NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

The other day, I was cleaning out my desk and found an email that I had received about 2 years ago.  It was so encouraging to me that I thought I would share it.  It was written by a former NTBI student, Jenny Lowe, now Jenny Schafer.  She and her husband are now currently serving as missionaries with NTM in Mozambique.

Recently, I met a missionary to Brazil who described herself as the “product of a missionary.”  In her native country of Peru, this woman had been introduced to Christ through her friendship with a foreign missionary.  Her statement made me reflect on my life and the influences that have shaped it.  While I can’t say that my salvation experience was the “product of a missionary,” my growth as a Christian and my decision to be a tribal church planter have definitely been influenced by my relationships with missionaries.

It all began at New Tribes Bible Institute, where I learned what it really means to live the Christian life.  For the first time, I heard that the Christian walk is not about what I do, but instead is all about what Christ has already done.  But, what made these truths come alive to me was my relationships with the staff at NTBI.  As I observed their lives and got to know them, I learned how to apply those truths  in my own Christian walk.  I heard that dependence on Christ must be central in the Christian’s life,  but they showed me how necessary it truly is.  Without their friendship, those amazing truths would have remained mere head knowledge.  And, I would have considered myself inadequate for the Christian life – or for missionary work.

Thankfully, God’s use of missionaries in my life didn’t end when I left NTBI.  After that, I had the privilege of receiving two more years of missions and language training with New Tribes Mission.  During this time, I learned so much about culture, tribal church planting, and language learning principles.  But, again, what made those two years of training so profitable?  It was the friendships I developed with NTM’s staff.  In class, we learned how important relationships are in tribal church planting.  As our teachers developed relationships with us, we came to believe that relationships are vital.  In class, we learned how important discipleship is for the growth of a believer.  As our teachers discipled us through their lives, we became convinced of this truth.

Today, I’m 27 years old and will soon be in Mozambique, Africa, planting a church among a people group who has never heard about the amazing relationship that God desires with them.  Do I feel adequate for this task?  No, but I am convinced that Christ is adequate.  Do I think I can love a people who will most likely prove unlovable?  No, but I know that Christ can love them through me.  In myself, I know I’m not adequate for the task ahead, but I am so grateful for those missionaries who invested their lives in mine and, by their example, taught me to rely on Him.  I guess I am the “product of a missionary,” after all!

Jenny Schafer

I thought I would update you guys on my health situation since I finally know something! I have chronic Lyme disease. I had a doctor’s appointment last week that was actually productive. I found out about this doctor from a family at Church whose daughter has Lyme disease. He’s been working with Lyme patients for around 30 years, so he knows what he is doing. He will be treating me with select antibiotics for as long as it takes to control/get rid of the disease. While I don’t know how long it will take (probably a year or more), I’m excited to finally have a name for what’s wrong with me. Hopefully the treatment will work and eventually I’ll be ‘normal’ again!

My experience with this disease has been miserable, and yet invaluable. Almost every element of my life has been pushed well past the breaking point. My relationship with Stephanie has been pushed, pulled, and taxed in so many ways and yet the Lord has sustained us. It’s not exaggerating to say she has been married to a grumpy, irritable zombie for the better part of the last 3 ½ years! I so appreciate her decisions to trust the Lord and be patient and loving with me as I was so often well beyond the realm of a reasonable human being. My poor children have endured a ridiculous amount of impatience and frustration. My relationships and interaction with pretty much anyone outside my family has slowed to the absolute bare minimum. Never have I felt so out of control in my ability to handle basic life functions.

I’ve learned that although we can enjoy a certain amount of victory over sin because of our position in Christ, we will not escape the affects of sin as long as we live in these sinful, infected bodies. I think the greatest victory we can achieve in this present life is to cling to Christ in faith in the midst of life’s violent turmoil. The height of the Christian life is dependence.

Allow me to put this thought into perspective. I used to view the Christian life as a fairly simple process: the more you trust in Christ and allow Him to work in you, the more you grow in holiness. Now, I still think that this is the ideal pattern, but I’ve learned that it’s not always that simple. In the last few years I’ve noticed that basic ‘Christian’ things, like being nice to people, have become exponentially more difficult than they used to be. My disease has wreaked havoc on my emotions and pushed my stress levels through the roof. So I found myself in a difficult situation: I was trusting in Christ seemingly more than ever, but externally my treatment of others didn’t seem to reflect this fact. I finally understand why old people are grumpy! Because they don’t feel good. When these fallen bodies begin to dysfunction, it affects our ability to respond to life appropriately. In these cases, the person’s observable actions do not necessarily reflect their dependence on the Lord. If a strong believer gets Alzheimer’s, the more the disease progresses, the more they will become impatient, irritable, and forgetful. This doesn’t mean they’ve slacked off in trusting in Christ, it means their mental functions are rapidly deteriorating and so they don’t interact with others the same way. As long as we are in these fallen bodies sin will impinge, to one degree or another, on our ability to reflect the character of Christ who lives in us.

This experience has brought me back to anticipating the glorious return of Christ. At any given time our experience of this life may be good or bad. But even when it is at its best, this life “cannot compare to the glory which will be revealed in us!” I praise God that He is with me now through the difficulty, but I can’t wait for the full experience of the salvation He accomplished for me!

I trust that this testimony can be of some encouragement to you all. We all go through trying times (James 1:2-18) and we need to look to Christ in the midst of them and eagerly wait for our final redemption!

“Where are we? Is it 5 acres?”  These are 2 questions we heard our son ask in his sleep the other night.  After being gone for 4 weeks, traveling to Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Missouri, visiting friends, family, supporters, and our future home, we are exhausted!  But we had a great time, and it was well worth it! 

We are officially moving to Missouri to the NTM Missionary Training Center!!  We will probably make this move in 2 years, the summer of 2012.  (While we were visiting MO, we looked at a few houses, hence the question about 5 acres.)Jason will teach a Greek course to current students and another course to present translators/translation consultants.  He will also develop materials for the translators to use as they work on their translations.  We are so excited about this ministry and the privilege we have to assist in giving the Word of God to tribal people!  Every person deserves to have the Bible in their own language, and we are thrilled to be a part of that!

Thank you to all of you who have had a part in our ministry!

For the last few weeks, it seems that the ministry of ‘Bible translation consultant’ has become more of a reality to Jason than a dream.  From many different avenues, we have had scores of opportunities to teach/train others regarding the methods used by NTM for Bible translation.  Many translators have recently begun corresponding with Jason, asking him questions about the text of Scripture that they are in the process of translating.  Today, Jason taught as a guest lecturer at UW-Washington County.  His lecture was on the art of translation, teaching the methods and difficulties of Bible translation.  It seems that in the very near future this ministry will become a full time ministry for us.  While we love our ministry here at the Bible school, we are excited about what the Lord is obviously bringing about in our lives, although we are still unsure of how all of it will play out logistically.  We feel extremely blessed and humbled to be ministers of the gospel in this way of reaching unreached people groups through the work of translating God’s own Words to His people all around the world.

Sometimes I forget that our fight is not against flesh and blood.  Sometimes all I can think about is the life that is right in front of me.  But lately, the Lord has been reminding me that that is not where my hope lies.  My hope lies in Jesus Christ, and the life that I will have for eternity with him.  I need to keep looking to that to give me strength and to encourage others with.

There is always something going on here at NTBI that is difficult for some staff.  There are multiple people here that struggle with ongoing health issues (Jason included).  There are also ones who have difficulties with unsaved family members, kids who are straying, etc.  But this week has seemed to be more difficult than most.  Our good friend, Mike Winters, who works as the head of our dining hall/kitchen, had surgery to remove some remnants of kidney cancer.  He now has an infection due to the surgery, and they are going to have to do another surgery to repair some damage done.  Another co-worker, the most spirited and bubbly woman in the world, Jonell Barth, had surgery a couple of weeks ago and now has to have another surgery to repair damage that was done on her first round.  We also have a co-worker, Linda Grant, who can’t even get out of her chair these days due to her hips needing to be replaced.  Another needs ankle surgery and can’t get a good answer from her doctors as to how to go about it. 

There are other things going on in the lives of all the staff here, but it seems that physical issues have been rampant these days.  I know that the Lord is good, and He is our strength and our fortress.  So I am praying that He will be that and more for those of my good friends who are hurting right now.  And that He would be glorified through this.  Every one of these people has given their lives for the sake of the gospel.  And it will go forth!  Even if it means that we have to endure in this life things that we would not choose or understand.  But the Lord is faithful and will continue to be the strength that they need during this time.

Praise Him!

Last week we kicked off the fall 2009 semester! With 85 new students our total student count is just a little under 200. I’m teaching one of the first classes the freshmen take; it’s been fun so far. I’ve already had several opportunities outside of the classroom to encourage students with truth from the word. That’s what it’s all about! I also had the chance to preach at our Church here last Sunday. So as long as I’m feeling good, I have plenty of opportunities to impact others for His glory.

The semester start has been more stressful for our family than normal. Usually Stephanie is one of several women trained to work in the education office. But this time because of several staff changes over summer she is the only person who really knows what’s going on in there. This means that besides getting her normal stuff done, she is also responsible for training at least 4 others to do the same things!

All in all things are going well. The kids start school next week; Aleythia for the first time! We will definitely miss them during the day.

I’ll write soon and give an update on my health.