemiah 12: 41-43, NLT). One of the near misses as a couple came on an evening my wife and I participated in a very charismatic worship/concert experience. I don’t even remember the artist, but I do…
August 13, 2023
Features

Moldova: The Importance of Mentoring

Our WorldVenture Global Worker, Gerry Schroeder (Slavic Worship) shares this amazing update about a mentee named Pavel. This mentoring relationship began over twenty years ago. Funds were sent to manufacture a stove in Ukraine last winter.   Pavel writes about his life and ministry in Moldova:  We have now been living in Moldova for nine months. During this time, the war has greatly changed many people's values, and Christians are no exception. But we are alive, we are together, and we are safe, which is a source of great happiness.  Here, every day we meet people who have lost their homes,…
August 12, 2023
Features

Authenticity in “Barbie Land”

By Rich Peterson There’s a line from the song entitled Stained Glass Masquerade by Casting Crowns that asks a very good question regarding the need for Christian authenticity: Are we happy plastic people Under shiny plastic steeples? The brokenhearted, the hurt, the outcast, the beggar, the world at large living in ugly pain and despair wants to know – Are we happy plastic people Under shiny plastic steeples? People today, like people of all time and people everywhere, want to know that God is real, and that this real God can make a real difference in real life. What seems…
August 5, 2023
Features

A Refugee Story: Jackline and Fouad

By Jennifer Coon "Thank you for saving her from death for us."  That was the first sentence 17-year-old Fouad prayed, in the first time he ever prayed out loud. Fouad's 15-year-old sister, Jackline attempted to commit suicide a few months ago by jumping off a bridge a stone's throw away from my former apartment.  The setting and the story are all too familiar. Refugee family. Abusive father. Children struggling in school. Mom struggling to make ends meet. Jackline left school to provide for her family at age 14 but she found it harder and harder to hold onto hope until…
August 3, 2023
Features

Hit The Pause Button and Celebrate!

By Rich Peterson (Church Relations Officer)  Read Nehemiah 12 27-43 and consider the following: The people of God in Nehemiah’s day gathered to celebrate God’s provision of the Wall and they did so through an elaborate worship service where they joined together to worship God more fully. Each week Christians celebrate God’s amazing grace offered through Jesus Christ; we don’t come together to dedicate a wall – we dedicate ourselves and we do so in worship! The first feature of effective corporate worship is the need to PAUSE. We come together for fellowship and worship because there is a need…
July 29, 2023
Features

An Interview With Dan Scribner of Joshua Project

https://www.youtube.com/live/RQXHYpeCzW8?feature=share   Links mentioned in this broadcast:  Joshua Project https://www.getinvolved.com/ https://2414now.net/ https://upgnorthamerica.com/   If you are considering reaching an unreached people, complete this form to talk to someone. 
July 26, 2023
Features

Loving The Creator God – Our Life’s Focus

By Gerry Schroeder  (Originally published in Russian for Slavic Worship's Russian-speaking audience)  Take a moment and picture with me… The expanse and power of an ocean as its waves pound against the shore. Mountains majestically rising up in the distance as they disappear into the clouds. An evening sky that is slowly revealing the stars of an infinite universe. The intricate beauty of flowers moving in a gentle breeze.  When we pause to reflect on things like these, we are reminded that nature itself points us to the Great Creator God. What God has made helps us to see and…
July 13, 2023
Features

God’s Timeline To Freedom

By Matt Shiner, a mentor  It’s hard to believe that it’s been over six months since the last chapter we penned in Imama’s life. At that time, we asked the LORD to evacuate them within two weeks.  According to Evangelist Luis Palau, there are five ways that God answers prayer: Yes, I thought you’d never ask! No, I love you too much. Yes, and here is even more! Yes, but not yet. Yes, but differently from what you thought. Since the beginning of the year, Imama and her family have experienced large doses of #4 and #5. I can share…
July 5, 2023
Features

Meet The Joshua Project Founder

Join us for an interactive time to talk about missions with Joshua Project founder, Dan Scribner. Wednesday, July 26 at 2 pm CDT Live streaming on Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and Twitter. This is an interactive time. Bring your questions. We would love to chat with you. Visit the website: https://joshuaproject.net/   Dan serves as the team leader of Joshua Project. Dan grew up in Connecticut and came to faith in Christ in his early teen years. He has served in Guam, Japan and Thailand with Cru. Dan and his wife Mary joined the staff of the U.S. Center for World Mission,…
June 7, 2023
Features

“Don’t Go To The Traditional Healer”

By Jeff Frazee  Gédjuma is 40 years old. So that means that he was 15 years old when we first moved next door to him in 1999. A little over a year ago, Gédjuma had a stroke. He lost all control of his body. Later, scans revealed that it was a brain bleed. Gédjuma's left side recovered more quickly, but several months passed before he could speak or feed himself. Recently, his wife, Zerasylla, gave birth to a boy. Heidi and I went over one day to provide them with one of our pack'n'plays. We sat and talked with them,…
April 24, 2023
Features

Engaging Young Adults

  Workshop Instructor: Quincy Thompson, Mobilizer  Friday, May 19, 2023 3 pm CDT Register by clicking here  "What do I say? How should I say it? Why don’t they get it? What are they thinking?” These are all questions each of us has asked ourselves when trying to reach and engage young adults today. Reaching the next generation is critical to the Church, and its mission. Today, our world is more connected than ever before, and the generation leading this is younger than you. Step into this training and discussion to learn the importance of reaching young adults from a…
April 20, 2023
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

How To Be Creative With Missions (When You Are Not Creative)

by Nikole Hahn “… I want to hear a song so good that it makes people want to do something about the subject.” – Bono, lead singer of U2 As leaders in the body of Christ, among our goals are evangelism, discipleship, spiritual growth, and  inspiring people to action. Usually that action can be categorized in one of four action words: give, serve, pray, or go. But inspiring people often takes inspiring content. And if you’re not one of the more creative people you know, that can be a daunting challenge. And yet there is a solution to that and…
April 15, 2023
Features

Finding The Right Hills To Die On

Book commentary by Drew Brown If you've ever been to an emergency room, you know that the first room you enter is the triage. You aren't actually treated in the triage; you are assessed for how urgent your condition is so that those with more severe symptoms - chest pain, trouble breathing - receive more prompt treatment than those with bad sinus infections. The reasoning here is pretty simple: there isn't enough time or resources to treat all cases alike, so a system of prioritization must be implemented. The sinus infections will be treated, and it will have to wait…
April 14, 2023
Features

What If Worship Wasn’t Allowed?

Story Contributed by a Global Worker in Asia Christian is married with two children, and over twenty years ago, he felt God call him to reach the people of a radically Muslim region of Asia that still practices Sharia Law. For a long time, Christians could not move to this region because they must receive government permission to do so, and they were usually denied. But about 20 years ago, a door opened for them to move after a natural disaster struck the area, and humanitarian aid was allowed in. Christian and his family moved to the area and helped…
March 28, 2023
Features

Sowing Seeds In Europe

By Beth Horn  “'A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, 'Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.'”…
March 26, 2023
Features

Ramadan Begins: Join Us In Prayer For Muslims

By Ralph Thompson (Global Muslim Initiatives Coordinator) “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV For almost a quarter of our planet’s population, the most important time of year is the holy month of Ramadan. Falling on the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar each year, Ramadan lasts for twenty-nine or thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. This significant month is a sacred time of deep reflection and piety for the nearly two…
March 23, 2023
Features

“I Never Pray”

By Gordon Ellison "I Never Pray." That's what he said, but I had difficulty believing him.  I was conversing about faith and the power of prayer, and he told me that he never prays.  On reflection, I wondered if that was true and how he navigated the complexities of his life without prayer. We observe that prayer is a natural response to many life situations, especially unexpected or unwelcome ones.  It is said that after the 9/11 event that was so traumatic for all, people flocked to churches and counselors requesting prayer. So why would someone say that they never…
March 14, 2023
Features

The Chair Thief

By Jeanette (and Evans) Walton "Why should I turn my cheek, for someone to slap the other one?" I remember asking my Children's Sunday School teacher this very question. We were learning about the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 5:38-42 was our focus: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces…
March 11, 2023
Features

Children’s Word Search Download

Karen Hoglund disciples people in Uganda. She has created this downloadable word search for your Sunday School, children's ministry, or for your own children. Use this word search to learn more about Uganda and talk to your children about why missions is important. You can click here to print a pdf.
March 1, 2023
FeaturesWorldVenture In Review

Upcoming Online Workshops, Courses, and Live Streams!

From February to April, we have different workshops, courses, and online events to help expand your knowledge, vision, and help your organizations. Featuring Tim and Sara Downs (Africa)  February 17, 2023 at 8 a.m. CST Watch it now!  An unscripted conversation on missions with new Global Workers, Tim and Sarah Downs. Bring your questions. We will be watching the chat. Streaming on Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, and YoutubeWorkshop Leader: Dr. Rick Griffith This aired on Thursday, February 23, 2023 See the 45-minute video here.  Download the handout and PowerPoint here.  Can you improve as a Bible teacher? Of course—if you only had more…
February 16, 2023
Features

Discipleship In The Boxing Ring

By Michael Bannon "Tell Baba Michael that I am still walking with Jesus," Swalehe said. When I remember these words, tears come to my eyes. I am surprised that this man is still walking with Jesus. Swalehe threatened more than once to leave his new-found faith. I felt like we were two bulls locking horns, one making a comment or threat and the other countering. It was discipleship in the boxing ring. I first met Swalehe on a village path. Walking that day felt like taking an energy-sapping walk in a huge sauna! After our initial greeting, Swalehe mentioned Jesus.…
January 30, 2023
Features

February Workshops: Bible Study How-Tos

Thursday, February 23, 2023 (8 a.m. to 9 a.m. MST AZ)  Can you improve as a Bible teacher? Of course—if you only had more time. The problem is that we are all busier than ever (=less time), but our audience expects visuals to be better than ever (=more quality). So, how can we design more interesting presentations with less time? The Instructor: Dr. Rick Griffith believes that we need to work hard on fewer presentations and then share these with others, so he developed BibleStudyDownloads.org as a common place to download biblical resources by many Bible teachers. It has 247,000 editable PowerPoint® slides…
January 11, 2023
Features

Afghanistan: Being Certain of The Things We Cannot See

By Matt Shiner, a mentor In the previous chapter of Imama’s life, we discussed plans – making them and then following God’s lead (Proverbs 16:9). That was penned in early October, and we concluded by asking the Lord to lead Imama and her family into a European country in two weeks.  Now, here we are, still waiting twelve weeks later, on the eve of 2023. These days, and every day, we rely on Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” We shared this prayer with Imama: God, I…
January 3, 2023
Features

The Apostle John Writes to Supporters

Hampton, a Global Worker, writes from the perspective of John, one of the disciples of Jesus. What would John have written to supporters back home? _______ It’s hard to know what to write. As you know, I wasn't even really burned when they tried to boil me alive in oil, and I praise God for this; I thought for sure that was the end. The believers who were allowed to meet with me before I was sent here to Patmos also anointed me and laid hands on me. God used this to heal the rheumatism in my left knee also,…
December 15, 2022
FeaturesWorldVenture In Review

Mentoring, Gratitude, And Aaron Howard

A frequent broadcast of episodes of "WorldVenture:In Review" can be found on our Youtube. This is an unscripted and live conversation on missions via our social media. https://youtu.be/lqv-wCBbxBQ For Other Episodes: Joe Meverden Quincy Thompson Aaron Howard  After listening to the spotlighted episode, share your thoughts in the comments.
November 17, 2022
Features

Mary Magdalene’s Missionary Journey

Megumi Davis, a TCK teen from Africa, writes from the perspective of Mary Magdalene, one of the disciples of Jesus. What would Mary have written to supporters back home? _____ Three days ago, we were sitting in a room together and praying when all of a sudden, these tongues of fire appeared above us, and we just started to speak in different languages that we had never spoken before! It was something I could never explain! The best part of it was that a whole bunch of people came to believe in Jesus! I am still recovering from the shock…
November 10, 2022
Features

The Apostle Andrew Shares His Struggles To Supporters

What would it have looked like if the Apostles wrote letters home like missionaries write letters home? This is part of a series. Today, Melanie Stark shares Andrew's perspective. ______ Dear praying friends and family~ It's been a long few years for me as I continue in my pursuit to share the Good News of Christ. I have so far traveled through Pontus, Galatia, Bethynia, as well as at Antropophages; and afterward in Scythia, where many men, women, and children have surrendered to the calling to take up the Cross of Christ and follow Him. I have had some precious…
November 3, 2022
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Features

Philip’s Letter To Bethsaida

What would it have looked like if the Apostles wrote letters home like missionaries write letters home?  This is part of a series.  This is a letter from the perspective of Philip, one of the disciples of Jesus. Philip Kendall writes from this perspective. Biblical references at the end of this post.  _________ To my fellow believers in Bethsaida, greetings, Introduction God has been at work in incredible ways through the power of the teacher, Jesus! I will tell you about something you probably have already heard some rumor of: how the teacher Jesus fed a vast crowd of five…
October 26, 2022
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

How To Use Netflix and Amazon For Missions

By Nikole Hahn What do your streaming habits look like? Many good documentaries are on streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, or Disney +. Still, do you ever think about the perspective of the missionaries that live in the areas filmed? Let us help you use your streaming habits to educate your family, friends, or church members on the realities the people groups highlighted face. What’s On Netflix Right Now?  Magical Andes is a series on Netflix from 2019. The filmmaker takes us on a journey from Argentina to Columbia along the Andes Mountains with breathtaking cinematography and compelling storylines. I…
October 19, 2022
Features

Plans Made, Plans Change, Molding Into God’s Plan

By Matt Shiner, a mentor Amongst Jesus’ followers, the noun sanctification is normally applied to how we, as we trust and obey the Holy Spirit, become more like Jesus. Have you ever considered whether our plans can be sanctified? “The mind of a person plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 This chapter of Imama’s life illustrates the validity of plans being sanctified. In the previous chapter, her family was moving from safe house to safe house to avoid the Taliban’s sweeps through the city. Each move was intended to be constantly safe until evacuation could…
October 18, 2022
Image by Joe from Pixabay
Features

The Apostle Peter’s Letter to Supporters

Missionaries write letters to supporters every month. What if Jesus' disciples wrote letters to supporters? What would it look like? Katrina Custer writes in the voice of Peter from Mark 10.  _____ Hello friends and family,  We made it to Jericho where the Rabbi has been active. As ever, the Pharisees seem to come out of the woodwork whenever Jesus starts preaching. You may remember when we were in Magdala, how they tested him on signs? This time the question was on divorce, and I have to confess: I love it when he puts those hypocrites in their place. Unfortunately,…
September 23, 2022
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Features

A New Ministry Is Helping Churches Fight Sexual Abuse!

An Interview With Karen Shogren This originally aired live on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 on our Facebook page. Download your quick resource here.  Learn more about Karen Shogren by clicking here. Follow Levanta La Voz on Instagram English Spanish Follow Levanta La Voz on Facebook English Spanish Feel free to download the videos to share at your church or small group by clicking here. To register for her child safety courses, please email Karen at KSHOGRENLLV@GMAIL.COM. A website is coming soon for Levanta La Voz. Meanwhile, you can watch the hour long broadcast above, or choose to watch the shorter videos…
September 14, 2022
Photo by Mohammad Husaini on Unsplash
Features

Afghanistan: The Wait Becomes Weighty

By Matt Shiner, a mentor Have you ever been in a long line, and finally reach the end to find there’s yet another long line? It reminds me of life in the US Army, or finally getting into an event only to find the restroom line is also a long wait! This is the life of Imama and her family.  One long wait was for the evacuation options to materialize. The better option has been officially approved, and the entire family will be evacuated together to a European country. But they have no idea when the evacuation will occur! The…
August 10, 2022
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

Serving On Social Media: Finding The Right People!

By Nikole Hahn A great need exists for volunteers to serve on social media with our local churches and mission organizations. Many non-profits and churches can't afford a full-time social media strategist. Churches should consider volunteers willing to commit to serving online and leadership to support that work because social media presence has become culturally-central to that organization's brand or reputation. However, as with other influential roles, who you choose to invite into your digital team makes a difference. Recently, circumstances caused me to think about the make-up of a social media volunteer. James 3:1 NIV says, "Not many of you should…
August 9, 2022
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FeaturesThe Church on Mission

From Indifference To Community: Building A Hybrid Church

A Book Commentary By Nikole Hahn Few books lay the theological groundwork and ask the reader to examine their attitude about social media, such as MetaChurch by Dave Adamson. Like me, he was one of many who sought to help the Church build a digital platform when the world shut down in 2020 and left many pastors scrambling to get something up online. It's more than a how-to book on building a digital ministry to reach people and make disciples; it's helping people recognize that the internet and social media are no longer a broadcasting model but a narrow-cast model because of the one-on-one…
July 20, 2022
Features

The Light Has Dawned

By Marilyn Escher  Fifty posters featuring Gospel (music) were plastered around the town in Senegal where Agsila lives, the daughter of the deceased translator of the Wolof Bible. I wasn’t sure it was the best publicity in a Muslim context for her June 18 concert where she would feature songs from her third album, “Bët Set Na,” ‘The Light has Dawned,’ songs with words from the New Testament that her father translated into Wolof. She assured me that the Senegalese like Gospel music. And they did! People from her village numbered more than people attending from churches in other towns…
July 14, 2022
Features

Finding Faith By Fighting Dragons

By Nikole Hahn  "Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed." – G.K. Chesterton A group of teenagers in Ireland began meeting at the home of WorldVenture global workers, Chris and Joi Copeland, for a role-playing game (RPG). Led by their sons, Gavin and Gage, the Copeland brothers wanted to leverage the power of story central to RPG’s to introduce biblical themes such as a Messiah-figure, redemption, and a narrative crafted in to present spiritual choices in an allegorical way. Leveraging the world-famous, sometimes controversial,…
July 10, 2022
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Features

An Online Course: Rust Out To Resilience

A two-day online course to help you move from rust out to resilience. Our ministries, our professions, our jobs, and our callings can be exhausting. Those of us in the people professions know the emotional drain on our hearts, our minds, and our bodies. But we do not know what to do about that. The only thing we know is to push through the exhaustion, and we eventually find ourselves in a cave trapped and depleted with nowhere to go, no way out, and too exhausted to seek help. How do we keep from finding ourselves in the burnout cave, completely…
July 5, 2022
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Features

Through Life and Death – Repurposed For God’s Glory

A Reflection on Faith by Justin Mitchell Ken and Bola Taylor, Filipino Americans, were living the dream of jazz musicians performing in nightclubs across Asia. But, God saved Bola through an invitation to a nearby church. Similar timing yet different circumstances, Ken professed faith in Jesus through the testimony of a friend. This all took place before God would join Ken and Bola in marriage soon after. How would God repurpose these talented musicians for His purposes? After marrying, God took them to California for a season of local church ministry and careers in business and physical therapy. All the…
June 28, 2022
Features

Viewing World Events Through Three Lenses

Faithful men and women in history demonstrated trust that God was still at work among and through us, no matter what was happening in the world. How we choose to view what is happening in our world will frame our attitude and either energize or discourage us. A church splits, and new churches form. A war erupts, and waves of refugees cross oceans and borders, looking for a new home. Coups and ongoing conflicts become a catalyst for change. Ministries pivot in the wake of world events, and believers are scattered, like in Acts 8:1. " On that day a…
June 24, 2022
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Features

Afghanistan: Fuzzy Evacuation Options

By Matt Shiner, Mentor The continuing story of Imama. Catch up with these past episodes...  A Women's Rights Activist Endangered and Left Behind The Long Wait Begins Fuzzy Evacuation Options Afghanistan: The Wait Becomes Weighty  Plans Made, Plans Change, Molding Into God's Plan Being Certain Of The Things We Can't See God's Timeline To Freedom Afghanistan: It’s been several months since the last update on Imama and her family – a realistic demonstration of the title of the previous update, “The Long Wait Begins.” While we pray, probe, and wait for opportunities to evacuate, life goes on. One member of…
June 23, 2022
Features

The Sweetness of the Gospel

Sandlin Poth is a WorldVenture global worker living in Western Ireland, where the rain constantly falls, and the sky is gray. Sunshine is a celebrated event. Sandlin, an Arizona native, does what she can to capture the essence of summer – in the form of Elderflower Syrup – to enjoy later, especially during those dark, cloudy days of winter. Kirk and Sandlin Poth serve people in Ireland through church planting, discipleship, and leadership training. They are surrounded by rolling green hills, shepherds, sheep, and the region’s famous Elderberry trees. The present darkness of post-modernism hangs like the gray clouds of winter…
June 16, 2022
Features

“I Think I Have Lost My Way”

By Bruce Tissell  “I think you should know that I have always been a little strange” was how John (not his real name) started the conversation with me. John is the brother of one of the seminary students who live at the seminary. John was staying a few days with his brother and really wanted to talk to me. So I shut down my lap top and started to listen. For thirty minutes John spent time telling me about growing up and his life as a young man. John grew up in the church but had drifted away from God…
June 13, 2022
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Features

Exciting and New Project Developments at Russia Worship

With all the news about Ukraine and Russia, here’s something positive you won’t hear about on the major networks. WorldVenture’s worship ministry providing praise and worship songs to the Russian-speaking world, known as RussiaWorship, has an inspiring update. Gerry and four of his RW staff held some songwriting sessions via Zoom. And the creative effort is bearing fruit. “The purpose of these sessions was to write a song that will connect with people's current emotions and point them to God's love, hope and peace,” shares Gerry. An exciting development for English-speaking fans of worship music is some creative input from…
June 3, 2022
Features

The Motorcycle Accident in Africa

By a Global Worker The motorcycle whizzed past us and struck the boy. The body of the little boy in jeans and a tee-shirt flew through the air of the empty street. His little body landed perpendicular to the road several feet in front of the motorcycle. Going so fast, the driver couldn't swerve. He hit him again, pushing the boy ahead of the front wheel, the little boy on his back scraping along on the asphalt. And then, the wheel ran over his middle, his stomach, and stopped. It was very quiet. His grandmother coming towards us from her…
May 28, 2022
Features

WorldVenture Day of Prayer Today

In 1943, the world was deep into World War II. Millions had died. The world economy was disrupted. Families were impacted. Bad news seemed to come day after day. Concentration camps were scattered across Europe and even the US government interned people of Japanese descent, including US citizens, in camps. The world was in upheaval almost everywhere. It was hard to see God at work. And though humanitarian work was popular, the Gospel wasn’t, not even among some ‘missionaries.’ Many were questioning the divinity of Jesus and the authority of the Bible. It was a dark time. And yet, in…
May 24, 2022
Features

Jacob’s Struggles

A suicide bomber took out 13 Marines just half an hour before Jacob arrived at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. By then, hundreds of Afghans waited by the airport, desperate to catch flights out of the country in fear of the Taliban. Jacob, a new believer (read his original story here), waited with his teenage sons and caught the second to the last flight out of Kabul last August. “It could have been years to get them out of Afghanistan,” wrote our Global Worker. “God was watching out for us,” said Jacob. He is thankful his sons are with him now. His…
May 20, 2022
FeaturesM Outreach

How to Practically Help Refugees

Practical Help With Resources! This originally aired live on Thursday, May 5, 2022, on our Facebook page. Ministry Among Immigrants and Resources (downloadable PDF) Learn more about Bobby and Brianna Brown by clicking here Learn more about Larry Stucky by clicking here Learn more about Mark Harris by clicking here  Recommended reading: When Helping Hurts  Feel free to download the videos to share at your church or small group by clicking here. 
May 12, 2022
Features

God is My Strength to Endure

By Mandy Post “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” - Romans 5:3-4 At the time of writing this, we have lived in our host country over 18 years. This is where we’ve spent most of our married life, raised our family, and worked. And the longer we live here, the more normal it feels. But it wasn’t always like that. Our first 10 years here, I struggled with wanting to give up and leave. I cried, begged, and pleaded with the Lord to let…
May 11, 2022
Features

The Apprentice

By Jeff Frazee Discipling young men is no walk in the park. Your emotions run high at that age. The desire to be with and like your peers is consuming. Communicating your thoughts and plans seems almost impossible. Your ability to master yourself and carry out the things you intend to do is, at best, only partially formed. Sambou, 17 years old, is in the thick of this stage of life. As a high school dropout, there is no current he can float along with, and it seems to make him all the more susceptible to the influence of other…
May 10, 2022
Features

Afghanistan: Longing For Connection

By a Global Worker in a European Country K is a bright, well-educated, twenty-something Afghan who lived in Kabul and worked for an aid agency, doing development projects all around the country. His academically oriented family had benefitted from the freedoms of the last 20 years - two of his sisters are doctors. K had been accepted to do an MBA at a European university starting last September but was still at home because the semester was going to be online. In August, K's world fell apart. He watched from his office window as Afghan soldiers were ordered by their…
May 3, 2022
Features

Discipleship in Ghana

By Jeanette Walton God is so amazing, and His plans are perfect. We have continued financially and physically supporting Brother Jacob as the Hope Community Church Campus minister. However, Jacob has finally been posted as a nurse in Yagaba (a town in the Mamprugu district about two hours away from Navrongo). We are sad to see him go, but we are excited that he will be working in the Mamprusi land. The Mamprusi people are an unreached people group near our area. Members of HCC have been praying for this people group for 1.5 years. In God's sovereignty, Jacob has…
May 2, 2022
Features

Gracious Hand of God

By Debbie Dodd Do you see the gracious hand of God in your life? I’m immersing myself in the book of Ezra/Nehemiah this semester and that phrase is scattered throughout. Ezra notices the “gracious hand of God” in very ordinary life events.  It doesn’t take a burning bush, parting of the sea, or miraculous multiplying of bread for him to see God’s fingerprints. Instead, he can see God’s hand in... a government letter (of all places!) encouraging them to build the Temple and learn God’s truth a safe journey travelling with about 5000 people and millions of dollars without a…
May 1, 2022
Features

From Participant to Volunteer

Celebrating #NationalVolunteerMonth this month with an English translation of an original article written by Emma Knutson in Spanish for the organization she helps. Read the Spanish version here.  Alina Valverde was only 15 years only when she learned about Paz y Esperanza. Living in a low-income community in Guayaquil, Ecuador, she told us,“Paz y Esperanza came to my school to give some workshops about intrafamilial violence, which was interesting to me as I wanted to learn about it.” Although she said that all of her friends cared more about the food provided than the topic, Alina learned a lot from…
April 23, 2022
FeaturesUkraine

Escape From Ukraine

By Nikole Hahn The Journey of Valentina and Chili "They're not going to mess with an old lady," declared Valentina. "I've been running for eight years since my evacuation from the east , and I don't want to continue to run."  Like many Ukrainians, Valentina refused to leave her home, even with the threat of an invasion from Russia. Her story, a refugee’s journey through Ukraine and across Europe, is an inspiring tail, I mean, tale of faith and the comfort of a family dog named ‘Chili.’ Eight years ago, Valentina's refugee journey left her stranded in Luhansk, Ukraine, while her…
April 19, 2022
Features

The Long Wait Begins

By Matt Shiner, Mentor During World War II, many Jews found Survival in Hiding. My friend, Imama, is now experiencing the same drama and fear. After she and her brother escaped the Taliban’s clutches in the hotel, they went to a friend’s home. There, they were joined by Imama’s husband, and at that point, her brother left to go home to their family. In this culture, a woman should not go out alone, but she should always be accompanied by a male family member. To avoid attracting attention, she would request her brother’s help whenever her husband was away. Shortly…
April 3, 2022
FeaturesBBrowns

When Missions and Marriage Come Together

From biblical accounts to modern-day missionaries, many marriages have been profoundly impacted by the unique calling of God that leads people into missions. The richness of the developing relationship, with all its risks and the struggle of grappling with the questions as a team, builds layers in the marriage. For some, missions conversations began before the vows; for others, they happened at mid-point in marriage. You've followed Bobby and Brianna Brown through the last two online events (How to Walk Faithfully Forward and Difficult Transitions). They met at fifteen and sixteen years old while on a three-month international mission trip.…
April 2, 2022
FeaturesUkraine

Raising a Mug in Solidarity

By Beth Meverden What do a retirement center, a Christian school, a guy who shaves his head every year, and a local brewery all have in common? Each one has found a creative way to raise funds to help support Ukrainian refugees. The response to WorldVenture's call to prayer for Ukrainian refugees has been very moving. WorldVenture has heard from hundreds of individuals and churches who are praying and taking the next step to give to relief efforts. WorldVenture has even heard from a few businesses. It reminds me of what Paul said to the Philippians about their financial gifts…
March 18, 2022
Features

Cyclone Gombe

On Thursday, March 17, 2022, Facebook went live to share the damage from Cyclone Gombe. Below is the edited version with additional content. Prayer requests are towards the end.We woke up on March 11 to news of Cyclone Gombe hitting the Mozambican coast. The people of Mozambique, including Rickshaws, experienced torrential wind and rain with wind up to 165 km per hour. Mozambique experienced great damage and flooding. At least six WorldVenture properties were destroyed, and many families are in need of assistance. This short-term special project seeks to repair the extensive damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Gombe. This will…
March 16, 2022
FeaturesUkraine

The Last Forty-Eight Hours

Donna and Mark McDonnel are WorldVenture global workers to Ukraine temporarily evacuated to Poland. And they just spent 48-hours straight helping Ukrainian refugees. Because sometimes, that’s what it means to serve. Living with our Poland team, the McDonnels are sheltering in Wroclaw, Poland. Our WorldVenture Poland Team member, Joel Burnell, intended to whisk them away for a day to get some fresh air and a break from the war news. “You never know what the cost of helping those in need might be,” said Joel. Donna received a call from her friend and Arabic-language teacher, a Jordanian man teaching in…
March 5, 2022
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

4 Ways to Process Emotions Online According to 2 Kings

“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” – Proverbs 2:11 Read 2 Kings 18 by clicking here When we read the Bible, we can apply it to all aspects of life. That includes our online lives, especially how and when we process emotions or post reactions online. Whether the cause of those emotions are political, mental health, geopolitical events, loss of people we love, or difficult relationships, we can find ways to change how those emotions are expressed online with other people. And King Hezekiah’s difficult interaction with the Assyrian field commander, the Rabshakeh, in 2 Kings 18…
March 4, 2022
Features

An Accident Creates a Family Connection

By Marilyn Escher  Nineteen years ago, I hit a boy named Aliou while on my way to church in Dakar. The street was busy, and Aliou ran out from between two cars without looking. In Dakar, if you hit a person, it’s always your fault, and if Aliou’s father, Sidi, had not forgiven me, the police would have locked me up to protect me from the family’s retaliation. Even though Sidi lost his other twin son a few months before the accident, he forgave me for injuring Aliou. This is how I entered their life. Aliou's tendon was broken; to…
March 3, 2022
FeaturesBBrowns

Faithfully Walking Forward: The Browns

A Facebook live from February 24, 2022. Video Length: 60 minutesRelated Articles:  Learn more about the Browns by clicking here.  Befriending Refugees in the City Book Recommendations on Understanding refugees How to Befriend Refugees The Brown's Story
March 1, 2022
FeaturesUkraine

PRAY FOR UKRAINE

Please join us as we pray over the conflict in Ukraine. WorldVenture has an ongoing disciple-making presence in Ukraine and had a past presence in Russia for many years. We love both of these countries and their great peoples. Our hearts broke as we previously evacuated our US colleagues in Ukraine and our hearts are broken again with the attacks by the Russian military. But like so many followers of Jesus in the region, we trust in the Lord. We’re inspired by the beacon of hope that Ukrainian churches and church leaders are providing. We join them in their public…
February 24, 2022
Features

Accidental Evangelism

By Global Worker 4000-780 The waitress approached our table late, distracted, and distressed. "Excuse me, I'm sorry that I'm late. My dad is presently dying, so it has been a hard week." She took our order and was gone. As we ate together, we were all made sober over the revelation we had just heard. It was evident that this was a divine engagement. Finally, toward the end of the meal, I spoke up, "I don't want to encroach on your personal life, but I have been thinking about what you said concerning your dad this whole time over our dinner. This is…
February 24, 2022
Features

Sowing Seeds

By Justin and Jennifer Decker During class this week, our Thai language teacher shared a story with us about her family. It really left an impression on us, and we wanted to share it with you as well. She grew up in a small village around five hours outside of Bangkok. Her grandparents were the first in her family to become Christians because of a missionary family that moved into their village many years ago. They shared about Jesus often but the people in the village were resistant to any kind of change. What made the difference was the way…
February 23, 2022
Features

From The Depths of Despair

By David and Kenda Jerome “…A time to tear down and a time to build up…” Ecclesiastes 3:3 (New American Standard Bible) Songwriter Rueben Morgan wrote these lyrics for his praise and worship song Hear Our Praises, “From the mountain to the valley, hear our praises rise to You.” One could interpret these words to mean we are to praise our God whether we are experiencing abundant happiness (from the mountain) or suffering great sorrow (to the valley). It is easy to praise God when things are going well. Psalms 13:6 says, “I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he…
February 21, 2022
Features

A Women’s Rights Activist Endangered and Left Behind

By Matt Shiner, a mentor Imama was born under a Taliban government that denied Afghani females an education after the elementary grades.  During the years she was a schoolgirl, American soldiers arrived, and the new government provided her a path of continuing education to become all God has planned.  While achieving a law degree, she became an avid women’s rights activist, specifically for the fundamental rights that were denied to the women of Afghan culture. She worked in the US Embassy and helped embellish the legal community. I met Imama five years ago when she attended Leadership Development training.  She…
February 12, 2022
FeaturesBBrowns

Faithfully Walking Forward: The Story of the Brown Family

If you’d like to hear more of the Brown’s story in their own words, join us for a special LIVE STREAMING event on Thursday, February 24th at 7pm (Central Time). Click here to learn more! If you’ve ever had the world turned upside-down on you and wondered “how do I faithfully follow God and walk forward now?” this story is for you. This is the story of the Brown family – Bobby, Brianna, Killian, Titus, Leo and Layla – and how God brings beauty from ashes. Even before they said “I DO” at their wedding, the idea of serving together…
February 8, 2022
Features

Video & Prayer Guide: Generations South America

Generations: South America Video Length: 60 minutes (the additional 21 minutes were questions from the Q and A) Download the prayer guide (opportunities listed) by clicking here... https://youtu.be/QSN2nnaep8E   Panelists (click on the names to learn more): Brianna Wheeler Bruce Tissell Ken and Luci Davis Curt Kregness Richard and Mirian Sturz Jim and Corinne Thorp                
February 5, 2022
Features

Video and Handout: How the Japanese Deaf are Sharing the Gospel

On Friday, January 14, 2022, Peter Persson prayed for and interviewed Mark Penner (United Bible Societies), Mary Esther Penner (WorldVenture), and Pastor Matsumoto of Yamagata Christian Deaf Church in Japan on Facebook Live on How the Japanese Deaf are Sharing the Gospel. We also featured JSL translator from Canada, Justina. Video Length: 60 minutes.  https://youtu.be/x_XjOc_OoxI Download the Prayer Guide by Clicking Here Explore the JSL website Follow the JSL Facebook Page Pictured above: This is a screenshot of a JSL Jesus Film. In the video and prayer guide, this image will help you understand JSL translation. Most Deaf interpreters (certified,…
January 21, 2022
Press ReleasesThe Church on Mission

5 Habits to Change on Your Social Media to Transform Your Heart & Community

An online workshop via Zoom to help you start 2022 with better habits and help your community at the same time. While Social Media can be a negative experience for some, as Christians, we can use social media to help us walk closer to the Lord and transform our community, too. Saturday, January 15, 2022, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. MST AZ  Register at this link (click here). This workshop is taught by Nikole Hahn (click here to learn more) and is free.   Other Articles by Nikole Hahn: 3 Lessons About Social Media From John 8 Virtual Prayer for…
January 7, 2022
Features

Children: A Gift From The Lord

By Stephanie Folden Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3a). . . There is something that innately draws us to children. Certainly, some of us feel this more acutely than others, and still, even the most hardened soul can often be softened by the smile of a young child.  Children are meant to be protected, valued, cared for, and loved. They are to be guided in the basic understandings of life and especially in the spiritual aspects. This isn't just a task that has been given to parents; it is a responsibility for all of us.   Regarding raising…
January 1, 2022
Features

Teaching to The Camera

By Caleb Hutcherson About a week ago, I shared a quick post on social media (Instagram and Facebook) about having hit the major milestone of uploading 100 videos to my Youtube channel for the courses I teach. Most of the videos aren't public. The videos are mostly small "chunks" of teaching or instructions that I embed in courses delivered within ABTS's online learning platform. I wanted to describe in a bit more detail this new (for me) mode of ministry that I've been learning. But I want to do that by talking about one its problems. One of the biggest…
December 26, 2021
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How Cinnamon Bread Became a Tradition in Pakistan

By Nikole Hahn Global Workers in South Asia share a Christmas recipe with you. I've tested this recipe and added a few notes. Please watch the video to hear the story of how Cinnamon Bread became a tradition in Pakistan. May it bless your kitchen this season! Video Length: 1 minute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojR5KHdfL-w   Cinnamon Bread If you live at high altitude, you can click here to make adjustments. Baking time, temperatures, and ingredients might need to be adjusted if you live above 3,000-foot elevation. Ingredients:  1 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups flour 3 teaspoons cinnamon (I like to dump my…
December 19, 2021
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The Journey of Over 2K Bibles to Mexico

By Nikole Hahn And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation." – Mark 16:15 In a world filled with bad news, here’s a story of faith, dedication, prayer, courage, hope... and over 2,000 Spanish Bibles! And a special partnership between the pastor of a small rural church and a WorldVenture partner church making a gospel impact in Mexico. The journey of the Bibles to Mexico and the partnership between the two churches began with Pastor Jason Hamilton at Skull Valley Bible Church. Creating a Network Jason Hamilton began pastoring at Skull…
December 6, 2021
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Psalm 77: Reflections of Lament

By A Global Worker in Eurasia  Read Psalm 77 LAMENT CRIES OUT (1-2) Asaph is seeking God desperately. He is pursuing the Lord intently and without a break. Though painful, his cries are still an expression of faith because he is sharing his pain. To cry out is better than silence or denial. LAMENT STRUGGLES (3-6) Asaph is burdened. His soul refuses to be comforted. He says that his grief had rendered him both speechless and sleepless. But worse still, when he remembers his past, today feels more painful and leads him to doubt either God's presence or goodness. LAMENT…
November 25, 2021
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An Asami Hug

By Cheryl Hill This year as COVID-19 raged here in Japan, the doors to one of the facilities for the intellectually disabled where the three of us volunteer closed to us for the duration. We knew God was not locked out of that facility, so we ramped up our prayers for those dear friends in that facility, praying for them by name and praying for the staff in this challenging time. After some time, we decided to take in home-baked cakes, so they knew we had not forgotten them. The first time we did this, we called from the parking…
November 24, 2021
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He Saw Little Hope in His Situation

By Lisa Yunker Over a year ago, a friend from church asked if I could visit a young man named Ly Seng who worked at his social enterprise and recently had surgery for his spine. Following the surgery, he was unable to feel or move his legs at all. I went to see him, and the situation felt overwhelming. Ly Seng was lying down on a mat on the floor in a dark, tiny house. I assessed his legs, and he really had no feeling or muscle activity whatsoever. He was quiet, despondent. His mother looked worn and worried. I…
November 19, 2021
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Where is My Home?

By Gary Chang  People often ask me where I come from. I grew up in Taiwan. My nationality was New Zealand, and now I live in Japan, but the country where I have lived the longest (among all the places I have lived in) is the United States. Thankfully, I was finally naturalized in September (2021) and became a US citizen. Some people asked why I became a US citizen. One of the primary reasons is for the sake of a long-term mission. After becoming American citizens, we can enter and leave the United States freely. We are no longer…
November 18, 2021
FeaturesM Outreach

Befriending Refugees in The City

By Nikole Hahn Newly appointed Global Workers, like Lan, serve in various places through local organizations or churches while building a financial team. Lan is heading to Asia to care for orphans, and while she waits on the Lord’s timing, she finds places in her community that need her compassion. Currently, Lan volunteers with a local organization that teaches her how to befriend new refugee families. In one particular instance, an Afghan family recently arrived at the center. We shall call the husband, Abdul. “ used to work with the military in Afghanistan. He was in the right place at…
November 4, 2021
FeaturesM Outreach

An Imam Encourages His People to Read The Bible

By Tom from Africa God is doing some interesting things in this part of the world because recently Pastor Mamadou has been relating to me that one of the more important imams in the country has been openly encouraging his people to read the Bible to discover what it says. If you understand the history of Christianity and Islam and how they view Mohamed and the Koran, this is quite an eye opener. So, how does that relate to the work here? It is the backdrop to the wonderful opportunity that God provided recently to Pastor Mamadou who had the…
October 29, 2021
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Take 5 For MuKo

By Kevin and Kaori Laverman During the pandemic, we started the work in MuKo where it was possible: PRAYER. It goes great with walking and doesn't mind viruses. I've used up a lot of shoe leather (soles for souls!) walking our new area, observing people and possibilities, sometimes chatting, and always stopping to pray in key spots. I know prayer walking changes things. It has the added benefit of shrinking one's waistline and strengthening one's vision! There's a number of routes I walk. Often it's a more fixed route. Sometimes it's just a "Holy-Spirit-guide-my-steps-where-you-want" route. Always I return home with…
October 28, 2021
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15-Second Testimony: Evangelism Training That Works

James Riggins, an Appointee/Global Worker to the Philippines, invites you to join him in Evangelism training on Tuesday, October 26 at 7 pm CST by Zoom. We will open up fifteen minutes early for fellowship.  He will spend the hour equipping you with how you can share your story in a way that opens your audience up to hear more! Please click on this link to register.  James spends his time mobilizing believers to minister in the United States while also providing distance training to places he cannot travel yet. Learn more by clicking here.  Related trainings by Zoom and…
October 4, 2021
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A Conversation About Children’s Ministry

What is the difference between children’s ministry in the United States and children’s ministry among North African families in Europe? Katy Hubbard, Children's Ministry Director at Palmcroft Anthem in Arizona, and Chelsi Johnson, our Global Worker, held a conversation via Facebook Live on September 2, 2021, on the differences between children's ministry in the United States as compared to North African Families in Europe. About our guest:  Katy Hubbard was born in San Diego but grew up in Arizona. Her family moved to Phoenix, AZ, and began attending Palmcroft Church. Katy started to attend kids ministry at Palmcroft Church back…
September 24, 2021
FeaturesM Outreach

Book Recommendations on Understanding Refugees

Are you looking for some good reading material to understand the plight of the refugee? Our colleagues recommend these books... Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places by Kate McCord "Soon after 9/11, Kate McCord left the corporate world and followed God to Afghanistan—sometimes into the reach of death. Alive but not unscathed, she has suffered the loss of many things: comfort, safety, even dear friends and fellow sojourners." Learn more In The Land of Blue Burqas by Kate McCord "Riveting and fast paced, In the Land of Blue Burqas depicts sharing the love and truth of Christ with women living…
September 21, 2021
FeaturesM Outreach

How to Befriend Refugees

From a worker in Europe When refugees first arrive in the US, a resettlement agency helps them with housing, health needs, education, and other practical issues. The adults have English classes provided for them for about three months. However, no adult can learn a new language in three months! They need lots of practice, much more than can take place in the classroom.  One of the best things you can do is to be an informal but intentional conversation partner. Language learners often are too shy and too lacking in confidence to impose their English struggles on others. It is…
September 20, 2021
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How to Rediscover Trust

By Debbie Dodd Where do you turn… …When your child gets sick? …When your paycheck doesn't last until the end of the month? …When the stock market takes a downturn? …When you see the world hurtling in distressing and troubling directions? …When all that's associated with COVID overwhelms you? Those are the contemporary expressions of the questions that the prophet Isaiah asks. In his day, the characters' names were different, but they were faced with the same fundamental question—the question that confronts each of us. In whom or what do you trust? And God says there is only one correct…
September 17, 2021
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Escape From The Taliban

From a Worker in a European Country S was only 22 when we first met, but she already lived a lifetime of loss and trouble, both in her home country and here in the UK. She somehow came to the UK at sixteen. The Taliban tried to take her to be someone’s wife. Her mother managed to protect her on that occasion before getting her out of the country. S urgently needed to get the coveted Indefinite Leave to Remain status, in order to feel secure from the threat of forced marriage. S was in danger of a forced marriage…
September 8, 2021
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Afghanistan: Suspense and Shock

From a worker in Europe Last Thursday, my colleagues and I offered an afternoon of help for those Afghans living here who wanted to notify the European government about their endangered relatives back home in Afghanistan. The room was full of Afghans, more than 70 of them, mostly men from 30 to 50-years-old. They had come to this European country for refuge between 5 and 20 years ago, and are now, for the most part, citizens, workers, and homeowners. All are anxious for family members in the home country. The best we could do for them is to help them…
September 7, 2021
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Seasons of Waiting

By Ty Hoad  God exists eternally, which means that He, as C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity, “…is not in Time.” Lewis goes on to explain, “If you picture time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts one by one: we have to leave behind A before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all around, contains the whole line, and sees it all.” My…
September 3, 2021
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Afghanistan: Bad Dreams

This story is from a Global Worker in a European country who teaches refugees the local language.  E is a 16-year-old Afghan boy who came to this country alone two months ago.  He is normally cheerful and is trying hard to learn. One day we were alone in the classroom during a break and I started a conversation: Me: You look tired today, E. E:  (shaking his head)  No good sleep. Me: Why? E: (waving his hands around his head, grimacing) Me: Bad dreams? E: (nodding, grimly staring at the floor)  I see father, brother… It’s evident he is remembering…
September 2, 2021
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Living Extraordinary Lives

By Ginny Jensen The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni was a novel from my book club that I would not have chosen to read on my own. The book had many lessons embedded in it. So as not to spoil your reading experience, I will not give you the whole story line. The book is about Sam’s life journey to acceptance of a physical trait. This trait had cost him much in being bullied and marginalized. Even as an adult, he hid to make himself acceptable to the world. In the process of this journey, Sam struggled…
August 27, 2021
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Afghanistan Prayer Guide

Afghanistan: 70 people groups* 67 unreached people groups (95.7%)* 39,627,000 people* Main Religion: Islam (99.8%)* Evangelical Annual Growth Rate: 0.0%* (This cannot be measured as there are no above ground churches. We hear that there is a growing underground church).   Scriptures to pray for the people in Afghanistan: Worship of our Almighty God: O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most…
August 26, 2021
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Afghanistan: Jacob’s Story

By a Colleague ‘Jacob’ arrived from Afghanistan in the late 1990’s.  While serving the United Kingdom (UK), he was shot and injured. He received immediate asylum. Jacob had no peace and could not sleep through the night.  Before helping the United States (US) and the UK in Afghanistan, he had seen terrible things and done terrible things.  He had been a fighter and had even killed an Afghan that had become Christian. Through a ‘Divine Appointment’, we met, and began to meet regularly.  I shared with Jacob the love of Christ. I told him how he could receive the peace…
August 19, 2021
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40 Days Among Unreached Peoples

*Steve, a Pathfinder, recently spent 40-days among unreached people groups in Asia. He is now back in the United States and adjusting to life at home, but not without deep reflection on his time spent overseas. A Pathfinder is a 4-week to 1-year volunteer program focused on growing the kingdom of God, both in the life of a Pathfinder and in the locations where they serve. Steve didn’t know the language of that country. This didn’t stop him from heeding the call to go to this part of Asia. “I often had to rely on translators or on miming when I was interacting…
August 15, 2021
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Rediscovering Vision at 30,000 Feet

By Nikole Hahn  When I've read about pioneers, I might have imagined their life differently, like Thor Heyerdahl, who was forced to prove that "ancient people could have made long sea voyages, creating contacts between societies." The data he compiled wasn't enough. Thor had to do the hard work to prove his theory by raising the funding, going to Peru, finding the proper logs to cut down, floating them down the river, and taking much risk. In 1947, he built a raft and sailed 5,000 miles with a small crew to live and prove his theory. He didn't even know how…
August 14, 2021
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Celebrate Small Surprises and Disappointments

By Bruce Tissell   (Brazil) The Seminary where I am the director was getting ready to open classes the first week of August. The month of July had been spent repairing items and making sure that everything was working for when classes opened on August 2, 2021.   I had a company come in and clean all of the air-conditioning units and make sure they were working fine. While a group of about five workers were working on the 16 air-conditioning units, I was kept busy with the workers who wanted another door open or needed to receive permission to…
August 12, 2021
FeaturesM Outreach

Jake’s Questions

By James Riggins  When invited to help with a team coming to Houston, I try to be as involved as possible. Sometimes, this is lecturing or modeling, and other times it’s observing and looking for an opportunity to speak life into someone. When a team of college students from Mississippi State University (MSU) came to town, I played both parts. During lunches, dinners, running errands, and in between the lectures, I got to know *Jake. I usually start by attempting to get to know as many of the team members as possible. In this case, Jake was the first one…
August 11, 2021
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FeaturesThe Church on Mission

3 Lessons About Social Media From John 8

By Nikole Hahn Jesus stood amid a gathering crowd, teaching, when “the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees” dragged a woman caught in the act of adultery to the front of the group (John 8:1-11). What happens next is an excellent example to follow on Social Media. The teachers and Pharisees had a hidden agenda. They said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” Like gnats, they pestered Jesus for an answer. Jesus paused, bending down to write something on the ground, before standing again. Note…
August 6, 2021
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Abraham Joseph: Acts 8:26-40

Abraham and Laura Joseph are on Home Assignment from the Philippines. Recently, Abraham spoke at Fellowship Bible in Waco, Texas. Abraham at Fellowship "My Scripture passage was Acts 8:26-40, the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch through the ministry of Philip the deacon-evangelist." Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come…
August 5, 2021
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How God Sent Us to Jordan

By Rick Griffith Forty years ago this month Susan and I set foot on Singapore soil for the first time. We arrived as singles in August 1981 for two weeks of evangelistic concerts (as we did for 12 countries of Asia in our Cru music team appropriately called "The Crossroads”).  I recalled thinking, "If there is any nation that does NOT need us as long-term missionaries, it is Singapore! The church is established, vibrant, and growing. We are much more needed elsewhere." In 1983, we returned to the USA for seven years of theological education, and, to our surprise, we…
August 4, 2021
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Finding Nemo in Your Journey

By Linda Gawthrop When I was a child, I loved Sunday School. I often sat at the edge of my seat as the teachers shared stories from God's Word. You know them… Joseph being sold into slavery and becoming second to Pharaoh Noah, the ark, and the great flood David and Goliath. Daniel in the lion's den The three Hebrews who were thrown into the fiery furnace Esther saving her people Peter released from prison by the angel I was in awe of their lives, of the miracles, where they saved the day or were rescued at the last minute.…
July 23, 2021
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How to Pray for Children of Promise

In the wake of the Coup in Myanmar, Rick and Diana Wilson shared a pressing need to WorldVenture social media in mid-March: “Our ministry coworkers know many that are desperate for food right now and we would like to help as many as possible.  It costs $150 a month for a family of 10 people.” That need has heightened with recent events! Their training building is a multi-purpose building. It not only serves as a training and activity center for the nearby children’s home, but it has become a temporary shelter due to villages and homes being destroyed. Two nearby…
July 16, 2021
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Video: Deep Roots

By Jeff Frazee We rode out on a motorcycle and we went straight to the chief's house. We greeted the people in his courtyard and told them we were there to speak to the chief. Two young men went over to sit by the chief. I extended my hand in greeting to him. He just looked at me. Apparently, you don't shake the chief's hand in this village. The two young men were there as intermediaries. It is very common to not speak to the chief directly, always through an intermediary. Shortly, an older man, about my age, showed up.…
July 12, 2021
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God Speaks

By Esther Penney God's Word is given away in different forms. While I know that at some point, it will bear fruit, I don't often get to see it. One particular day encouraged me to keep giving it out as opportunities presented themselves. As an Easter gift, we gave our guard, Mike, a MegaVoice player. MegaVoice creates audio Bibles. This particular one contains the New Testament in Wolof and Yoonu Njuub (the Way of Righteousness). Every morning before Mike leaves, I hear him playing it while he rakes up the leaves and sweeps the sidewalks. Shortly after gifting Mike the MegaVoice…
July 8, 2021
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Generations: Japan Video

Generations, Episode One, "Generations: Japan."  On June 8, 2021, "Generations: Japan" aired live on Zoom as an online event. It was about generations speaking to other generations about living life as missionaries and about the culture of Japan. This episode was recorded. It is one hour long. Download the prayer guide for Japan.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A-6jRZhfn4   Panel:  Jack Claunch (appointee) Alissa Bauer (appointee) Kevin Laverman (church planter) Ken Taylor (field leader) Cheryl and Leon Hill  (retired in June) Kathy and Lou Loutrel, Grace Church of Mahomet, Illinois (church prayer partners, friends, and supporters) Articles of Interest:  The Impact of 311 Tokyo…
June 19, 2021
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Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

By David Caucutt "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." President Theodore Roosevelt For exercise I have been walking down by the river near our house. It is a pretty popular spot where people walk and run. One of the things I used to have before deploying was a wooden staff that I prepared myself from a sapling. As I have walked down by the river, I have seen lots of trees that would work well, but of course I cannot cut them. However, even though it may be a small thing, I have prayed that,…
June 9, 2021
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High Places and Habits

By Ginny Jensen  For those that have been reading the Bible through this year, your reading plan may have recently had you in the books of Kings and Chronicles. The kings were described as “did evil in the sight of the Lord”, or “did right in the eyes of the Lord”. Sometimes, there would be additional descriptions indicating that the king did right in the eyes of the Lord, but did not completely turn away from the idol worship.  In 2 Kings 14, Amaziah began his reign in Judah. Verses 3-4 (ESV) describes him: “And he did what was right…
May 28, 2021
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Africa: Your Prayers Have Children

By Esther Penney "Your prayers have children," remarked Ellen. I wasn't quite sure what that expression meant. "A year ago, you prayed for my heart condition."  "Now, I remember!" I smiled, recalling that day a year ago. The doctor prescribed medication for Ellen's heart condition. She struggled with symptoms and found no relief. We prayed for Ellen's health in Jesus' name. Afterward, she went to see the doctor. Now, she no longer needs any medication and is entirely symptom-free! She gives thanks to Jesus' power. But, what did she mean by, "Your prayers have children?" Ellen explained that each time I prayed for…
May 26, 2021
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Girls Empowerment Curriculum: The Love Test

By Adrienne Livingston  One activity we have in our Girls Empowerment Curriculum is called the “Love Test”, which is based on a scriptural list of the attributes of love. We ask the girl to substitute the word “love” for our friend, girlfriend, boyfriend or other person’s name in each of the definitions of love. Definition of Love based off of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love... Is patient Is kind Does not envy Is not proud Does not dishonor others Is not self-seeking Is not easily angered Keeps no record of wrongs (forgives easily) Doesn’t rejoice in evil Protects Trusts Hopes Perseveres…
May 19, 2021
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Singapore: Yap Chang Yen

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV Yap Chang Yen is a Singaporean hipster in his early 40s. Fascinated with US culture, he spent most of his years buying and selling popular American rock band memorabilia in his store in Singapore’s main shopping district. He thought little of Jesus unless it could help him make another buck. But in October 2020, at the urging of a 30-year-old Singaporean Christian woman named Rena, Chang started attending Crossroads International Church (CIC) where Dr Rick Griffith…
May 13, 2021
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Generations: Japan Event

Join us online on  June 8, 2021 at 5 p.m. MDT for an hour of down-to-earth conversations about how God grows people through the different seasons of missionary life. From an appointee raising support, to the career missionary on the field, to the retiree’s unique experience, you’ll learn first-hand about the people, the culture, and the way God works through joys and heartaches to engage the world for gospel impact. Q&A to follow. Featured Panel:  Alissa Bauer - Appointee Jack Claunch - Appointee Ken Taylor- Field Leader Leon and Cheryl Hill - Retiring soon with 37 years of experience Kevin…
May 3, 2021
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Samuel’s Bleeding

Samuel's childhood in Sésènne, a neighborhood of Diourbel, Senegal, was steeped in traditional African religion. It is the home of several priestesses who conduct the traditional exorcism dances ("ndëpp" in Wolof). This is the type of dance that gave birth to voodoo-ism. Samuel suffered from deadly nosebleeds that no traditional or modern medicine could cure. Massamba is a pastor in this African country. During Kids' Club in Sésènne, the pastor and his wife noticed how sickly Samuel looked.  The pastor's wife offered to pray for him. Samuel agreed, and that day he felt better. As he continued to participate in…
April 30, 2021
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How to Trust Jesus When Everyone Has Let You Down

By Brian and Melissa  (serving in anti-sex trafficking in Europe) I (Melissa) had some unexpected reflection time a few weeks ago when I walked along a hiking path that, unbeknownst to me, would lead me through the stations of the cross. The trail was quite steep and there were covered alters with pictures depicting varying aspects of Jesus's journey to the cross. At the top of the hill was a larger alter where Christ's crucifixion was depicted. At first, it looked like the trail ended there, but around the corner the trail led down the hill, and after one more…
April 19, 2021
FeaturesM Outreach

Live Tour and Prayer Walk of Mozambique

On Friday, April 9, 2021, Rodger Schmidt gave us a live tour and prayer walk of Mozambique via Facebook Live. We have provided the edited version of the live for your viewing here as well as two other videos of Juma and Robson's testimonies on our Youtube account. Why not subscribe to our Youtube to get notified of new video uploads?  In this video, Rodger and his friends take us on a historical tour of Mozambique which includes its history, the rich culture of the people, and why Mozambique is in the news. This video is about 50 minutes in…
April 17, 2021
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The Paris of South America

By Jim Thorp Buenos Aires has been referred to as the "Paris of South America," and there is truth to the comparison. I have visited both cities and can see some similarities to the look, feel, and culture of Buenos Aires and Paris. There are significant differences, but Buenos Aires is a beautiful city with rich music, dance, architecture, and food culture. One other important similarity is the need for the Gospel to reach all levels of society. The European flavor of culture in the city gives a feel of secularism, leading many to be unconcerned about God's existence or…
April 14, 2021
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A Piece of Heaven in Brazil

Ninety-minutes from the main Day Center in Itu, São Paulo is Camp California (managed by Restoration Ministries). It is a gorgeous piece of property with lush green ground cover, beautiful flowers, and some fruit trees. It is often described by the children who come as a “piece of heaven.” Restoration Ministries uses the camp all year round for children, youth, and adults who come from the slums. This January, Brazil experienced a significant increase in extreme poverty."Today, the country has more people in poverty than before the pandemic and the beginning of the last decade, in 2011," wrote a reporter…
April 12, 2021
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The Courage of a South Sudanese Refugee

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” - Romans 10:15 Dominic Living Wawa, a Fall 2019 graduate from the Western Uganda Baptist Theological College (WUBTC), works with others to spark a discipleship movement in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Dominic is a South Sudanese refugee waiting out civil war to return home to share the Gospel with his people. He shares his story with us. "I was born in a village called Lapajo, Morobo Country, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan. My mother…
April 9, 2021
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What Are My Next Steps In Following Jesus?

Answering the question "what are my next steps in following Jesus" is unique to every individual follower of Jesus. But there are specific steps you can take. The famous command from Jesus about what it means to become his disciples offers three categories of steps that we should look to as we answer the question. The New Living Translation render's Jesus words in Matthew 16:24 this way: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." Other translations follow similar phrase patterns. Another way to describe…
April 4, 2021
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Online Prayer Event: April 17

You are invited to an online Zoom prayer event on how to deepen your prayer life for heart transformations. Peter Persson, Director of Global Prayer Initiatives, leads this online Zoom event on Saturday, April 17, 2021 from 4 to 5 p.m. MST AZ. This event is limited to the first 50 people who sign up here. Apprentices of Jesus Christ have the desire to grow in their prayer lives. We want God’s “will to be done on earth as it is done in heaven” and we intuitively know that prayer is the key for that to happen. But are our prayers for God’s…
April 3, 2021
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Have You Read Psalm 22 This Easter?

By Ginny Jensen We are familiar with the Easter story; maybe too familiar. During Lent this year, I chose to read John Stevenson’s “Christ on the Cross”. The book is written in old language making it harder to read, but also making the imagery more real. Stevenson walks through Psalm 22 verse-by-verse providing a vivid portrayal of the realities of the cross. Those that were present that day had experienced His love during His earthly ministry. They were among the crowds that mocked, ridiculed, and taunted Him. They did not believe even as they saw Scripture being fulfilled regarding the…
March 28, 2021
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How to Create a Personal Retreat

By Ginny Jensen (printable instructions available at the end) The following is a guide to creating a personal retreat. Specific times have not been given to accommodate your length of retreat time. However, it would be helpful to allow at least a half a day for your retreat. Prepare yourself for a time of just you and the Lord. Make your surroundings comfortable, quiet, and without interruption.  Plan for the time to be lived in solitude and silence. “Go away and trust God with what happens in your soul.” (Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, pg 79, IVP, 2015)…
March 24, 2021
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We Meet Under a Tree

By Tatiane Barros Mozambique, Africa Our group meets under a tree. The tree stands within a goat and chicken farm, started as a business for missions venture by our colleagues. Our group meets under the tree every Saturday morning for Bible Study. When our colleagues first began the group, they started studying Genesis. That first year that our family arrived in Mozambique, our small group experienced a witch doctor's conversion. After his funeral, our group became known as "Family" to the community. When we began studying the teachings on helping widows, we met Pipi. "Pipi" means grandmother in the Makhua language. Pipi…
March 18, 2021
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

Virtual Prayer for The Technologically Challenged

“hurchgoers, even those who have stopped regularly attending worship services during the pandemic, want support from a church community. Practicing Christians across the U.S. are seeking “prayer and emotional support”… – Barna, July 2020 Face-to-face prayer, phone call prayer, and virtual prayer share the same ingredients—consistency, compassion, and patience. The difference between them are the tools we use to convey the “prayer and emotional support” that practicing Christians are seeking today. In fact, on a spectrum of interaction where face-to-face prayer is most personal, virtual prayer is a step above a phone call because we can see each other on…
March 11, 2021
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Pancakes and Discipleship: Bolivia

Video Length: 2 minutes Learn about the Atkins: Click here. Learn about the Transition Home: Click here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNwhpbtyLzo Buttermilk pancakes This recipe made for high elevation. Bolivia is at 8500 ft. The recipe in the video is made for sea level. Recipe adapted for 8500 ft. above sea level. For sea level, increase baking powder and baking soda to one teaspoon each.  Ingredients 2 cups (241g) flour 3 tablespoons (35g) sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda  1/2 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2 cups (454g) buttermilk 4 tablespoons (28g) melted butter or 2 tablespoons (25g) vegetable oil…
March 9, 2021
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The Phone Call

By Esther Penney Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. - Matthew 16:24 God draws people to himself in some wild ways. One morning in 2017, a woman named *Aja left several unclear messages on the answering machine saying she was trying to find us. Not convinced that she was calling the right number, I called her back. *Aja was looking for our organization in Senegal. Suspicious, I wanted to know why she was looking for us and wondered if she had the right…
March 5, 2021
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Virtual Prayer Walk – Ghana, Africa

While this went live via Facebook on Saturday, February 27, 2021, you can still ask questions. Go to this link on Youtube to leave a comment or on Facebook. If you are a church wishing to share this with your congregation, you can download the video from here. Learn more about The Waltons here.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xhiyAipe_A Header Image by Kojo Blebu from Pixabay 
March 2, 2021
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How to Create Authentically Christian Schools

By Katrina Custer A general consensus exists that education is a significant linchpin in the effort to influence the next generation of leaders, whether for good or bad. Nelson Mandela famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” It feels bold to call any school a “weapon,” even more so when it comes to Christian schools, but I don’t think President Mandela is wrong in his assertion that education is a battle against ignorance and even poverty. Study after study shows a correlation between the average years of schooling and a nation’s…
February 24, 2021
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Tunnel Vision

By Ginny Jensen All year we have been making adjustments because of the pandemic. I have often heard the frustration of making these adjustments. Some changes involved technology, travel plans, and even ministry focus. It reminds me of a time in my life where I had tunnel vision. I was happily doing what I thought the Lord intended for me. In reality, I was comfortable where I was and had forgotten to ask and listen to Him. I had tunnel vision. Even when it seemed my world came crashing around me, I still struggled to get out of the tunnel. It…
February 12, 2021
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Grasshoppers Versus Giants

By Debbie Dodd  Where do you look when you are afraid? When you’re scared, what are you focused on? I just finished teaching Deuteronomy to seminary students. One of my favorite passages in the book is where Moses challenges the Israelites with this same question. In chapter 1, Moses is rehearsing God’s history of grace with his people as a basis of encouraging them to obey him in the future faithfully. He reminds them of why they are at the Canaan border a second time, instead of already settled in the land. Thirty-eight years earlier, their parents had stood on the edge of…
February 11, 2021
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How to Rejoice in Challenging Circumstances

by David Caucutt Ecuador, Americas During 2020, our theme was thankfulness. As we enter into 2021, our focus will be on joy in Christ. This theme has been challenging for me. I'm not going to pretend that I have all the answers and am always rejoicing. It is hard to imagine that joy is possible when you are throwing up, when God feels far away, or when people you love are hurting, and you can't be there. But Philippians 4:4 commands us to "rejoice in the Lord always." So, somehow, it is always possible for a Christian to have joy. But, what kind of joy am I…
February 8, 2021
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Bringing Light to Myanmar

The recent military coup in Myanmar, following their November elections and a failed challenge of election fraud by the military in that country's Supreme Court, echoes a violent coup in that nation in 1988. "Until two years ago, Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by the longest-running military dictatorship in the world," NPR reported. "A disagreement in a tea shop between university students and people linked to the government eventually grew into a student-led movement calling for democracy in the summer of 1988." The protests led to martial law and banned public demonstrations. Violence followed with about 3,000 people shot, 3,000 Burmese sent…
February 5, 2021
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A Reminder From Jeremiah

by 4000-780 LAMENTATIONS 3:19-26 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly…
January 29, 2021
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New Program Offered: Karen Shogren

By Karen Shogren Next week, we are beginning an entirely new program called Certificate with an Emphasis in the Prevention and Intervention of Sexual Violence.  We are offering the training that Christian leaders need: What to say What to do, And how to do it in your church context. Our Bible-centered, Spanish-language program consists of 9 courses, beginning February 6 and ending Dec 4.  There are no pre-requisites to enroll in this program Each course is 4 weeks long, meeting once a week on Saturday mornings from 8-11am Costa Rica time. You can expect about 6 hours of homework each…
January 27, 2021
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How to Make Taco Soup

Mandy and Jason Post from Ireland share stories of student ministry in this 3 minute video. Recipe below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxMUtxMk5bA Taco Soup Ingredients:  2 tbsp. olive oil one large onion chopped 2-3 cloves garlic minced 2-3 sliced or chopped chilies 2 pounds ground beef 2 cans of corn (or 2 cups frozen corn) 2 cans of beans, drained and rinsed (kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans) 2 cans stewed or chopped tomatoes 1 16 oz can tomato sauce 2 packages taco seasoning (or add your own seasonings to taste: salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika) corn tortilla chips sliced or cubed avocado,…
January 26, 2021
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The 4 Phases of Mentoring

The 4 Phases of Mentoring was a Facebook Live for #NationalMentoringMonth on January 14, 2021. Featured are Gerry Schroeder from RussiaWorship.org, Andre, and Larry. It's worth setting aside 24 minutes to listen to the stories as Gerry shares about the phases of mentoring. Please do share your thoughts and this blog on your social media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw8NuAQfe_o  
January 16, 2021
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From Bad to Great

By Bruce Tissell The more I tried to get things done, the less I could do with offices, schools, and government services greatly restricted. To top things off, I was trying to put together a list of teachers for the next semester's classes. On the one hand, things were going well as a couple of teachers had just returned from teaching at one of the extension courses and had done a fantastic job. Students were taught, teachers could get through the required material, and everyone seemed happy and excited about what had happened. On the other hand, I received a…
December 30, 2020
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Christmas and The Government

A Delicate Balancing Act by Dr. Rick Griffith Who best submits to authority? With rare exceptions, those who most willingly submit to authority are committed Christians. After all, once we submit to Jesus, submission to others has fewer challenges. Go to just about any modern society, and typically you will find that faithful believers are those who cause the least trouble for their political leaders. But this submission has its limits. God himself instituted government (Rom 13:1-5), but believers must choose between two conflicting authorities when the government goes too far. The Jewish Sanhedrin committed such an overreach, commanding the…
December 28, 2020
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Spiritual Formation: Begin 2021 Right!

By Peter Persson In WorldVenture's Facebook group, we have been working our way through the Bible this year. What a journey it has been! To climb into a plane and fly over the landscape of the Bible has been very eye-opening for us as we have observed how God, with great skill and grace, has worked through frail man to accomplish His will on earth. Spending time daily in God's Word is a spiritual discipline that yields fruit for a lifetime! But, what might be another spiritual discipline to practice in 2021, quite possibly for the first time? Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) says, "Blessed is…
December 27, 2020
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The Shepherd

by G. Simon (Luke 2:6-20)         Thoughts? Copy the link and share that with your comments to social media. Don’t forget to tag us @WorldVenture. We like to share your comments if we know about it. You can use the hashtag #WVSimpleChristmas. Do you have questions about Jesus? Click here and message us. Do you need prayer? Click here to add a prayer or to pray for others. We are exploring a #WVSimpleChristmas together. You can download resources and the devotional here.  A note on the author: This person works with refugees in Europe.   
December 24, 2020
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How to Do Egg Art

By Jennifer Luebben Egg art has been a passion of mine for roughly a decade. It is so symbolic. From Christ coming down from heaven to Earth to the empty tomb, the egg is a beautiful tool and story teller. One of my favorite traditions about this art is the incorporation of prayer. Traditionally, the artist will pray for the entire time they are decorating the egg. In this case, over ten hours were spent in prayer for WorldVenture missionaries and partners, and the church. The story is told in the egg. This is how we prayed. Starting from the…
December 22, 2020
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Orientation

By Beth Horn I am not much of a collector, but nativity sets are one item I like to collect. I like sets with multiple pieces because it is fun to arrange and rearrange all the characters and pieces. I learned from being in plays in high school that the placement of characters on a stage communicates much about their importance. To place Jesus in the center of the action whether in the foreground or background, to place the others in positions of worship, to include animals in the stable or place them outside. They all prepare for the coming…
December 18, 2020
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How a Dictionary is Helping People in India

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12 ESV Themshang Horam is a graduate of Singapore Bible College. He served at Crossroads International Church in Singapore, where Dr. Rick Griffith pastors. After graduation, Themshang returned to Manipur, India, and became the Education Secretary to the entire Tangkhul Baptist Churches Association (TBCA) in Manipur State. The Tangkhuls have had the Gospel for 100 years, but theological education has been slow…
December 17, 2020
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Expecting Emmanuel

By Beth Horn In Call the Midwife’s 2012 Christmas special, Sister Evangelina and Nurse Lee assist an older woman, Mrs. Jenkins, living in dire poverty. She is alone, living in an abandoned building, and the filth is almost tangible through the screen. While Sister Evangelina burns the outer garments to curb infestation, Nurse Lee must use Vaseline to remove Mrs. Jenkins' shoes because they are stuck to her skin. Once the shoes are off, we briefly see open sores, toenails so long they are curling, and infection that has caused the big toe to swell twice its size and change…
December 16, 2020
FeaturesM Outreach

Grieving Parents Find Faith and Purpose

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” – Psalm 54:4 Esther first met Brenda Allen in Guinea, West Africa while attending the local University and became her yard mate. Brenda and a local pastor’s wife discipled Esther. Esther would teach children in the local language at Sunday School as well as lead Bible clubs after school. During that time, Esther became engaged to Philip. Philip was an intern at a local campus ministry. His dream was to become a pastor. Brenda’s local church sent him to a seminary in another part of the country.…
December 11, 2020
Features

The Date of Christmas

By Dr. Rick Griffith  Did Baby Jesus arrive on December 25? Would shepherds watch sheep in open fields in a cold, late December? And would magi travel in the dead of winter? Old Testament precedent may help here. God could have brought Israel out of Egypt anytime, but he chose the month of Nisan (March-April) for the Exodus. Leviticus 23 shows that Passover has the Feast of Unleavened Bread on its heels, quickly followed by Firstfruits. But why? This season of Israel’s first three feasts begins the grain harvest, ending 40 days later with Pentecost. The nation observed the Feast…
December 10, 2020
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Christmas For The Unexpected

By Dr. Rick Griffith Were the magi from Mesopotamia (Assyria, Babylonia, or Persia)?  After all, they came "from the east" (Matt 2:1), and these nations lay northeast of Israel.  Babylonians were also stargazers, and magi "saw his star in the east" (Matt 2:2 NIV). But how about Arab magi from the Arabian Peninsula southeast of Israel? Biblically speaking, "east" was not faraway Mesopotamia but closer to Israel.  Job lived in Uz as "the greatest of the people of the east" (Job 1:3).  Uz lay either northeast near Syria or southeast with Edomites near Arabia. Descendants of Ishmael's son Kedar (Gen.…
December 7, 2020
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God of Shepherds

By Sam Knutson It’s a special honor to visit a newborn baby and its parents, even more so to be the first ones to see the swaddled little bundle of joy. It speaks volumes of your relationship when the parents invite you to see a child. So, what does it say about the first people to see baby Jesus? It wasn’t kings or Wise Men at first. No, the Father gave the greatest birth announcement of all time to shepherds. So, the first visitors to behold God made flesh had just rushed over after being out in the fields with…
December 4, 2020
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For His Joy

Pulling Together as a Family in Christ By Donna McDonnel One of the things that have been hardest about this year, if I'm honest, is the way that I have seen the people around me divide. Maybe that doesn't sound right in English, but what I mean is, it has felt like this has been a time of dividing, division.  Are you in this group?  Are you in that one?  Do you believe this?  How can you believe that? It doesn't even seem to matter where I am physically located. Everywhere I turn, division.  Family members trying to be careful…
December 1, 2020
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Noel in Cote d’Ivoire

By Angelika Ragsdale (A journal entry written some years ago which has relevance now)  At the bus station in Adjamé, Abidjan, waiting for the next bus back to Bouaké after depositing my documents to get my Ivorian residence card, I open my Bible to Luke 2. As I read about Joseph leaving Nazareth to go to Bethlehem (his birth town) to get registered, because the Roman government at the time issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, it dawns on me, that it wasn’t just the people of Israel being on the move…
November 27, 2020
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Jonah: The Heart of God For the Nations

By Brody Philips  And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" — The LORD (Jonah 4:11) Such a provocative question with such profound implications. By now, almost all of us have heard the story of Jonah: a reluctant prophet sent by God to preach a message to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian empire — the same Assyria that would soon take the nation of Israel into captivity. Jonah refused to go to Nineveh, and in…
November 18, 2020
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Our Heart in Response to God’s Call

By Evans Walton Our hearts need to be fertile when we respond to God’s calling. A heart that is fertile is willing to submit to the direction of God, recognize the grace of God, and be willing to share God's grace with others. The book of Jonah primarily focuses on a gentile city called Nineveh which was infamous for its cruelty. The prophet missionary was sent to warn the people of Nineveh about God’s coming judgment. MacArthur writes, one of the book’s intents was to, “shame Israel by the fact that a pagan city repented at the preaching of a…
November 3, 2020
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

How to Form a Digital Team

The Church on Mission is a series of blogs and videos to help your ministry or church thrive in the digital age and make disciples locally and internationally. This is the first video of the series in three parts. Introduction (1 minute) The Template (3 minutes) Review & Strategy (3 minutes) Resources: PowerPoints: Sample Report Form: You can view how to use this report by clicking here to go to nikolehahn.com. List of Digital Resources: Indigitous: Engaging and Unleashing Believers into Digital Missions. Good source to learn about digital missions. Church Communications: Church conferences and blog posts on how to…
November 2, 2020
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God’s Unusual Intervention in The Book of Jonah

By Philip Kendall  Throughout the book of Jonah, God demonstrates again and again that his way of working in the world can be, and often is, fundamentally different than we’d either like or even expect. “‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD” (New International Version, Isaiah 55:8). God does not restrict himself to reaching out to those we reach out to, blessing us in ways we see as blessings, or even giving us objectives that we would like to achieve. Instead, He does what He knows is best. God reaches out to…
October 25, 2020
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What to Do When the Post Office Fails

Stories from the field and practical advice on supporting your missionaries with prayer and mail By Nikole Hahn Our small group decided to partner with the missionaries our church supported through writing letters and prayer. Working at a church, and with some of these missionaries from the different organizations, gave me insight into the practicality of letter writing. While the commercial open rate for an emailed newsletter can range from 20% to 30% on average, regular mail is making a comeback. In the past, we went to email because our mail boxes were full of junk. Like a pendulum swinging…
October 23, 2020
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What Mask Are You Wearing?

By Ginny Jensen Ginny serves WorldVenture appointees and international workers by encouraging and equipping them to fulfill God’s global redemptive purposes and by assisting each person to finish well with Him. Masks have become a fashion statement and a point of conflict. In the past, masks were commonplace in other parts of the world. In the United States, we associated them with burglars, Mardi-Gras, or Halloween. By definition, masks protect, disguise, or entertain.  A masque is a form of entertainment where the performers wear masks. Often, life is a masque. We mask our true feelings or present a façade that…
October 9, 2020
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A New Pane of Glass, A Pair of Shoes, and Jesus

By Nicolette Hutcherson Beirut, Lebanon He was sitting outside the church gate with his shoeshine kit, watching the people coming and going.  One of our volunteers noticed him and called me over to help.  I invited him in and asked if there was anything specific he needed. "Shoes," he shyly replied, "size 38."  I took him over to our section of men's shoes - we didn't have a lot - and showed him a few pairs of tennis shoes in his size.  He hesitated and then pointed to a pair of fake leather business man looking shoes - not something…
October 7, 2020
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The Return Key

By Dr. Rick Griffith After we checked out of our Bangkok hotel, a family checked in at the same counter. Turns out, they were missionaries, and the wife was a counselor in nearby Chiang Mai. When I noted that I am a professor at Singapore Bible College, she replied, "Oh, our only Thai counselor was hoping to attend SBC in a few months, but she can't afford it since her husband is also a seminary student and they have a young daughter." "Really?" I responded. "Our church in Texas has funds to invest in Asian families attending SBC!" Fast forward…
October 5, 2020
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Reset: We Just Started The New Testament

Reset: (verb) to set again or anew. Fall is often the symbol of change. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17 Reset is a mindset we should embrace these days. Perhaps we could start that through a new spiritual habit of reading the Bible each day?  Peter Persson, Director of Global Prayer Initiatives, started a Reading the Bible in a Year plan in January through our Facebook group. He recently began the New Testament. It's not too late to dig into the New Testament…
October 3, 2020
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How Social Media Can Help You Live Deeply

By Nikole Hahn The mocking voices of social media drive that anger and grief more deeply into a person’s heart with each refresh of the newsfeed. Even what we post online is what we saturate our hearts with, and so, if what we post is angry, grieving, or mocking, we hear that voice, too, deeply in our souls. If social media can infect us this way, what would happen if we altered how we posted? Would that change how we lived each day? In thinking of this, the word repent comes to mind. The word repent means, “to change one’s…
October 1, 2020
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A Reset in Chaotic Days

By Jeff Denlinger, President of WorldVenture Many years ago, in other tumultuous, chaotic, and dark days, the prophet Habakkuk bemoaned these words to God: “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” (Hab 1:2-4 ESV) In reply to…
September 28, 2020
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Imprisoned Like Paul

…But the word of God is not bound! - 2 Timothy 2:9b Marilyn Escher is a "retired" WorldVenture worker, still on the job as a Global Resource Specialist, working to finish up the translation of the Bible into Wolof. Wolof is spoken by 5 million ethnic Wolofs in Senegal. Because of her age (77), mission leadership recommended she evacuate from the field temporarily. She had 24 hours notice before the borders closed. Twelve hours to pack during the night hours and four days to get from Senegal to COVID-free Fort Bragg, California where her brother is pastor of Grace Community…
September 25, 2020
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Alexandra: A Story of Recovery and Redemption

By Ireni Mota And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 Alexandra was born in an upscale neighborhood of São Paulo. Her problems were no different than our own. Alexandra had good parents. As an adolescence, she desired to know the favela side of the city (a shack or shanty town) and the slum lifestyle. This interest occurred soon after her father’s death. Alexandra became “Piriri”, a respected drug dealer in the community. Rarely ever do drug dealers not get involved with their…
September 23, 2020
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An Unexpected Blessing

Bruce Tissell’s story of innovation during Brazil’s COVID-19 shut down is an inspiration for all of us as we find creative ways to stay in business, do ministry, and make disciples in this unexpected time. Bruce is the Director at Baptist Seminary in Teresina, Brazil. North Brazil was hearing about and watching this new thing called the Corona Virus or Covid-19 in early 2020.  No one really paid much attention to it as it was something in other parts of the world, or in the Southern part of Brazil (this is like another world to us in North Brazil). In…
September 12, 2020
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In The Garden

By Ginny Jensen One of my dad’s favorite hymns was “In the Garden” by C. Austin Miles. As a youngster, I didn’t fully understand the imagery of the song but I loved it because he loved it. Now I look at those words and I see the image of quiet time with the Lord. The beauty of the chorus brings peace as I meditate on it. “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.” Quiet time,…
September 3, 2020
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The Blessing

Written by a Colleague  We have been so moved by this blessing being sung by God's people in different languages from different countries. We think you will be blessed, too. Choose a video from this sampling taken from 100 virtual choirs singing blessing over their city, country and the whole world in this time of global uncertainty. It is more than just singing a song—it is matching good news with good deeds: 100 churches in NYC sing and serve together 121 churches in Canada work and pray together 100 churches in France unite and help each other 177 churches in Singapore with 772 singers 300…
August 14, 2020
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Being Formed

By Ginny Jensen Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. – Philippians 1:18b-19 Early in my faith journey, I clearly understood the choice between following the world and following Christ. What I had difficulty reconciling was how I would be transformed to be like Him. I struggled with verses like Philippians 1 and 2 which seemed so contradictory. In chapter one, Paul petitions God to complete the work… in the lives of his…
August 13, 2020
FeaturesThe Church on Mission

5 Ways to Share Your Faith Online

By Nikole Hahn Paul spent his time in prison writing letters. Even when Paul himself couldn’t minister in person, God used his words to traverse obstacles, distance, and time. Paul’s words continue to make an impact, in large part because they were fixed in time to a timeless medium. Luke’s “Acts of the Apostles” is similar. According to the introduction in Bible Study Tools of the Book of Acts, it was written “To depict the triumph of Christianity in the face of bitter persecution.” Fixed in time, but timeless! Written in one place, but unconfined by time and space. Many…
August 10, 2020
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How the Pals Inspired Others to Go

By Dougg Custer, VP Mobilization Ministries “I do not know how things will turn out for us.  As a husband, I feel obligated to lead our family toward obedience, whatever the end may be–whether it is life or death or discomfort or disappointment.  It is clear that the Lord Jesus calls us not to an easy life, however he calls us.  He bids us to take up our cross–just as he did–to suffer and die.  Perhaps we will toil for years to raise support and never make it overseas.  Perhaps we will go and utterly ‘fail’ as missionaries from all…
July 31, 2020
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Resting Murder Face: Principles of Necessary Conflict

A week-long series on leadership and conflict resolution By Rodger Schmidt Change is hard work. It is uncomfortable and many leaders tend to hang on to what worked in the past even if it is outdated or no longer effective. For businesses to grow, the entire organization must be consistently analyzed, discussed, negotiated, and fine-tuned. Conflict is the backdoor to reinvention and innovation.  “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and…
July 17, 2020
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Resting Murder Face: Why is Conflict Necessary?

A week-long series on leadership and conflict resolution By Rodger Schmidt  Many leaders avoid conflict at all costs. However, the most innovative solutions often are born out of conflict. The workplace is a dynamic environment, always needing to grow, change, find solutions, transition, and upgrade. Conflict is a regular element of everyday work life. If leaders manage conflict well, it will produce growth and leadership capacity in themselves and others (and the more enjoyable will be the experience of others in the workplace).   Why is Conflict Necessary?  Conflict encourages the leader to consider new ideas. If the participants truly hear one another’s perspectives and ideas, it helps to mold and clarify concepts; either making the leader clearer…
July 16, 2020
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Resting Murder Face: Conflict is Inevitable

A week-long series on leadership and conflict resolution By Rodger Schmidt When two or more people interact for a long enough period, conflict happens. It is inevitable. Dr. Silcox claims unresolved conflict preys on peoples’ minds and distracts them from their most important tasks. Individuals in ongoing conflict rarely contribute well to the organization’s mission and strategy. Therefore, Individuals may simply be going through the motions, or undermining the organization in some way. The following questions and related principles are helpful to consider while managing the inevitable reality of conflict: Are there perceived inequities in how people are treated? Inequities…
July 15, 2020
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Resting Murder Face: Introduction

A week-long series on leadership and conflict resolution By Rodger Schmidt  If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. - Matthew 18:15 Managing conflict is not only inevitable but a necessary process if leaders hope to foster community, mature themselves, and lead others well. It is essential if we are to achieve all the Father has prepared for us in the mission of God around the world. I have invested years navigating conflict rooted in personality differences—Family of origin blind…
July 14, 2020
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Coping with the Coronavirus Pandemic in Italy

How a Coronavirus Canceled Plans For Two Colleagues by Emily Roth  After 42 years of ministry in Italy, Doug and Dee Valenzuela were preparing for their biggest project yet to take place on the last weekend of May. It would have been a three-day event drawing thousands of people to hear the gospel and receive salvation in Jesus Christ. The event, called Christian Alive 2020, could have been the capstone of their work in the city of Naples and its surrounding area before they would retire at the end of the year. But, the event was canceled. Instead, they celebrated…
June 8, 2020
Charlie
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Life With Charlie

By Ginny Jensen Charlie is my little lap dog. He is now old and losing his sight. He is still the most loyal, cuddly pet I have ever had. Through the years, there have been many challenges with him. He was a rescue and came with many issues. In watching Charlie, I have seen parallels to my relationship with God. After doing something wrong, Charlie comes sheepishly to me for forgiveness only to turn around and do it again. Sounds like me. How about you? When Charlie escapes the yard and runs free, it is beautiful to watch him. Yet,…
June 6, 2020
church
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Building a Church Legacy in Senegal

Senegal Broke Ground This Weekend on a New Church By Colleagues in Africa On Saturday, May 30, 2020, we broke ground for a permanent place of worship. The story behind the ceremony for a new church building began years ago.  After decades of missionary work, there are only about 100 Wolof believers. Out of those 100 believers, less than a third attend church on a regular basis. This breaks our hearts. When we spoke to some of them, they shared several reasons for not attending. “It doesn’t feel sacred.” They desire a formal place of worship. “It doesn’t feel Senegalese.”…
June 1, 2020
language
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How COVID19 Changed Language Learning For Me

  By Sam Knutson During this coronavirus lockdown, God has shifted our plans and I am beginning language learning from the States instead of in person.  I was very nervous about my first lesson in Spanish because, even though I have been trying my best to learn on my own, I am still such a novice!  At the end of my lesson, we could only shake our heads and laugh at God's humor.  My online language lesson went from shaky introductions to sharing the Gospel in my bumbling Spanish. My tutor, Nico (a pseudonym) lives in Guayaquil, the city we…
May 26, 2020
Sheltered
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Sheltered Under His Wings

  By Ginny Jensen We have been sheltered in place for weeks; for some, it's been months. Slowly the world is beginning to “re-open”. If your isolation is a physical location, you may be seeing the light at the far end of the tunnel. If you are like Hannah in social isolation, you don’t know when it will end. Staying in isolation has its stressors. Stepping out of it will bring new stressors. Is it safe? What if there is a second wave? What effect will social distancing have on relationships? The questions, fears, and anxiety are as unique as…
May 21, 2020
Ramadan
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Seeking Peace During a Pandemic

  By Emily Roth The last 10 days of Ramadan began on Tuesday, May 12. More than at any other time of year, Muslims seek God during these 10 days and nights. Ramadan is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, and the final 10 days of the month are the holiest days of this month. A saying attributed to Muhammad instructs Muslims, “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.” Laylat al-Qadr, also translated as the Night of Destiny or the Night of Power, is honored by Muslims as the…
May 16, 2020
Orphanages
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A Snapshot Into Cambodian Orphanages

If orphanages are where the resources are, won't they provide the best nutrition, health care, and education? By Lisa Yunker My degree program in seminary required me to do an internship and, by that time, I sensed the Lord was calling me to work in Cambodia. I joined a team for a seven-week mission trip to Cambodia. During that time we were exposed to, and given the opportunity to work with, a broad spectrum of ministries. One of the ministries we encountered was a large well-respected orphanage. The woman who was in charge was a lovely Christian lady with many…
May 15, 2020
1400
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For the First Time in 1400 Years

By Emily Roth It is a special time of year for 1.8 billion people around the world. Something in the atmosphere makes this season different from any other. Those who celebrate it hang festive lights and exchange gifts. They host big dinners, serving seasonal dishes, and inviting honored guests. People give generously to the poor and needy. Everyone strives to be the best version of themselves. They reflect on the past year and feel hopeful for the year to come. And children watch out the windows with anticipation to see if they can spot...the moon. It is Ramadan. Based on…
May 6, 2020
church
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The Courage and Sacrifice of an Indonesian Church

How a Jakarta Church is Living 360 Discipleship By Bruce Swanson Eric and Tina Yee’s church members are creating exciting impacts in all of their circles – personal, professional, and community. Eric has been discipling the church to obey all Jesus commanded, including living as salt and light. It is so cool to see them doing that with courage and sacrifice. From the Eric & Tina Yee’s Update | 04/22/2020 When COVID-19 began to enter Indonesia last month, everyone was unprepared for how quickly it escalated from precautions to closures to deaths. While it has been a difficult season, including the…
May 2, 2020
unlock
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How Many Hot Dogs Does It Take to Unlock a Heart?

When God Locks Us in to Unlock Hearts in Ecuador By Matt and Kristy Messick We work with marriages.  And, in this culture, they are tough. Since 2016, we’ve been reaching marriages through an 8-week course called MAS en Mi Matrimonio (More in My Marriage).  It originally attracted mostly believers. In the last year, it has had a strong draw for non-believers. Graduates began to recommend the course around the city. We love building relationships here. When we first moved to Ecuador in 2014, Matt found a small store downtown that sold hotdogs--a cheap and fast snack he could grab…
May 1, 2020
solitude
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2 Ways to Create Solitude and Silence

  By Ginny Jensen “How to Actually Concentrate” by Carolyn Yates addresses concentration in our everyday life. It also has a great application to how we approach our relationship with the Lord. Time with the Lord requires more than going through the motions. We often struggle to concentrate on the mundane things of life. So, how do we focus on the Lord? Yates provides several tools in her article to help build concentration or focus. She points out that we are so used to multi-tasking that we struggle to focus on one thing. In our time with the Lord, do…
April 29, 2020
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3 Principles For Times of Anxiety

  By Ming Perrello, MS, LPC I confess that I have been anxious. My sleep has often been fitful. My body is tense and I feel restless. I am easily irritated. I feel busy yet I am busier in my mind than with my hands. Who can blame me?  I live near the epicenter of the COVID-19 hotspot of New York City. The climate here is tense; just about everyone knows someone who has the virus. I am a caregiver to my husband who has multiple sclerosis, a memory-impaired 88-year-old father, and a brother who is a paraplegic.  I am…
April 28, 2020
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Meme, Myself and Isolation

Health for the Whole Person by Christy Otten, MA, LCPC The internet has been awash with memes about the coronavirus. You may have seen the one(s) about Isaac Newton: He discovered theories of gravity and motion during a plague—the message clearly being that you can do a lot while staying inside. Then, there are the ones especially for parents—one tells us that while you, as the parent, know this is a crisis, your children may only remember scavenger hunts, family game nights, and the immense amount of together time. Imagine the family memories you can create! If I’m being honest,…
April 24, 2020
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Shelter in Place: Hannah

  By Ginny Jensen Sometimes, when we feel like we are captive, it has nothing to do with our location. Loss, physical limitations, or broken relationships (to name a few) can hold us captive. Consider Hannah. She was barren in a society that gave honor to childbearing. She was provoked by her rival. Her husband deeply loved her, but her deep desire for a child left her anxious, grieved, and frustrated. In the midst of her grief, she poured out her heart in the temple and was seen by the high priest, Eli. Hannah told Eli the priest about her…
April 20, 2020
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Shelter in Place: Jesus

  By Ginny Jensen Shelter in Place usually means home. When Jesus left heaven, it was like leaving his home. He was perfect yet living in a broken world. Jesus remained close to the Father while on earth. He made choices based on the word of the Father. He was abiding. Jesus’ time alone prior to Satan’s tempting him gives insight into his practices to maintain intimacy with the Father. It included fasting and solitude. He was able to refute Satan, showing his familiarity with Scripture. Imagine those days alone in prayer and meditation; silently listening to the Father. Solitude…
April 19, 2020
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The Inner Life, World, and Vision of Healthy Cross-Cultural Servants

  By Dr. Dennis Ahern, Director, Paraclete Services  “You really like your work,” observed an eager short-term missionary after a few days of serving alongside me in Asia. In that moment, her question perplexed me and so I replied, “If I didn’t like my work, I’d change jobs. What led you to this observation?” She responded, “Our team travels on short-term assignments and we serve many career missionaries living in Asia. I’ve decided that many missionaries hate their work.” How accurate is this young woman’s observation today? Is ministry to be enjoyed or do we discover God’s will only after…
April 17, 2020
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Shelter in Place: Joseph

  By Ginny Jensen  Shelter in Place can mean very different things for people. Some live in mansions, small homes, or on the street. Joseph had several places during his lifetime. He lived in his family home until his brothers threw him into a pit. From there, he traveled with traders and was sold as a slave. The extremes of his lodging went from prison to the king’s palace. Imagine how disruptive life would have been for Joseph. Consider the unmet dreams for his life. We may wonder, during those years of captivity, if he thought about the unfulfilled dreams…
April 16, 2020
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Shelter in Place: Daniel

  By Ginny Jensen  Most people these days can be grateful for being at home. For some, they may be “stuck” someplace else. They, like Daniel in the Old Testament, have an added amount of discomfort. Daniel was in exile, taken to Babylon. Nothing was normal for Daniel and his fellow exiles. Daniel remained faithful to his prayer time. He continued even after the king’s decree. Prayer is never more crucial than at times like these. We serve a God who hears; he knows, and he is in control. The Psalms offer examples of prayers of lament. Honestly tell the…
April 13, 2020
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Shelter in Place

  By Ginny Jensen  Shelter in place, quarantine, and stay at home are words heard repeatedly these days. For many, it feels like a prison sentence; others feel imposed upon and inconvenienced. As believers, these times can draw us closer to the Lord or disrupt all spiritual practices leaving us drifting away. This feeling of being in captivity and isolation are not new. Over the centuries, others have experienced the same feeling during plagues, slavery, imprisonment, or exile. Bible stories we know and love give us examples of thriving in such difficult situations. Some early church fathers even chose a…
April 9, 2020
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When the Occasion of Disruption Becomes an Opportunity for Distribution!

  WorldVenture sees how the gospel can be a catalyst for justice in the world.  Karen Shogren, Professor at Seminario ESEPA, Costa Rica began teaching a new program to train church leaders to combat the scourge of sexual abuse.  She has been developing this critically needed training for some time and was excited to release it this year.  The course began as an in-person pilot program; plans to take the program online for wider distribution would have to wait for another 1-2 years. But the disruption of the coronavirus quarantine nearly stopped the program entirely.  Professor Shogren shared that “exactly…
April 7, 2020
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13 Ways to Effectively Work From Home

Serving While Sheltering by Dennis Ahern Yesterday was a strange day in the midst of our new normal. After checking in with the IM team at 7:30 a.m. (California time), my wife, Denise and I went to buy groceries. We experienced the push of the cart during the early morning “senior” shopping hours. Truthfully, my wife does not accept invitations from anyone or anywhere that begin with, “Dear Senior Citizen.” But, she accepted my invitation because I invited her to join me as my guest. Does it seem strange to others besides me that before entering a supermarket, we put…
April 5, 2020
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Staying Home, But Not Alone

  By Grace Sandeno, Director of Public Health Initiatives Battle back against isolation and stress! Here are some practical suggestions for making our current isolation less isolating: Whether you are alone or “isolated” in a house of seven, as I am, reach out to people not in your house. Other people need a hug, even if it is a virtual one. Learn some new “tricks.” I admit to being an “old-timer” when it comes to technology. But, as it turns out, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. I’ve messed up technology stuff a number of times, but I…
April 4, 2020
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How to Worship Together in Quarantine

  https://youtu.be/74HtYmAzSyw In the past, Zachary Galyen enjoyed multiple opportunities during the week to worship in community. Since moving to the Czech Republic last May, he "...could count on one hand..." the opportunities to worship. "I just missed it." He said. "What pushed me over the edge is seeing all the people coming out of the woodwork, sharing their corporate or personal time of worship because of the restrictions to meet publicly, etc. I thought it was so cool that people were posting encouraging songs of worship FOR each other, but it would be so much cooler if we could…
April 3, 2020
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This Way We Have Never Been Before

By LeAnn Custer Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” – Joshua 3:1-8 I thought how applicable the verses are to our present Corona Virus pandemic situation since none…
March 30, 2020
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Accepting Reality, Accepting Grace

By Drew Brown In the span of just a few weeks, I’ve observed how all of my friends back in America suddenly find themselves homeschooling and working remotely. Routines have been disrupted, plans have been dramatically changed, and we all wonder what the new normal is going to look like. This is certainly an unprecedented world situation. It also reminds me of normal life as an international colleague. Certainly, there are the obvious parallels: We have been homeschooling for years. I’ve been working remotely basically since 2013, and our routines are, well, routinely disrupted. In 2018, we also experienced a…
March 24, 2020
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How Internships & Short-Term Mission Trips Are Meaningful

As we began our descent into Tegucigalpa, Honduras, we passed over the roofs of shanties, saw the laundry hanging on the lines, and the streets that the missionary from One Collective described as like a plate of spaghetti. Trips like this one forever changed how I viewed missions, people, and ministry.  Now, almost five years later, I am a Digital Engagement and Disciple-Making Coordinator with WorldVenture wanting to help others know that life-changing experience of serving. One of the ways to experience God at work in the world is to become a Pathfinder. Pathfinders is a 4 week to 1-year…
February 13, 2020
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How The WhistleBlower Motivated Adrienne Livingston

The Whistleblower (2010) was inspired by true events. A Nebraska cop in the late 1990s became a United Nations Peacekeeper in Bosnia only to witness sex trafficking by the very officers and organizations pledged to keep the peace in the aftermath of the Balkans war. This movie helped motivate Adrienne Livingston to find her calling as director of Anti-Sex Trafficking Initiatives with WorldVenture. “It’s a God-thing.” She said. After working at a non-profit and graduating with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Western Seminary, she felt burned out. “I was the executive director for 9 of the 14…
February 5, 2020
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When Pastors Learn the True Gospel

By Laura Pearce In Rwandan churches, it’s common to hear pastors teaching the prosperity gospel and salvation by works (especially tithing). Prophecy, rather than the Bible, is often treated as the primary way to hear from God. Most pastors in Rwanda have little or no Biblical education. The lack of Biblically literate, spiritually transformed leaders has meant a general lack of discipleship and genuine faith in many Rwandan churches. Therefore pastoral training and leadership development continue to be critically important for the growth of the Church in Rwanda. The Pastoral Training School of New Creation Ministries exists to meet these…
January 28, 2020
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3 Takeaways From “The Mission of God”

A commentary By Keith Sellers (Hungary) on J.H. Wright’s, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative The main takeaway of Wright's monumental text is that the Bible is a book about mission. Mission is not just a subtopic of Scripture. The Bible in its entirety portrays the mission of God to redeem humanity and compels us to join God not only in the partaking of redemption but in his mission. Wright develops his presentation in four sections: The Bible and Mission, The God of Mission, The People of Mission, and The Arena of Mission. The book breaks down…
January 26, 2020
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Doors: A Visual Prayer

Submitted by colleagues who visited North Africa Jesus talked about being the door and the way, the truth, and the life … to eternal life PRAY with us that many will find that narrow path The narrow door Leading to life
January 11, 2020
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Broken Before Him

Photo image Credit: WT (picture from Bolivia) by Ed Eby Ps. 51:17 “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Matthew 5:2 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Who are the poor in spirit? These are people, like the psalmist, who realize that they’re messed up and need God’s mercy and grace. They’re people who rely on God for every decision and perhaps even for their daily bread. Our culture rewards independent, confident, self-sufficient people who have all the answers to their problems.…
October 2, 2019
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How Oral Storytelling Brought Me Deeper into Scripture

About a year ago, I was off to Orlando, Florida to a Bible Story workshop called “Simply the Story.” I wanted to know how I could share God’s Word effectively in a culture that prefers oral modes of communicating. I was growing discouraged at a lack of connection between my style of teaching (Western, literate) and my community’s style of learning (African, oral). In other words, I wanted to know how to teach people to understand the Bible even when they aren’t comfortable reading the Bible.
September 28, 2019
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How Peter in Africa Came to Know the Lord

by Nikole Hahn “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” – Psalm 95:1-2  Jan’et and Lloyd Chinn met Peter in 2010 when they returned to Ghana after their first Home Assignment. The mission house and leadership center were under construction. Peter approached the Chinn’s about a job. “We hired him to maintain the property, to use his machete to keep things from growing too tall. His job was to make sure the things that…
September 19, 2019
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Restoration in Madagascar

An Interview with Jamie Shattenberg of Eden Projects by Nikole Hahn Deforestation is a constant threat to the environment and the people living in it. The world loses about 8.3 million hectares per year of forest, often spurred by increasing poverty in developing countries like Madagascar. In 2015, we shared how Eden Projects doesn’t just replant the forests, but also helps Malagasy families combat poverty. Today, stories of hope continue and the forest is growing! Eden Reforestation Projects is an organization that started in Ethiopia in 2004. Dr. Stephen Fitch understood the “third world culture” and the cycle of poverty.…
September 5, 2019
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The Gift of Business

By Bruce Swanson While in Kenya in June 2014, we were reminded of some very important truths. One of these reminders came during a seminar on starting a business we led the first Sunday we were there. These seminars were offered to the members of a church we partner with who are in or interested in business. About forty-five men and women joined us for the seminar. As we began to make our way through the curriculum, we were impressed by the interaction of the participants. They had many great ideas and thoughts and were quickly able to apply the curriculum's principles to their business.  One particular…
August 30, 2019
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What You Should Know Before Your Short-Term Trip

By Emily Roth So you’re preparing to go on a short-term mission. Maybe you’re visiting missionaries that you support. Maybe you’re going with a team from a church. Short-term missions can have many different goals and plans. Our WorldVenture colleagues host short-term mission teams every year in locations around the world. As you are packing your toiletries and checking the dress code, there are certain pieces of advice that will help you prepare for your trip. Five of our colleagues have shared from their years of experience what you need to know before you go. POLANDLinda Thomas: “I'd advise people…
August 21, 2019
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“I Hold My OWN Hand!”

By Grace Sandeno There she stood in the parking lot—my remarkably stubborn oldest child who was, indeed, holding her own hand. She did not want to hold my hand because she was three, independent and tired of getting dragged around where I wanted to go. What is more remarkable is that my youngest child did exactly the same thing when she was three. I have two adopted children sandwiched between two biological children. My adopted children have a great genetic benefit in that they are not the result of cross-breeding between a German and a Norwegian, creating what may be…
August 13, 2019
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Missions in Reverse

In Poland, many people share the common dream of going to the United States someday. WorldVenture colleagues Bruce and Linda Thomas first moved to Poland in 2010, and right away they began to meet locals who wanted to see America.
August 9, 2019
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Prayer Around The World

By WT "The reality is, my prayers don't change God.  But, I am convinced prayer changes me.  Praying boldly boots me out of that stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself." - Lysa TerKeurst A pastor at one of the churches I attended believed that an effective and healthy church prays on its knees. When he helped design the new building, the pastor put in kneelers. I remember using them a few times. They seemed like a thing for special occasions. It created a full-body posture and atmosphere for prayer. Eventually, that church moved again and…
August 8, 2019
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How to Ask The Right Questions

...And other information to ponder as you seek God's direction in ministry and for the right missionary organization to partner with. Choosing a mission agency can be a difficult task to navigate. Not only are you looking for a group with the same beliefs and ideology as you, but you also need to be with an organization that meets your needs practically and encourages you to follow the call that God has put on your life. So how do you choose? Below are some helpful tips for choosing the mission agency that is right for you. From team chemistry to…
July 27, 2019
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The Best Way to Learn a Language?

By Emily Roth Before I moved to Spain, I described my level of Spanish as enough to be a good tourist. I could order food from a menu and ask where to find a bathroom. Many friends encouraged me that full immersion in Spanish would be the best way to master the language quickly. They recommended reading the Bible in Spanish and advised me to avoid making friends who speak English. At the time, I agreed with them. Then I arrived in Spain and met other international workers who chose to attend English church services. I couldn’t understand it. Didn’t…
July 9, 2019
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How Perceptions are Changing in Ngohé

By Laura Newkirk Twelve ladies from the village of Ngohé just graduated from Formation Lois. These women are courageous, formidable, determined, and amazing! Some ladies came by horse cart and others walked far distances in the hot sand. None of them could read, but most of them worked very hard to memorize verses each week. They had their children or husbands help them. A’s husband got so frustrated that he told her she was too hard to teach. She stayed up at night and worked until she got it and memorized every verse assigned! At the graduation, she and four…
June 24, 2019
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The Impact of a Gospel Rock

By Nikole Hahn In 2015, Megan Murphy started “The Kindness Rock Project.” She left a rock on the beach of Cape Cod with the words “You’ve Got This” painted on it. Facebook rock painting groups began where communities did a grown-up Easter egg-like hunt for hand-painted rocks, leaving pictures with hints on Facebook groups so a family or person could find it and report it to the group. Over the past year or two, I’ve participated in this trend as a form of community outreach for online connections. Last week, my prayers yielded phenomenal results. Kairi and her mom were…
June 11, 2019
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Gideon-Style Missions

By Nikole Hahn "Come back when you have a 4-year degree from a Bible school or seminary," Four to five mission agencies said in the 1990s to Rob and Lisa Atkins (currently in Bolivia). While students are the focus of most mission's mobilization, making up a robust 1% of the world's demographic (Pipeline: Engaging the Church in Missionary Mobilization; pg. 14), older missionaries (Over-Forty) encounter pushback from friends and relatives in a culture where people are expected to save for a comfortable retirement. "Occasionally, we hear subtle comments from people that our age concerns them. I also have issues with…
June 4, 2019
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How to Discover Contentment

By Chelsi Johnson “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who…
May 10, 2019
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Oh Sunday’s Comin’

By Patrick LaPoint Cold, dark, bound by linen Enclosed in a borrowed cave, body lay still, dead. Sorrow, guilt, despair, and fear lovers, followers, family, hearts destroyed. But Sunday's Comin' Jubilation, evil vindication, demonic triumph Every demon, devil, and evil spirit rejoicing. Sadducees, Pharisees, Chief Priests, and Law teachers Herod, Barrabas, satisfied by a lawbreakers death. But Sunday's Comin' Roman soldiers stand watch and keep warm by the fire, All stand watch to make sure the man stays dead. Windows shut, doors locked, alert and afraid, upper room filled, crowded with tensions and questions. But Sunday's Comin' Wasn't he the…
April 20, 2019
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Salt of the Earth in March Madness

By Bruce Swanson Jesus commanded us to be “the salt of the earth.”  How are we to be salt in our professions?  Here is a good example from March Madness, the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Auburn made it to the Final Four and was oh so close to winning their semi-final game against Virginia. With seven seconds to go and Auburn leading by two points, the refs missed a clear double dribble by Virginia. Calling the infraction would have given the ball to Auburn and all but guaranteed their victory and moving on to the championship game. But, the…
April 17, 2019
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Why Random Acts of Kindness Aren’t Enough

by Grace Sandeno The US is big enough to have many flavors to its culture.  I grew up in the northeast where one of the primary characteristics was bluntness. In the mid-west, people are “nice.” In the south, people are known for their hospitality. I’ve lived in Colorado for almost 30 years, so it’s home.  We pride ourselves on our independence here, but we also like to think of ourselves in another way – we are “good” people. That often comes with no religious connotation as we are a largely secularized society; nonetheless, we perceive ourselves as “good” by whatever…
March 29, 2019
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Safely Caring For Your Missionary

By Ed Eby Do you support a missionary financially? That’s terrific! Would you like to know how to be a more active support for them? Your missionary is going through a real rough period right now. How do I know? I used to be that guy. I raised my children in a different culture, and I was always on guard for their safety. I always appreciated the financial backing of my supporters, and I coveted their prayers. But the thing that meant the most to me was when somebody reached out to me with a phone call, letter, or email.…
March 27, 2019
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Loving Your Neighbor Through Cancer

By Emily Roth Until last September, international workers Jon and Kathy Haley had over-the-fence friendships with their neighbors in a suburb of Barcelona. They greeted each other when they happened to be out on their back porches at the same time, and the neighbors would keep watch over their house when Jon and Kathy left on extended trips. Then during one of their trips out of town, their neighbor Eva* texted Kathy from the hospital. Eva had suffered from back pain for 15 years. Four years ago, her doctor diagnosed her with Multiple Sclerosis and prescribed medication to treat it…
March 25, 2019
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10 Tips for Keeping Your Computer Safe

By Ed Eby For nearly twenty years, I was the Network Engineer for the USPS Engineering Center in Merrifield VA. One of my primary jobs was to be a White Hat Hacker for the Engineering Center. A letter signed by the Vice President of Engineering gave me the legal right to break into any machine on the engineering network. It was my job to play the bad guy. If I was able to break in, I would then notify the owner of the machine and help him to fix the problem. This would often result in upset and embarrassed engineers,…
February 25, 2019
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3 Ways to Keep Your Missionary Secure

(Photo at a church of David and Kristen Caucutt ) A Brief Guide for Partner Churches and Individuals By Ed Eby One day we had a visiting missionary come to our headquarters to share what God was doing in his field. He was from a closed country where the Gospel was not welcomed. He showed us a picture of a gathering of believers. Because of security concerns, he had all the people standing with their back toward the camera. But their name plaques were all sitting on the tables in full view of the camera. Oops. It wasn’t obvious to the…
February 23, 2019
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The Impact of Jim Gould’s Death

By Linnea Boese Often, when things happen in one’s youth or childhood, they seem insignificant. What is thrilling is living long enough to be able to look back and understand their real impact. In 1964, during my family’s home assignment, when I was 11 years old, I had my first “call” to missions in response to a South American missionary’s message in Pontiac, Michigan. My parents had been missionaries, so I understood that God had a passion for reaching those who have not yet heard the Good News. We had gone through a traumatic evacuation from the Congo after turmoil…
February 22, 2019
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Trusting God or Trusting Technology?

by Ed Eby Do you trust God or do you trust technology to keep you safe?   What If What if that VPN, SSL, HTTPS, or encrypted message could be hacked? What if anybody could read your texts or posts? What if you could no longer trust technology to keep you secure? Would you still be okay, or does this thought cause you to panic? As a technologist, I’m often asked the question: “Is this thing (software, service, protocol, etc.) secure?” The average person tends to think in binary terms—either a thing is secure or it’s not. The reality is that security…
February 21, 2019
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Going on Mission, Into Exile, and Back

By Emily Roth What happens when the country God calls you to serve rejects you? After six months of waiting, Beth Horn received notice that her visa to Austria was denied. Despite this news, she held onto faith that God would open the closed doors. She had been reading Jeremiah 42 just the week before. The Israelites remaining after the Babylonian invasion asked the prophet Jeremiah to seek guidance from God. They were tempted to give up the Promised Land and relocate to Egypt, where they expected to find security and prosperity. Instead, Jeremiah delivered this message: “Do not fear…
February 7, 2019
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How Francis Schaeffer Inspired 360 Missions

By Bruce Swanson Forty-five years ago, Francis Schaeffer challenged all of us to do 360 Missions. “There is no dichotomy in the Bible between the intellectual and cultural on the one hand and the spiritual on the other. But often there has been a strong…tendency to divide man into two parts – his spiritual nature and everything else. We must take that conception like a piece of baked clay, break it in our hands and throw it away... God made the whole man; the whole man is redeemed in Christ, and after we are Christians the lordship of Christ covers…
February 4, 2019
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Amazing God

By Emily Roth “You’re amazing,” she said. Immediately, I recoiled inside. We had been talking about my work in Spain, and this was her response. At first, I didn’t know how to explain why her compliment made me uncomfortable. Such compliments encourage self-pride, that much I knew, but it wasn’t until the next day that I realized the deeper truth. More than a temptation to pride, such compliments invite me to take credit for what God has done. It puts me in His place, steals from His glory, and ascribes it to me. This is exactly the sin that so many of the…
December 28, 2018
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The Vendors of La Cancha

By Robert Atkins  The mom is what is called a cholita here. They are indigenous women, Aymara or Quechua. The term was originally a derogatory one--women of mixed blood; usually half Spanish or other white race. Even as little as ten years ago, they were not allowed to do many things like riding public transportation. They can be recognized by their long, twin braids and their hats. Their hats tell where they are from if you know the “code” (which we do not). The more typical bowler hats you often see in pictures are typical of La Paz, and you…
December 4, 2018
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Ireland: Story of an Irish Couple

By WT The Emerald Island—a place where the history is rich and reminders of it are everywhere. You can easily find ancient stone artifacts lying in someone’s field or moved a few feet to be used as an addition to someone’s stone fence. This is where the people are incredibly warm and friendly but still enjoy privacy, where little white dots of sheep are spotted on green mountains and hills or through open stretches of bog. The churches in Ireland are a bit of a complicated puzzle with a thorny history. The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland…
December 3, 2018
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Aha Moments in Ministry

by Grace Sandeno Years ago, I took a semester off from college and traveled to Burkina Faso (West Africa for those of you who aren’t geography buffs). It was an “aha moment.” Actually more of an “aha four months.” I was planning to be a doctor and went to work in a medical clinic to see what it was like. It was amazing--everything I hoped for and so much more! There were snakes, scorpions, wild dogs and millipedes the size of a hot dog. I saw malaria, hepatitis, river blindness, mental illness, birth, and death. We had no doctor, but…
November 15, 2018
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How Busyness Consumed My Life

By Rachel from Africa In America, we drill busyness into our heads from a young age. It isn’t enough just to go to school and study. We need to be involved in sports, music, and theater. On top of that, some of us had a job in high school. And it isn’t just a stage of life, it is the start of a lifestyle. We continued by always being busy, not resting. Who needs sleep when you can just drink coffee that at some point doesn’t affect our bodies anymore? We seek other ways to keep us going and turn…
November 13, 2018
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Wearing God’s Name

By Doug Hazen I love the Shema.  It’s the blessing that Moses commanded the Levites to speak over the people of Israel.  And because it is SO personal, it is the primary blessing I use to bless people. “The Lord bless you     and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you     and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you     and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 The personal nature of God blessing or increasing me and keeping or protecting me is incredible.  And the fact that he would make his face to shine on me recalls a Bible school professor who described…
November 10, 2018
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Two Pictures

By WT in Jordan I want to tell you two stories by painting two pictures in your mind. The first might not catch your attention, but continue to read, the second will. Imagine a living room. We are sitting around a coffee table that is filled to the edges with food and I have a cup of tea in my hand. I sit with my friend whom I am staying with as well as a husband and wife who, after several years of marriage and five children, clearly still adore one another. We talk about their children, how each of…
November 8, 2018
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Our Greatest Prayer Motivators

By Doug Hazen  My prayer mentor says there are two things that motivate prayer: crisis and vision. Both are packaged in the person of Jesus through the cross and the resurrection and are our greatest prayer motivators since they affected both earth and heaven. Bigger than the awful storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis we have been seeing in past days, the cross was the convergence of unparalleled evil allowed, and even approved, by God, the Father. Isaiah says it pleased him! I’ve sensed the truth of this profound sacrifice before. Hopefully, it brought most of us to a saving knowledge of…
October 6, 2018
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Dana Stucky: A Lasting Impact

By Jim Thorp  Americas Ministries Director As a person judges seasons of life, it might be said by some that it was a shame Dana did not make it to retirement, because after all the years of ministry effort, she should have been able to enjoy some rest on this earth for her and Larry to do some “fun” things. There are a few problems with this. First, Dana believed what she was doing all these years was fun. Secondly, she was never going to stop doing what she had been doing for so many years of active ministry. Then…
September 17, 2018
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How to Praise God

A Prayer Challenge by Doug Hazen They say that the names of God are a good basis for worship prayers. I think I know why. Let’s compare the one person I love and admire more than any other… my wife. Her names are Ruth Emeline. But her qualities especially describe her and are even more meaningful. She is quiet but determined. She is competitive. She is a servant. She is a provider. She is a mother and grandmother. She loves. She laughs. She weeps. There are many other qualities all of which describe this woman I deeply love. But, her…
September 13, 2018
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How Hurricane Harvey Brought Unity

According to CNN, Hurricane Harvey broke rainfall records in 2017, and by Sunday, August 27 of that year, experts said, 27 trillion gallons of rain fell over Texas before it downgraded to a Tropical Storm. One-third of Houston flooded causing 8 million cubic yards of garbage. The storm ravaged 100,000 homes, causing 30,000 people to seek emergency shelter. Today is the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, and we reflect on God’s redemptive power through our workers and church partners. Terri Olson from Family Bible Church in Kingman, Arizona said, “Even though it has been almost one year, I still can't…
August 25, 2018
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The Practice of Waiting

by Emily Roth When I moved to Spain last January, my roommate had an orchid plant on the dining table. Its flowers shriveled and died. We wondered if it would bloom again or if the whole plant would go soon. I don’t have much experience caring for plants, especially nothing as exotic as an orchid. So we gave the orchid water, moved it in front of the window, and hoped for the best. Jesus told his disciples, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can…
August 8, 2018
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Remembering the Pals… by sending others in their place…

"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city" (from Hebrews 11:13, 16 ESV). Two years ago today, at about 11:30am (MDT) on a well-traveled stretch of Interstate 80 in Nebraska, Jamison, Kathryne, Ezra, Violet, and Calvin Pals were killed when a distracted truck-driver crashed into their mini-van. On their way to train at WorldVenture Headquarters for an anticipated…
July 31, 2018
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God’s Work to ‘Ekballo’ Jonah

 Insights From the Worst Missionary Ever Whether you grew up in the church or not, you’ve heard the story of Jonah. God calls this prophet to arise and go proclaim divine judgment on the people of Nineveh. Jonah arises alright! But, demonstrating a remarkable misunderstanding of omnipresence, Jonah purposes instead to “flee from the presence of the Lord!” However, Jonah’s little cruise in the opposite direction gets interrupted by the storm of the century. Evidently, his travel agent didn’t know what Jonah himself told the terrified sailors: “I fear the LORD…who made the sea!” One might fault Jonah for not taking…
July 20, 2018