MBMS International. Transforming Lives In Mission

Our work in North Africa continues to grow as people respond to the media broadcasts and house group follow up strategy. Our production team was recently given permission to use a state owned TV production area for taping. The government leader for media was on the set every day and even sponsored a reception on the last day of taping for our crew.

I was recently introduced to an adult education class of retirees for a presentation on mission strategy. The class leader introduced me as the leader of MBMSI. I could tell he felt relieved to have remembered the five letters in correct order. He then began to spell out the acrostic as Mennonite Brethren Missions…..before his voice trailed off and he looked to me for assistance. I laughed (as I always do in this situation) and finished the introduction with “and Service International”.

In the Middle East, there is a country of over 70 million people with only 3050 evangelical Believers, one of the lowest percentages in the world. There is a mosque for every 350 people, the highest percentage in the world. This is a young Church with many testifying to meeting Jesus through dreams and visions.

One of the world’s most accomplished violinists, Joshua Bell, recently decided to take his $3.5 million Stradivarius to the Washington, DC subway to play for passing commuters. Joshua has played in the most famous performance theatres in the world including the nearby Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

The current global economic crisis is exposing some significant weaknesses in our profit driven and debt burdened financial system. The resulting restructuring and consolidation of companies and regulatory bodies will change the economic landscape of our world.

This Vision for Mission is being written from meetings in Peru with our Latin American workers and partners. This consultation has brought together both North American workers serving in Latin America as well as Latin American church leaders committed to mission. What's encouraging is that Latin American workers are increasingly going to Muslim regions such as North Africa and Central Asia to join mission work there.