Just a few days ago, we celebrated our 20th anniversary with NTM/Ethnos360. It seems surreal that 20 years ago, we finished “being trained” We were so unaware of all the ways that God would challenge us and use our lives to take the gospel to the unreached. We had so many thoughts of what it would look like, and very few were big enough! We had such small ideas of what God would do!
IF only 100 students graduated each year from the Bible school, we will have seen 2000 graduate by spring of 2026. We have SO many co-workers that are products of the time and resources that you have been critical in making available. It would be a debacle to begin writing the names of just the ACTUAL new co-laborers that have joined the Ethnos360 team during our time serving at the Bible School. Each family is a story of how God has used you to reach out to those who haven’t heard…
It is an interesting thing to look back on 20+ years of ministry. One of the angles I look at it from is what it has “cost.” We’ve used up 11 vehicles since we moved to Jersey Shore in 2003. They haven’t all been pretty, but they weren’t all ugly. Accords and Suburbans, a few minivans, some quite a bit rusty, some a bit un-trusty. Since 2003, when we officially started training with Ethnos360 (NTM) we have made 8 moves, 6 of which were interstate. We’ve rented and borrowed trailers, moving vans, and car dollies.
Another angle we look back on 20 years from is our ministry partners. We’ve had nearly 400 (that we know of!) people that have partnered with us in prayer and financially, some of which have been partners for more than the 20 years we’ve been full-time missionaries. There are still more that have chosen quiet anonymity from which to share from. Nearly $1 million dollars have been prayerfully set aside and sent out for our family to be part of preparing the next generation of missionaries that will, “…go and make disciples.” We believe it has been worth it as we look back !
If I wanted to drive you all away, I could include an array of old prayer cards that really show how pleated khaki pants and floral designs are making a comeback. Wouldn’t that be terrifying?
But I think the angle that is sharpest for me, is that of “the dorm kids.” Almost every year, as a family, we ‘adopt’ a dorm (or 2, or 4…) from the Bible school students. They’d come over for creamer with coffee, or to help me eat some chocolate chip cookies, or for a quiet place to study. Some of our 1st dorm kids were part of the welcoming committee for Adelaide when she came home from the hospital. They were like big sisters to Emma and Josie and Addie. They helped us paint her nursery. Now they’re serving with us as co-workers in FL, in the Philippines, and South Asia. IF we averaged only 5 ‘dormkins’ a year, we’d be looking at 100 quasi-adopted kids! I’m certain that number is very conservative because I remember a couple years when we had 3 dorms of single guys. Pizza night looked a little different trying to fill up 18 college sized stomachs! You should know that they wouldn’t have even had a couch to sit on if it wasn’t for your partnership. Thank you!
Enough reminiscing, probably.
Up to this point, the year has been “full.” An understatement, I realize, and possibly unnecessary to say, but year to date has felt more scattered than usual. I’ll try and share some highlights…
In January, I had the opportunity to update the church in Charlotte, MI. It was a good visit with family and friends that have been ministry partners with us for-almost-ever. Some of the church family there have been with us since 1998! It has been a blessing to continue to partner with them to see the Good News of Christ travel around the world. To KNOW that they care for us as family, want to let the world know that God offers hope though Christ, and have
This spring, over the course of 15 weeks, I taught through another session of the Next Steps class for Bible school students. The class is intended to begin to prepare students for the social, spiritual, and technical rigors of the transitional period between EBI and ETC (the training center in Missouri where they’ll begin to learn the culture and language acquisition skills needed.) It is always a challenge to try and condense years of practice into a systematic format that is helpful. It’s also a great personal reminder of how much I appreciate you all, for being so faithful to pray for us and for your generous financial partnership!
One of the other major ongoing ‘projects’ for Tamara and I, that we are continuously working on, is connecting with students that have finished the Bible school but have not gone onto the next phase of training. This used to be incredibly difficult, but now it’s only “kinda tricky with a lot of double checking of information.” It appears that students often move away from home or may even have the nerve to get their own phone numbers after they apply for Bible school! At times, it’s a good bit technical (or “nerdy” if you’re a 12 year old named Isaac) with all the data management and querying that is needed in finding those that say, “We’d like to be contacted…” When we succeed, this is OFTEN encouraging as we get to hear what God has been doing in their lives (and He has ALWAYS been working!) This is a great area for you to pray with us, as it takes much patience to make the connection and wisdom and creativity as we try to rebuild the relationships and (often) remind them of the vision for serving the cause of Christ.
On a similarly nerdy vein, we spent some time this spring helping a team working to get some objective metrics needed for the accreditation process. Quite exciting stuff it was, trying to decide the most effective ways to ask survey questions. Okay, maybe not exciting, but definitely a team effort. And EBI is on track to be fully accredited with TRACS!
Lastly, and certainly not least, we celebrated EBI Graduation a month ago.
83 students graduated – 62 on-campus students and 21 online students. The oldest senior was 44 years old, and the youngest senior was 18 years old. 45% intend to pursue full-time missions! 37% with Ethnos360 Mission and 8% with another mission.
Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers and hearts! We’re recognizing more and more how much we need each of you in this ministry!
As always, if we can assist you in sharing the need for bible translation workers and unreached people group discipleship ministry with your family/friends/churches/neighbors or anyone else you can think of, don’t hesitate to reach out with an email or call/text!
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