Nathan and Rachel Allen “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Well we have made it back from Wayumi and are in the full swing of things here. Since our last update we have moved back to our home in Jackson, MI from our summer ministry in Central Pennsylvania. We took a 6 day vacation to the U.P of Michigan – the only thing we do all year that is just for our family! Students have arrived back here to NTBI, registered, and finished their first week of classes. It’s been a busy month to say the least. (more…)
Jesus tells a parable in Luke 10:30 – 35 to illustrate the answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Wait until you read about my good samaritan story and my new neighbor. This is hard to believe but just amazing…
Even though I am a New Tribes missionary, it is sometimes easy to forget the objective of why we serve with NTM. Even in our communication I realize how self-focused I can get. So I am going to occasionally post articles that help myself and our team to keep focus on what we are doing and why we have given our lives to this task of tribal church planting.
When we were in “church planting school,” also called Missions Institute, we had the privilege of being taught by an experienced tribal church planter. He has turned out to be one of my favorite teachers ever. His heart to disciple those who sit under his teaching is always evident. His name is George Walker.
George spoke at an annual conference NTM holds at our Missionary Training Center in Camdenton, MO this summer. We weren’t able to attend, but the sessions were recorded for us to download and listen to. I took the opportunity to listen to this particular session and was so encouraged! It is an awesome story of the results of the gospel going to a people group that in turn reaches out to another people group. I can’t recommend strongly enough taking the time to download this story and listening to it. You will be challenged and encouraged at the same time!
It is split into two parts due to file size restrictions. You can click on it to listen to in your browser or right click and choose “Save Link As” to download to your mp3 player to listen to later.
George_Walker_Bisorio_Update_Pt1
George_Walker_Bisorio_Update_Pt2
Awesome time with great friends!
If you believe a lie, you live wrong. Simple, but profound truth. I’ve heard Greg Sanford say that so many times while working here at Wayumi this summer. Sometimes, it’s just another one of those phrases that I gloss over and other times it hits me right between the eyes. Tonight was one of those times that it hit me right between the eyes.
We have many lies that our culture and society have told us. Some are obvious and easy to spot. Others are hard, sneaky little things that are difficult to weed out. But as we study the Word of God, God himself, through his Holy Spirit, is faithful to point out the lies that we have been deceived with. Here’s one that keeps coming up in my life and in the lives of those we are ministering with:
You need to get a college degree first so that you have something to fall back on or some equivalent.
Really? Something to fall back on? You mean in case God’s plan doesn’t work out and He fails to provide for you? Yeah, because that happens all the time. So the world’s thinking is to go into major debt to get a college degree, to go into major debt to buy a house that you spend the rest of your life paying for, buy a car with a loan to get to that job, and hopefully you will be able to retire in 40 or so years after having played catch up the whole time!
No thanks.
I have been married for 10 years, been in ministry for 9, have 3 children, 2 vehicles, a camper, a 2 year bible education…and am completely DEBT FREE!!! and I’m not alone. There are countless stories – far better than mine – of God’s provision for people. For the last 9 years I’ve been working in a finance office and have repeatedly witnessed God’s provision for students time and time again.
Do I have things I get concerned about financially? Do I lose focus at times and begin to look at the waves around me? Do I forget how God has provided and promises He will continue to provide all my needs? YES! But God, (favorite two words ever) is faithful. Hallelujah!
If you believe a lie, you live wrong. I’m sick of believing lies. I want to live right.
Here we are again at Wayumi for the summer. I tell some people this is my disneyworld – the happiest place on earth. After last summer I couldn’t wait to get back here and see many lives changed once again. We started out with 6 weeks of camp planned – 3 weeks straight with a week off for the 4th of July, then another 3 weeks. We were hoping to have 4 interns, a guy and girl from both Bible Schools and I was going to be exhausted when it was all said and done.
Well, true to the Word of God, Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” (NLT) Here are some of the steps: We were only able to secure one male Bible school student to be an intern. We found out the week before we left Jackson, MI that one group had already cancelled, and then the night before we left a second group had cancelled. Major disappointment began to set in. But I slowly began to realize once again that God is still in control.
We arrived here Saturday June 4th and quickly set up house and began to get the camp in order for our first group of 28 people that arrived on Sunday June 12th. After arriving I was introduced to a girl by the name of Marie “Meezie” Sanford. Meezie is an NTM MK (missionary kid) and volunteered to help out for the summer. Jeb Wishart is our guy intern and is a Bible School graduate. Also, another Bible School student, Rachel Minium has been available to help as well as my intern from last year, Josiah Vanderdecker will be joining us next week as well! So I now had four interns! What a blessing that has been!
The first group arrived on Sunday and the week was off and running. We learned a lot last week, especially the interns, getting their feet wet and are now better prepared to run with me for the rest of the summer with 4 more weeks of camp. As it turns out, with the cancellations we will have camp every other week all summer.
One tool that is important in every missionaries life is a camera. Besides the personal use we get are the ministry moments that we can capture and share with you! In the course of capturing some of these ministry moments, Rachel was standing on the side of a small hill on wet grass. The laws of nature being what they are in those conditions – lets just say friction was lacking. Down Rachel went camera and all. The jarring that Rachel received was significant enough that the camera lens would no longer retract. Later that day Rachel posted on facebook the disappoint in the broken camera. It was such a heartbreak as we just purchased it recently and were still getting used to it.
God in his sovereignty chose to use that communication to move in the heart of one of my favorite supporters that goes by the name of “Anonymous.” A few days later I happened to be checking our account online and saw a contribution that was more than enough to cover the cost of the camera! Praise the Lord! So I called my favorite camera store, Picture This Jackson and ordered the replacement and it is on it’s way here now!
Thank-you Anonymous once again for your generosity and care for the ministry God has given us!
Doesn’t every missionary have at least one snake story? Well, I didn’t have my own until our first week here at Wayumi this summer. (more…)
As I’ve been thinking about our role in missions, I’ve been thinking about this idea of the evolution of a missionary. It would seem to me that when people think of a missionary, it is of a well-seasoned overseas missionary who has been trained, equipped and possibly already had field experience. Until recently had I thought of the behind-the-scenes process of a missionary getting to that point.
So I’ve begun to put together this idea of what it looks like for someone to become a missionary and the process they go through. Of course it would start with one’s one salvation, then discipleship, then a challenge to reach others, a positive response to that challenge, training, determine area of service, support raising, service, ongoing support raising and then retirement.
We have the fun privilege to be on the challenge and training aspect of that timeline. It’s a huge blessing to see those we’ve had a part in challenging and training reach their destination and begin to minister where God has lead them.
Recently I was asked, “What is your ministry?, What do you do?” Today I thought would be a great example to try to illustrate those questions… (more…)
The End of an Era
The feature that set NTBI Jackson apart for so many years made way for a new era just a few weeks ago. The Fitness Center was finally open! A brand new rubber floor…bright lights…two new Flat Screen TV’s were hung where there may have been a “No Life Guard on Duty” sign. The old weight room is empty. We will soon add more weights, treadmills and ellipticals. P90x and other exercise routines are a common sight. How thankful we are to the Lord and to some of you for providing what was needed in order to finish this project!
No More Waterless Apartments
Talk about a surprise…several months ago, we discovered that in order to meet the current health codes, we would need to install water in every married apartment. We know that our married alumni are saying… NOOOO! Let them experience no water! Sorry that is not an option. So…this May-July we will be installing new kitchens in 11 apartments.
What are some NTBI Jackson Alumni up to?
“Let us come boldly before the throne of grace…” on behalf of these two people groups and the NTBI alumni working with them, trusting that God will give a great harvest!
