UkraiNE: - Mission to the World

MISSION TO THE WORLD • PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA • www.mtw.org • SPRING 2008
A Church also
Rises
V and at one time that’s where
italy Voitenko is a carpenter,
the similarities between his life story
and that of Jesus appeared to end.
For one thing, the retired Soviet
soldier was a loner who enjoyed the
solitude of hunting more than the
company of people. But in 2000, the
Ukrainian started working at Belgorod
Christian Clinic, a ministry of the
Evangelical Presbyterian Church of
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, planted by
MTW. He was hired to help remodel
the clinic building, but God had
additional plans.
Through friendships and
discussions with clinic workers who
were also church members, Vitaly
Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky
by Paul Schwarz
heard the gospel and became a
Christian. He joined the church and has
continued to grow in his faith in Christ
and his desire to serve in the church.
Vitaly’s rebuilt life symbolizes
the literal and figurative building
of a church-planting movement in
Ukraine. On November 25, 2007, the
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky church opened
Bob Burnham
Ukraine:
>
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a new worship facility. Since church
buildings are constantly being
built and dedicated, this seemingly
ordinary event would not normally
attract attention. This building
dedication, though, illustrates MTW’s
nearly 15 years of church-planting
work in Ukraine.
Built from Scratch
The Belgorod church was, in
1995, the first local congregation
planted by MTW missionaries. Today,
11 established church plants later,
Ukrainian Presbyterians are about
to officially form a national church
and thus become independent from
MTW. This will be the second time that
an MTW church-planting work will
progress completely from scratch to
the establishment of a national church.
MTW adopted Ukraine as part of
a multidenominational effort to send
out teams of short- and long-term
missionaries after the breakup of
the Soviet Union. Out of this effort, a
church-planting emphasis developed,
beginning in Belgorod and eventually
spreading to other cities, including the
capital city of Kyiv (Kiev).
MTW’s definition of ministry
success in Ukraine—the raising up of
indigenous church leaders—appears
to be taking hold. “I couldn’t be more
thrilled to see what God is doing,”
says Eric Huber, MTW’s country
director in Ukraine, which is slightly
smaller than Texas and contains some
45 million people. Eric and other MTW
leaders in Ukraine see great strategic
significance in the progress of the
church-planting work. “One of our
goals from the beginning has been
to work ourselves out of a job,” says
Bob Burnham, who leads the churchplanting team in southern Ukraine
that works closely with the BelgorodDnestrovsky church.
Seeking Spiritual Renewal
The initial foundation
provided by
MTW teams
served as a
sound basis for
the spiritual and
physical building
of the Belgorod
church. “It was
a living example
of people who
were really
changing,” says
Luda Betin, wife
of Sergei Betin,
pastor of the
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky
church. “We could see
God working through
them, and our lives
began to change
dramatically. I don’t
think any of us had
any leadership skills
then. For example, it
was a challenge for
my husband to speak
publicly; he couldn’t do
it at all. And now he is a
preacher.”
Spiritual renewal
in Ukrainian society is
a long-term process in
light of more than 70
years of Communist entrenchment.
“We see in all
areas of
life the
roots of
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which is now in five cities around
the country, will continue to serve
in Ukraine, ministering in church
planting, evangelism, discipleship, and
theological education.
“From the beginning, it has
been clear that God is at work in
Ukraine to raise up this church,”
said Eric. “Along the way, He has
used thousands of people from the
PCA, from one-week to long-term
missionaries, and all of the countless
people and churches who have
supported them. But in the end, it is
His church and He is the builder.”
The Evangelical Presbyterian
Church of Ukraine will be officially
organized at a celebration service
on April 16 in the Ukrainian city of
Odessa. That structure will continue
to be built on the foundation of
men like Vitaly Voitenko—the
carpenter who eventually served
as the supervisor of the BelgorodDnestrovsky church building project.
Vitaly also serves in the church
leadership group and has started
taking courses in a theological
education program developed with
the help of MTW and the Ukrainian
church.
The new building in Belgorod
and the new national church in
Ukraine stand together as towering
examples of how the Spirit of God has
performed His renewal projects in the
hearts of Vitaly, Sergei and Luda Betin,
and many others like them.
For more information about MTW’s
work in Ukraine, e-mail Eric Huber
at [email protected].
Photos by Bob Burnham
atheism,” Luda explains, “in raising
children, moral standards, caring
for disabled people, smoking,
drug-taking—everything. There is
no value of life or anything in the
image of God. It’s so important
for the church to give life to this
darkness and change the minds of
people. Sometimes we feel like the
whole society’s going in the wrong
direction. People are so filled with
materialism and this false idea of
success.”
Even after the Ukrainian
presbytery becomes officially
indigenous, missionaries like Eric
and Bob will still have a role in the
churches there, though it will change
over time. “We have found that the
Ukrainians value our partnership and
want us to continue to minister with
them,” Eric says. So the MTW team,
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“Hope and Life”
in Brazil
by Katie Weaver
“Paulo” was born to an unstable family,
removed by the state, and then adopted by an
abusive couple. After witnessing torture and his
sister’s death, he ran to the streets for safety.
For many Brazilian youth, this would
have led to drugs, gangs, or dying young.
But Paulo’s story was different, thanks to
Esperanca e Vida (Hope and Life) foster
homes. David Davis, an MTW and Equip
missionary who oversees the ministry, says
Hope and Life “exists to show youth the love
of God by sharing with them the embrace of
Christian family.”
Shelter for the Needy
Nestled on 24 acres in a rural area of
Brazil, Hope and Life consists of several home
sites and play areas combined with a central
building and farm for vocational training. For
12 years, Davis and his staff have provided
loving homes and support for boys like Paulo.
“Our goal on-site is for five foster homes,”
says Davis. The ministry currently has two
completed homes, one of which is occupied
by a foster couple who can take in up to
10 children. He admits, “Our biggest prayer
request is for more Brazilian foster parents
who have a love for kids, a passion for
ministry, and like working
with kids who aren’t
easy to
work with.”
Davis also
feels it is
indispensable for them to have a
missionary mindset and a willingness to
partner with the local church.
Embracing Mercy
Despite the challenges of taking in troubled
youth, Davis has seen the reward of sharing
God’s unrelenting love. Several years ago,
17-year-old “‘Claudinho’” insisted on leaving
before graduating. “It seemed he’d thrown
what he learned down the drain,” recounts
Davis. But after witnessing an execution
murder firsthand, Claudinho returned to Hope
and Life with a teachable spirit. Says Davis,
“He realized that the tough love we prescribed
was what he needed.” Now an adult, Claudinho
is on the giving side of ministry, occasionally
volunteering at the Hope and Life foster homes.
Davis is excited to see MTW embracing
mercy ministry. “Many [churches planted
in Brazil] were of the old evangelical model
in which the church tends to spiritual
needs while leaving social needs to the
government,” he said. “Those churches need
to be challenged with how Jesus ministered
in word and deed. That is why we reach and
teach these children with the gospel as we
provide shelter and loving Christian families
to embrace them.”
With Davis’ help, Paulo was able to
discover and reconcile with his biological
parents, and after four years under the
care of Hope and Life, yet another Christian
family arose to welcome him. Years of
disappointment were redeemed through
tough love, forgiveness, grace, and
mercy.
Paulo’s new foster
family.
Mosquito Net Project:
Kids Helping Kids
by Melanie Benedict
Sisters Miriam and Ellie Borah, ages 5 and 8, stood under a mosquito net
after watching MTW’s Children’s Missions Project video at camp. They stood
still, closed their eyes, and imagined what it must be like to sleep under a net for
protection from disease.
The family soon moved to another city and church. Several months later,
out of the blue, 5-year-old Miriam mentioned the project. “She had $20 and she
said she wanted to give it the children for the mosquito nets,” their mother, Carol
Borah said. “It was all she had.” Ellie wanted to give money, too.
The girls drew pictures to send along with their gifts. Above Ellie’s picture
she wrote, “I don’t want you to get bitten by mularia mosquitoes. Not even
one. No no no no [sic].”
The 2007 Children’s Mission Project, part of an effort to increase children’s
awareness of missions, has raised significantly more donations than the
previous year’s project. To date, the funds have been used to purchase
more than 1,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets, which are protecting
approximately 3,000 children in South Asia.
The health benefits of the project are staggering, says Dr. Sharon Kuhn,
co-director of MTW’s Medical Department. “Many scientific studies have
shown that children who sleep under these bed nets have a 20 percent
decrease in all causes of mortality.”
But the bed nets also play a critical role in the advancement of the
gospel. Previously, churches could not focus on evangelism because
church members were dying from malaria. “The best way we could help
the church reach out was to make sure the churches are safe enough to
go out and share the gospel,” said Dr. Ted Kuhn, co-director of MTW’s
Medical Department.“
W all over the world gathered
orshipers and disciples from
in Atlanta for a weekend of grace-filled
preaching, learning, and networking as
Mission to the World hosted the third
annual PCA Global Missions Conference
in November 2007. The conference,
which drew more than 1,800 people,
helped many attendees renew a vision
for global missions.
“It truly has begun to unleash each
of us into the missions field, and we
have some exciting plans in 2008 as
a result of it,” said Sonia L. Vasquez,
a member of the missions committee
from Soaring Oaks Presbyterian in Elk
by Melanie Benedict
Grove, Calif. “Our missions committee
members who attended MTW’s missions
conference were so blessed by the
messages and information.”
Participants from churches across
the U.S. were not the only ones who
benefited from the conference. “It was
just as encouraging to the staff and
missionaries of MTW to be with the
church and witness its vibrant desire to
see the gospel of Jesus Christ spread to
the nations,” said Brian Deringer, MTW’s
international director of Global Support
Ministries.
A highlight for many participants
was plenary speaker Dr. Richard
Pratt, of Third Millennium Ministries.
In addition to the plenary sessions,
attendees chose from among 150
seminars addressing a variety of issues
reflecting MTW’s wide-reaching global
impact.
“Through every aspect of the
conference we stress both the
importance of church planting in the
design of God to reach the world, and
compassion for the lost and broken,”
Brian said. “The message is,
‘By grace, through faith.’”
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missions in the
Real World
E an MTW missionary for this
ach time a writer interviews
publication, there is an audible
“gathering” that takes place at the
beginning of the conversation—an
otherwise undefinable split-second
where the missionary takes a brief
pause to gather his thoughts and put on
a happy face, remembering that some
of his supporters will likely be reading
about his progress in the field. These
missionaries, typically several time zones
and half a world away, are often under
great stress, dealing with one crisis or
another, and longing to see more fruit
from their labors, yet are eager to speak
about the positive aspects of their work
on the mission field.
No one ever said that missions
is easy. Despite all the potential
positives—spreading God’s Word to
people who have never heard the gospel
by Carter Davis
perhaps chief among them—it’s a calling
that can become a breeding ground
for frustration and spiritual fatigue.
But, for those who persevere through
the innumerable disappointments and
setbacks, it can also be a rewarding
adventure that allows its participants a
firsthand glimpse into the myriad ways
that the Lord is reaching His people and
building His Church.
“It was over before it started”
As far as setbacks go, it’s hard to
imagine a scenario more disheartening
than what Carl and Becky Chaplin
experienced during their very first
assignment for MTW.
“We were all set to go to Liberia,
but a civil war broke out just before
we got there,” Carl recalls. “We had
already shipped all of our possessions
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over, and we lost them all—we never
even got to go.”
After dealing with the lost
possessions, and—more importantly,
Carl says—the lost call, the Chaplins
ended up serving in the Czech Republic
for the next 14 years. In hindsight, Carl
says, although the lost opportunity to
serve in Liberia stung deeply, their work
in the Czech Republic likely wouldn’t
have occurred otherwise.
But, that’s not to say that they
haven’t experienced their fair share
of setbacks—a church plant that fell
apart when the appointed pastor
walked away, an individual whom Carl
was mentoring until the man turned
against him, or the local partnering
denomination that decided the
theological position of the MTW mission
team was unacceptable, thus causing
the relationship to be severed and all
progress lost.
“You realize that you don’t depend
on men,” Carl says, “but you invest all this
time and effort and it fails … you have to
go back and say, ‘Lord, this is Your church
and Your work; please use me.’”
Jay and Holly Eastman, MTW
missionaries serving in post-communist
Berlin, also know about these stresses
firsthand.
“We struggle with the fact that we
share the gospel with people and that
there doesn’t seem to be any response,”
Jay says. “You begin to think, ‘Are they
spiritually dead? What are we doing
wrong? Why does this ground seem
impenetrable?’ It’s hard to maintain
your focus when you feel like things
aren’t going as expected, but then we
remember that God is still pouring
blessings into us like mad, and we
remember His promises to us. Through
God, nothing is impossible.”
Reaching the “Unreachable”
Speaking with missionary Earl
Adams, it would be easy to feel as if
you’re attending an old-school revival.
His enthusiasm is contagious, and he
speaks openly about the frustrations
and the advancements that he and his
wife, Rosie, have encountered in their
years on the field.
Currently ministering in Bolivia to
the Quechuas—the largest unreached
group in the Americas, an estimated 12
million people—Earl is aware of the ups
and downs of missionary life.
“There are days and weeks where
I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing
anything,” he says, “or I don’t feel like
we’re doing much of anything, and
coming from an American framework,
we want to be very practical and see
immediate results and see the Lord’s
name honored, and it just doesn’t
work like that. But, you hold on to His
promises. The light is going to overcome
the darkness.”
That American can-do mindset is
something missionaries must address,
both personally and with their
supporters.
“One of the things that’s an asset
sometimes and a liability [other times]
on the mission field is the Western
mindset that ‘we can do anything
within a year if we put our minds to
it,’” said Paul Meiners, MTW’s area care
coordinator for Europe. “We’re looking
at a problem that took centuries to
develop, and if we can see measurable
progress within the next 25 years, then
we can be encouraged and feel like
the Lord has His hands on this. But you
also have to communicate to American
churches that this is how it works.”
Still, the blessings of missionary
work outweigh its challenges.
“It’s exciting to be a missionary,”
said Earl. “It’s exciting to walk with God;
it’s exciting to serve a God who is so
wonderfully present in so many tough
situations where so many people say,
‘You can’t do this; this is impossible.’ We
have seen God do it, and by His grace,
we’ll see Him do it again.”
To an outsider, this much is
clear—despite dealing with the
dangers of overt persecution or worse,
indifference, missionaries throughout
the world continue to make a profound
impact in otherwise impossible
situations. It serves as a reminder
that God will eventually bring light to
even the darkest corners, but on His
timetable, not ours.
Carl and Becky Chaplin
Paul and Liz Meiners
Jay and Holly Eastman
Earl and Rosie Adams
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view from the church
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The Power
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of
Presence
by Bruce Lax
T been privileged to extend the
his year we, as a church, have
ministry of Sandhills PCA to a variety
of places: the Mississippi Gulf Coast,
Mexico, the Philippines, and Tanzania,
to name a few. But why? Why do we
as a church believe it is important
to minister in various places around
the globe? Could not more be done
by simply sending these additional
monies to the missionaries or missions
agencies already there?
Every counselor worth his salt
knows the importance of the ministry
of presence. Counseling via e-mail is
not nearly as effective as face to face.
Parents, too, know that watching a
video of the ballet recital or basketball
game is nothing like being there for
their child. Win or lose, nothing can
replace the ride home or the stop for
ice cream.
More than that, God knows how
important the ministry of presence is.
Read the first chapter of John’s gospel
and see how critical the presence of
Jesus Christ is. Note verse 14: “And the
Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father full of grace and truth.”
Precious little ministry occurs
without presence. As we live life
together, it is in the context of
relationships that we worship, grow,
endure, and overcome. Often, the
most valuable ministry one can have
to another who is hurting is simply to
be there.
That’s why we invest in physically
traveling to various parts of the globe.
It is a tangible witness to unbelievers
that we believe they are important
enough to personally come to their
nation, community, village, and home,
bringing God’s love and good news.
Obviously, God has ordained
that our primary presence be in the
place where we dwell. And so it is.
Our church seeks, individually and
as a congregation, to be a winsome
presence for Christ in the Sandhills
of North Carolina. But we also know
that wherever we travel, whether on
business or pleasure, we are personally
bringing the presence of the gospel to
that place and to those individuals God
brings across our path.
Another tangible result of our
many mission trips is that those who go
experience the presence of God and His
Church in a different context and are
forever changed in their understanding
of presence. Returning to the States,
they are reminded that their true
home is heaven, with all God’s
people, regardless of their nationality,
language, or culture.
For the Christian, a missions
presence is not optional; it is simply
part of who she is. Our church is blessed
that our missions presence extends far
beyond the walls of the church building.
May God see fit to entrust us with an
even broader presence.
Bruce Lax is the associate pastor of
Sandhills Presbyterian Church in
Sandhills, N.C.
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The Makukus:
2008
Called
to the
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Slums
by Susan Fikse
extends far beyond merely a clean
place to worship. “We are basically
focused on doing a wide and deep
ministry preaching the gospel in all
its fullness, displaying the Lord Jesus
Christ in all His glory,” describes
Imbumi. “But also putting flesh to
what we preach by reaching out in
deeds of mercy to the people. So the
good works that we do are actually a
fruit of the faith.”
Reaching the Urban Poor
I embodied the word “slum,” it is
f there were ever a place that
Kibera. Situated at the heart of Nairobi,
Kenya, Kibera is a 600-acre settlement
of shanties built from scraps of wood,
metal, and cardboard with a filthy
stream trickling through the middle.
The slum has no real streets; limited,
largely illegal, electricity and running
water; and no sanitation. One journalist
defined Kibera by its smell: “Wood fires,
fried fish, excrement, rubbish—the rich
stench of 800,000 people living in a
ditch.”
Amidst this dark squalor is a ray of
hope: Kibera Reformed Presbyterian
Church, led by Kenyan church planter
Imbumi Makuku. The church facility
itself is a living illustration of the
cleansing that the gospel brings—
stepping into the spotless compound
brings immediate relief from the filth
that surrounds it. But the hope the
church offers residents of Kibera
Imbumi Makuku knew early on
that God was calling him to a life in
the slums. “It was not any bolt from
heaven or a thunderous voice, but it
was just exposure to working with the
urban poor,” he recalls. After working
for 10 years, Imbumi recognized the
need for more training. He heard MTW
missionaries preach and realized,
“As a pastor I needed to be at that
level of preaching where I am at least
feeding the people with food that will
edify them.” He attended Reformed
Theological Seminary in Orlando and
then returned to Kibera in 2002 to plant
the present church.
“Imbumi is a very smart guy,”
says Tom Stewart, MTW’s StreetChild
director. “He could be doing better
financially by pastoring a middle-class
church in Kenya, but he feels called to
this ministry.” Despite their sacrifices
for the community, Imbumi and his staff
are personally threatened by forces
opposing their work. “The spiritual
oppression is very, very strong,” says
Imbumi, recounting incidents of the
staff being threatened with syringes
infected with the AIDS virus and
charms placed on church property.
Imbumi himself was told he would
be decapitated as he walked through
a nearby sugar cane plantation. But
Imbumi is not intimidated: “It is only the
Lord who is able to protect us and He is
the only One who is able to care for His
work.”
Sheltering Girls
Because the physical needs of
Kibera residents are so all-consuming,
mercy ministry is a natural outgrowth
of church planting for Kibera Reformed
Presbyterian Church. But the Makukus
fell into starting a shelter for girls,
according to Imbumi’s wife, Martha.
“When we went into Kibera, we were
not thinking of starting a shelter,”
she explains. “But, as we evangelized
and did outreach programs, we were
faced with situations where girls
would come to faith in Christ, but
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they were living in rather abusive or
vulnerable situations.” For example,
one mother couldn’t pay the milk man
and schemed to “sell” her 14-year-old
daughter in marriage to him in
payment for his services. In the
meantime, this girl came to
faith in Christ and Martha
offered her refuge in the
shelter so that she wouldn’t
be forced to marry.
The shelter currently
houses 17 girls, with
two housemothers
who disciple and
care for them.
Martha’s
dream is to
serve twice
as many girls,
and this year,
the Makukus
hope to
usher this
kenya: A Nation in Crisis
dream closer to fulfillment. With
MTW’s support, the church plans to
secure land outside of Kibera where a
children’s shelter can be built. Imbumi
says this is especially important
because the temptations of
Kibera have lured many
young people back into
worldly lifestyles. “[The
shelter outside the
city] will enable
us to conserve
the fruit of the
work in a much
better way, as
we will not be
at the mercy
of the political
vagaries of
Kibera,” he
explains.
Imbumi and Martha Makuku were traveling home
from a camp with their youth group when the violence
erupted. Usually an island of calm in a sea of African
tribal warfare, Kenya was suddenly swept under the
waves in late December following suspicious election
results. The incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, a
member of the Kikuyu tribe, declared victory after early
election results showed his challenger, Raila Odinga,
to be leading by more than a million votes. The charge
of fraud was like a match igniting deep tribal rivalries,
and in the Kibera slum, rival tribes began protesting
the election results by destroying Kikuyu property.
Kikuyus rallied to protect themselves and the resulting
clashes led to death and the displacement of thousands
in Kibera.
As the violence escalated, members of the
Makukus’ youth group were escorted back into Kibera
by men with machetes, who offered their protection.
Arriving at the church they realized that in the chaos,
many families had fled Kibera and sought shelter in
other parts of the city or in their tribal homelands.
Seventeen teenagers took refuge in the church for
weeks, hoping for enough calm to reunite with their
families. “It has been a bit traumatizing,” says Martha.
(Interestingly, Martha and Imbumi come from rival
tribes themselves.) Vigilante groups tried to attack the
Makukus’ church, but the men of the neighborhood
protected the facility and the children housed there. “I
have talked with one of the gang leaders in the area to
ask him to rein in his young men so that they may stop
bothering the church, as it helps the whole community
and is not partisan politically,” says Imbumi.
As they hope and pray for life to return to preelection normalcy, the Makukus are burdened with yet
another task in their ministry. The church is helping
many families in the community to re-establish their
homes after losing everything to fires and looting.
But they are thankful for new opportunities as well.
Imbumi reports, “We have people now attending
church who have never stepped into the building for
the last six years of our existence.” Whatever work they
do, the Makukus’ goal is the same. Imbumu says, “We
are praying that the Lord we serve in Kibera will be
the Lord they see in us—not our political affiliation or
tribal identity.”
•
photos by Tom Stewart
The forces of darkness have cast a deep shadow over Kibera, but Kibera
Reformed Presbyterian Church continues to shine its light, as human hands and
feet embody the gospel message. In a land where 60 percent of the population
claims to be Christian, yet few truly walk in faith, Imbumi says it is essential to
demonstrate how a relationship with Christ transforms all of life.
“We are calling our people back to radical Christianity where Jesus is our
sufficiency and Lord and Savior, and where there is a renunciation of all else that
might stand in His way as our Lord.”
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by Katie Weaver
O
dessa, Ukraine, 1996. Inside a
cramped, chilly office two men
read the Bible together, speak briefly,
then bow their heads to pray. Little do
they know that they are the genesis of
something that God will unfold within
MTW in 2008.
Great men and women throughout
church history had wise counselors to
lead them, like Eli with Samuel or Paul
with Timothy. And the work of missions
is no exception. Increasingly, missions
agencies are seeing the benefits of
matching up experienced, skilled
missionaries with those new to the field.
MTW missionary Doug Shepherd
mentored intern Jeremy Ross in just this
way in that cramped office in Odessa.
And now, building on the biblical
importance of mentoring and the
success of mentors like Doug, MTW’s
Internship Department is rolling out a
new mentoring initiative this summer.
Building on a Foundation
MTW has a strong commitment
to mentoring long-term missionaries.
And several field locations, including
Ukraine and Kenya, have been
unofficially mentoring missions interns
for years. Their experiences have
provided the Internship Department
with the inspiration and framework
for formulating a more intentional,
wide-reaching mentoring program.
“We’re building on a foundation,”
affirms Ron Thomas, associate director
of internships. “As an organization, we
want to foster a mentoring culture.”
This summer, internship mentors
will travel to the field with their interns
and will lead them through daily Bible
studies, cross-cultural training, and
reading assignments. To help process the
field experience and cultivate their gifts,
interns will participate in a group session
with others who are being mentored.
Interns will also spend important oneon-one time with their mentor.
Challenges and Rewards
As one would expect, mentoring
is not always easy. A protégé must
be flexible, committed, and willing
to learn—and a mentor must also be
patient and transparent. “Interns see the
real struggles that you are having that
come with the mission task,” Doug says.
“This open and safe relationship is vital
to an intern’s mentoring experience.”
The Internship Department’s
upcoming mentoring program is not
focused solely on creating career
missionaries. Rather, the intern should
“better understand God, him or herself,
the church, their gifts, and how they fit
in to the bigger picture of God’s world
mission,” explains Doug.
As for the young man with whom
Doug prayed in Odessa, he found
his place in God’s world mission
and now serves with MTW in Peru.
In fact, more than a third of Doug’s
interns have returned to the field,
several of them back to Ukraine.
Most importantly, these and other
MTW mentees have laid a foundation
for hundreds more who, by way of
mentoring relationships, will more fully
understand who they are in Christ and
His specific call on their lives.
The Internship Department is
accepting applications from potential
interns and mentors interested
in participating in this summer’s
mentoring program. To learn more,
e-mail [email protected].
news briefs
PCA Compassion Offering
In many places
around the globe,
mercy ministry is the
only door by which
the gospel may enter.
In other locations, it
can bring with it the
free and open proclamation of the
love of Christ expressed in both word
and deed. But in every place where
God’s people reach out to alleviate
physical suffering, they demonstrate
the compassion of Jesus for a broken
and suffering world.
The Compassion Offering,
established by the PCA General
Assembly, is a once-a-year
denomination-wide appeal for global
mercy ministry funds to be distributed
by MTW. Once known as the Easter
Appeal, the Compassion Offering
provides an opportunity for members
and churches of the PCA to show the
love of Christ in multiple ways, such
as providing emergency supplies in
a disaster, offering medical help, or
sending other desperately needed
assistance, both large and small, to
relieve human misery and to save lives.
To receive Compassion Offering
bulletin inserts or for more
information about how to give, e-mail
[email protected], call (678) 823-0004 ext.
2276, or check the appropriate tick box
on page 15.
13
2008 Children’s Mission Project
The 2008 MTW Children’s Mission Project will feature the Children’s Home in
Bogphur, India. The home was established in 1945 by missionaries Gordon and Beth Spring
Taylor for children whose parents had leprosy and were no longer able to care
2008
for them. Situated in the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas, the Children’s Home
provides a loving and nurturing environment together with a quality Christian
Network
education for these children who are unwelcome in many places.
Almost all the children have eventually professed Christ and become responsible
and productive members of their society, some of them in positions of leadership. In
some cases, even their parents have become Christians.
Funds from the 2008 Children’s Mission Project will be used for the construction
of a new well. The current well is aging and soon will be beyond repair.
To reserve
a copy of the
Children’s Mission
Project DVD,
e-mail info@mtw.
org, call (678)
823-0004 ext.
2276, or check the
appropriate tick
box on page 15.
MTW-RUF Completes “Blitz Build” in Louisiana
Some 55 Reformed University
Fellowship (RUF) students and pastors
from 17 colleges and universities across
the U.S. traveled to Bay St. Louis, La., in
December for a “blitz build,” effectively
constructing a house in three days for a
family displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
The group, led and trained by MTW
staff in partnership with Lagniappe
Weakening Dollar Hurts Missionaries
The weakening U.S. dollar is having a profound effect on missionaries
scattered all over the world.
“It makes things more expensive in their local currency and increases their cost
of living,” said Bill Goodman, MTW’s director of field operations. “This problem is
widespread throughout the world—it’s not just Europe that is being affected.”
Christianity Today recently reported that “according to the U.S. Center for
World Mission, many missionaries are finding their dollars worth 8 to 12 percent
less than they expected this year. In Europe, dollars have lost 45 percent of
their buying power since 2002.”
MTW recently lowered the amount of support missionaries must raise by
decreasing the administrative fee for long-term missionaries and reducing health
costs. But those gains are quickly being eroded by the falling value of the dollar.
“We need to ask for prayer for this situation, that God would supply additional
funding,” says Goodman. “And we need to communicate with churches, so that they
can be aware of the pressure on our missionaries right now.”
Presbyterian Church, did everything
from hauling trusses, building stud
walls, and roofing and shingling to
installing bathroom fixtures.
“It was really remarkable to see it
all come together,” said Doug Mallow,
senior project administrator for MTW.
“It was a great experience for them and
for us.”
Many of the RUF students who
participated in the project expressed
interest in future missions trips. “It was
a golden opportunity for MTW to meet
with these students, who are already
interested in missions,” said Mallow.
“Many are eager to learn about other
short-term opportunities with us.”
In March, MTW will partner with
Covenant College and Lagniappe to
bring more than 40 students to Bay
St. Louis to repair damaged homes.
To learn more about this project,
contact Doug Mallow at doug.mallow@
mtw.org. To view television station
WLOS’ news story about the project, go
to www.mtw.org.
14
Spring
2008
Network
W the term “win-win” to convey that both sides benefit from the relationship.
by Dave Hebert
hen considering a venture, partnership, or agreement, we sometimes use
That is certainly the case with the relationship between Mission to the World and the
Presbyterian Church in Belize, where MTW short-term teams frequently travel to assist
the local church.
Recently, I led a team of 10 students from Swarthmore and Haverford Colleges,
who served local churches by doing construction and renovation work on two schools
and tutoring English to nationals.
The first “win” of this set-up is easy to see. These gifted students seek to glorify
God by serving the local church, and at the church’s direction. The Belizean church
(and the MTW team that serves here) benefits because this group is a resource for
them to help accomplish their goals to reach their own people.
Further, the short-term team (along with its supporters, families, and sponsoring
churches) wins because they are contributing to the Great Commission mandate.
Afterward, these young people will return to their schools, homes, and churches to
give testimony to what God is doing in Belize and in their own hearts. The sponsoring
individuals, churches, and ministries are encouraged and better equipped to pray (and
possibly send more teams) for a people group they now have a personal connection
to. It’s a win-win.
But there is yet another win that is one of my deepest desires and a vital part of
my role with MTW in Belize and around the world. Short-term missions provides a
unique petri dish environment for spawning longer-term missionaries. This beautiful
and frequent result of a short-term mission experience is God revealing future
workers for His harvest fields. This is the third win that gets me the most excited. It
doesn’t always happen, but it regularly does—and it’s thrilling to be a part of.
Case in point: Janice is Chinese American, a senior at Swarthmore, and will
graduate with a degree in biochemistry. While in Belize, Janice told me she is not sure
what she will do after graduation, but she’d really like to gain some experience in
teaching. She was interested to learn there are a number of teaching roles needed on
our MTW teams in places literally all over the world.
Will she end up on the foreign field, using her gifts to help the gospel effort there?
I can’t say. But I can say that the first step toward that kind of result is frequently a
short-term experience like Janice had here in Belize, where, out of her comfort-zone,
God seemed to speak.
Dave Hebert and his family served with MTW for 17 years and were long-term
missionaries in Japan. Dave now serves at Providence Christian School, a
ministry of First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Dothan, Ala.
SPRING 2008
Editorial offices:
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Please send address changes to:
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© Copyright 2008 by Mission to the World. All rights reserved. Material
in Network may be reproduced with permission. Network requests a
copy of the publication in which the reproduced article appears.
Please send me information
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Clip and mail this coupon to:
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or e-mail this information to: [email protected]
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Phone #__________________________________________________________________
Living In Grace seminar in my church
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FROM THE
C OO R D I N A TO R
live. pray. preach.
Dr. Paul Kooistra
I have believed for a long time
that when reading Christ’s words,
“You shall be my witnesses in
Jerusalem,” we should focus on more
than just our surrounding community,
but include our immediate family
as well. There is no more important
mission field than those we love the
most. But often there is no place
harder to carry the gospel than to our
own—especially our own children.
I do not consider myself an expert
on this subject, but the matter is too
important not to address.
The most important thing we can
do for our families is to guard our own
spiritual life. Our love for the Savior
and our children ought to challenge us
to be living testimonies of the grace
of Christ. Often we are less careful
at home than any other place, but
children and spouses need to see our
repentance more than the rest of the
world. The words, “I am sorry for my
behavior and I ask your forgiveness,”
authenticate the gospel in our lives as
much as anything we can say or do.
Like Job, we should pray for
our loved ones, asking God to work
in their lives. We desire for them
to see their need of a savior and
to surrender their lives to Christ.
No one can do this unless they are
regenerated. When we surrender
our lives to Christ it is because God’s
Spirit has given us a new heart—a
heart that loves God rather than
self. Because this is not a product of
human effort we ought to pray for our
children that they will give themselves
to Christ.
What to say and when to say it
is the issue that gives us the most
difficulty. Many of us have heard,
“Quit preaching!” “You just think you
are better than everyone else.” “I
know what you believe. Can’t you just
respect what I believe?”
The conclusion we often come to
is to say nothing. Granted, there are
many times when loving and listening
is the best course of action. But let
me encourage you to never give up.
God has given to Christian families
covenant promises, which are ours
to claim. I pray these promises on a
daily basis. There was a time when I
questioned whether or not they would
be answered in one of my children’s
lives. It was a long time before there
was any evidence of faith, though it
eventually came. I would remind God
of the reality of the covenant He made
with His people, and I determined in
my heart to not stop believing as long
as God gave me life.
May God help all of us to be
faithful witnesses in Jerusalem.
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