NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

The highlight of our training program in NTM Canada is Jungle Camp. In a few weeks, we will be going “off-the-grid” for a month, simulating what it is like to live in a remote place with limited resources.

We will have two weeks to build a 16 ft x 20 ft house in the bush. It will utilize solar power and have wood-burning stove and a bucket shower. Without many modern conveniences, we expect to

• perform tasks that will test and develop our planning and preparation skills (e.g. create 4-week meal plan, pack all food, clothes, and supplies–we only have 1 day to move everything without any wheeled assistance!)
• learn to adapt to unique living situation (taking bucket showers, hand washing laundry, and cooking on clay oven)
• Live in close community isolated from outside world and develop teamwork skills (our only companions will be five other families living closely in similar houses with plastic walls)

  

  Dayne checking out our 20×16 lot

  

  Pressure Canning for Jungle Camp

  
  

If you live within driving distance, we will be hosting Jungle Camp Open House on Sunday, July 8th, 1 – 5 p.m.

Recently, the NTM Canada leadership team hosted a ministry forum for ethnic church leaders in the greater Toronto area. Peter has been involved in connecting with the Asian Christian communities and was able to help with this event.  Pastors and leaders from Chinese, Filipino and Indo-nesian churches attended.

Peter sharing about NTM training

The NTMC leadership team gave presentations on NTM’s history, values, current ministry status, training program, and mobilization efforts.  Peter spoke on the importance of NTM’s training, emphasizing how the whole family gets involved in the training process and each member of the family learns to be a valuable part of the ministry.

Dobunesian Interaction

A Dobunesian couple who spoke very little English also came for a visit, while one of the attendees tried to share the good news with them.  The difficulties in communication arising from fundamental worldview differences highlighted the need for NTM’s specialized training and chronological Bible teaching in the tribal church planting process.

The main purpose of this event was to raise awareness of tribal missions among Asian churches.  The Lord has commissioned the church to reach the ends of the earth. If He moves Asian Christians in N. America to be part of this venture, we want to ensure that NTM can be available to help coordinate their efforts.

Our children’s school’s physical education program has been encouraging the students to participate in distance running. Dayne and Jean have been active participants.

In the past three weeks, Dayne has ran 30 miles and Jean 18 miles. Peter and Dayne starts off and Jean joins them for the 2nd mile. You can hear them singing various genres of music as they run to Peter’s cadence.  For example, Peter sings “Je-sus!” then the kids echo “loves me!” But the temperature suddenly dropped last week and all three caught colds, so for now, they are on the PUP list (Physically Unable to Perform).

No worries, though, they will be back on the road in no time.

NTM Canada is organizing a ministry forum to introduce tribal church planting to immigrant churches in Toronto area. It will be held on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Milliken Chinese Community Church. I (Peter) have been involved in contacting and inviting Asian pastors and church leaders to this event.  It will be a morning of learning about what God is doing in the remotest and most marginalized peoples of the world and how NTM can assist local churches to get to these places with the good news.

Not too long ago, some missionaries and I set up a booth at a Chinese ministerial fellowship meeting to promote this event.  Shane and Karen Whatley recreated a typical tribal village scene next to our table.

Where would you start?

One pastor who was intrigued by reaching unreached people groups stopped by our table. He was passionate about how the key to missionary work is showing God’s love.  The question, however, is “how.” I asked him how he would show God’s love to tribal people as I pointed to the scene next to us.  I asked “where would you start?”  He thought for a bit and answered, “I don’t know.” I invited him to the forum on the 24th to see how such work is being carried out effectively and strategically.

In 2004, there were only two of us. God has graciously increased that number to six in seven years. After four birthing experiences and six years of parenting, we have seen that it is God who gives and sustains life. How awesome it is to be in the fold of the Great Shepherd!

Here are some trivia facts about the Yoon family’s childbearing and childrearing history

This is our new brother, Sean.

Each child was born in a different country: Dayne-Korea, Jean-USA, Ian-Hong Kong, Sean-Canada

Each child was born 27 months apart: May 2005, August 2007, November 2009, February 2012

Each child’s name ends with a nasal consonant and can be used in Korean, Chinese, English interchangeably

Dayne was born in the same hospital as Peter
Jean was born in the 2nd busiest maternity ward in the U.S
Ian was born in the same hospital as Elaine
Sean was the only baby born in a rural town

Sean Yoon (윤시언; 尹示言)

Born on Feb. 22, 2012 (7 lbs 2 oz, 19 inches)

The name in Chinese means “Revealer of the Word” or “Revealing the Word.”

This is the last Yoon family picture with five members. It is set to expire on Feb. 22, 2012 as #6 is scheduled to join us, the Lord willing.

An Afternoon of Tobogganing= Cold and Happy

Not too long ago, I was asked to speak at our church’s International Dinner. Everyone was there to celebrate how God has been using the members of the congregation to impact the world for His glory. I thought it was appropriate to introduce James Scarth Gale, the first Canadian Missionary to Korea. He served in Korea from 1888 to 1927.

James Scarth Gale

Some of the highlights of his ministry includes:

• Translated one of my favorite books of all time, The Pilgrim’s Progress
• Translated portions of Matthew, John, Ephesians, Acts, and influenced all subsequent Korean Bible translations
• Came up with the Korean term for “God”: 하나님 (The Only One)
• Founding member of Korean YMCA
• Founded present Kongsin Secondary School and Chongsin Girl’s School (Elaine and I were married at the school chapel)

The biggest surprised to the audience was that Gale was from a small nearby  town Alma, Ontario. God used Gale to impact the Korean church in many ways and the effects of his labor are still felt today.  It was a small presbyterian church in a small farming town that sent Gale to Korea when Korea was an unreached people group.  More than 125 years later, Korea has become a nation with more than 10,000 missionaries overseas.

There are more than 2000 unreached people groups that still haven’t heard the good news of Jesus in their own language.  God continues to use his church to send his laborers.  If you are involved in sending or if you are sent, be assured your labor is not in vain!

One of the most thought-provoking classes we have had is Teamwork with P Baker, former church planter in the Philippines and now co-director of NTM Canada. We were put in a  team with a young couple without kids, and two single men in our class. Then we had team meetings like we would in a remote church-planting setting. How would we last as a team in a tribal location? What issues would we be facing daily for 10-20 years that we would have to work out in love in order to manifest Christ to each other and to the people?

Over loaded with chocolate chip banana bread that one of the single men had made, we talked about issues like the role of wives, finances and relating to each other’s children. We realized that each of us need to walk closely with the Lord, communicate openly and be committed to the ministry. Our simulated meetings got us excited about the team and ministry God will eventually put us in. May the Lord continue to mature us and prepare us to be good teamplayers!