Last week 6 more people graduated from the missionary training program we have been a part of these past several years. It’s exciting for us to see the Lord raising up these tribal believers for ministry. It’s also humbling to come along side them so that they can follow their call to go make disciples of all nations.
For these graduates the memory of being in spiritual darkness without hope is a recent memory. They heard the gospel because other people chose to leave their own familiar places, neighborhoods, and mother tongue language to make the gospel known where it previously was not. The memory of this sacrifice and the hard work of learning a new culture and language is real to them. They saw it happen in their village, among their family.
If you take time to look into Church History you will see that the gospel has come to us through sacrifice and the unpredictable movements of the Holy Spirit. Beginning with a small group of Jewish disciples, the gospel message was proclaimed by men and women to any and all who would listen. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” A New Testament commentary entitled From Pentecost to Patmos, captures the sense of how unlikely it is that the message these early disciples proclaimed would make it’s way to us.
Patmos was our equivalent of “death row”. Why would a message that put people on death row, be embraced by people of that and subsequent generations? It’s because the “wind” of the Holy Spirit, when it’s born in a persons life, becomes the prevailing wind. This is what has and still today does direct the path and progress of the Gospel.
This same Holy Spirit is not slowing His pace as He works in and through disciples all over the world. People filled with the Holy Spirit continue to be blown into unexpected places, bringing the Good News with them. The pages of Church History are still being written, from Pentecost, to Patmos, to your neighborhood and mine, and then beyond. This includes you and it includes me as we partner together to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of all nations.
Pray for our ongoing ministry here in Asia Pacific. Below are some specific prayer needs:
- Growing devotion to the Lord and His authority in our lives.
- Leading effectively in all our area of ministry.
- A translation check of the book of Acts will be taking place here next month.
- Summer plans to be in the village. We hope to focus on literacy needs. Tim will begin some online classes through CIU.
- Fall Abby and Dina will begin their last year of High School.