MBMS International. Transforming Lives In Mission

The first week of July I spent with 6 of our global mission leaders who represent our church planting and mission capacity building work in strategic areas of the world. Their stories of faith, life transformation and courage in adversity deeply impacted me. Nzuzi represents our mission work in Congo and carries a strong passion for justice in mission. Johann is mobilizing the European church for mission in partnership with us, and has a passion to reach post-Christian Europe.

The global celebration of the 150th birthday of the MB movement last week in Germany was a rich experience. I attended the faith and history symposium prior to the convention and learned several things about my own family story. I learned the background on why my family moved to Terek (a new colony established in the Ukraine for MB's in the 19th century). Their Mennonite neighbors had petitioned for them to be sent to Siberia, but the local authorities decided that a new colony in the Ukraine would be a better location for this group of dissidents bent on renewal and mission regardless of the cost.

Our resource missionaries to Panama, Einer and Girlesa Zuluaga, were recently reporting on the growth of our churches in the rainforest region of Panama. Many of these remote indigenous communities are accessed only by riverboat and are increasingly vulnerable to drug traffickers and Spanish farmers who claim their land. Many of these communities are still controlled by “shamans” and the fear of spirits.

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to serve and encourage a group of North Afr*can house church leaders. Their stories of life transformation and their vision for their nations were inspiring. They reflected on the price of regular police harassment and family opposition and declared that it was insignificant in comparison to knowing and serving Jesus.

The 20 participants in this years missionary training program have completed the four month classroom based phase, and are now entering six month internships in church planting settings across North America. These internships represent a unique partnership between our global church planting effort and our provincial/district church planting strategies.

I recently had a very encouraging coffee with John and Jan Goertz, former missionaries to Columbia, Panama, and Uruguay. Several weeks ago the Goertzs attended an alumni gathering where 30 retired missionaries in the Southern BC area were introduced to 18 newly mobilized MBMSI long- term missionaries preparing to leave on their assignments. The Goertz’s visited with Marcella, a teacher from Uruguay preparing to serve in N Africa.

I’ve just come from a planning meeting for next summer’s “Celebration 2010” – the 150th celebration of God’s faithfulness to the Mennonite Brethren movement around the world. I’m excited about what is in store for us as we gather in Vancouver July 12-17.

At our recent European workers consultation in Austria we were joined by pastors and lay leaders from across Austria and Germany. They shared their struggles and breakthroughs in mission with each other. We washed each others’ feet and encouraged one another.

One of our summer ACTION teams serving in a remote region of Central Asia approached the ger (tent) of a nomadic family. It was the same family one of our teams had visited two summers ago. Two days before the team’s visit this summer, the oldest daughter in the family, “Agi” had a dream. In her dream she met Jesus, and he said that people were coming to visit who would explain how she could have a relationship with him.