NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

The following notes are from a leadership conference our leaders were at recently. We thought you would appreciate seeing our vision:

• There are approximately 2500 unreached people groups in the world today
• Right now church planters are reaching a new people group every 45-50 days. We would like to see this move to 1 every 30 days or 12 groups per year… (not to be trendy, but to be consistent with God’s heart.
•  This goal will require 15-17 people per group.
• The MTC (and equivalent programs overseas) would need to graduate 180-200 every year.
• Currently our numbers are moving the wrong direction. Would you pray for more workers to join our ranks?

I received the following statistics from our co-workers in Mexico… It was a great blessing to see that God IS still at work in Mexico! Please continue to pray for Mexico.

Without a doubt we have experienced exciting times in Mexico this past year. It is true that much of that “excitement” has come from the violence associated with the on-going war between the drug cartels. That is perhaps the news that gets the most publicity through the media. But there are other exciting things happening that have a more eternal value. Consider this – during this past year, the missionaries of NTM Mexico:

1. Translated nearly 2,000 Bible verses into the tribal languages

2. Advanced through a combined 34 levels of language and culture studies

3. Were involved in training and discipling over 50 missionary candidates.

Our missionaries were also involved in Bible teaching, literacy development and community projects. It has been a privilege to work together with the local churches here in Mexico to see the cause of tribal church planting advanced.

Statistics tell us that there are approximately 300 dialects spoken in Mexico. How many of those ethnic groups are still unreached? That is the question we are attempting to answer as we evaluate where to concentrate our church planting efforts. NTM Mexico has a survey team that is doing ongoing research to determine the areas of greatest need.

We praise the Lord that the doors for the entrance of the gospel remain open here in Mexico. In fact, as has been the case throughout history, the uncertainties have created more of openness to Biblical truth. In spite of the efforts of our Enemy, God is using this situation to get greater glory for Himself.

Thank you for your part of this work in the Lord’s harvest. As you celebrate this Christmas season, would you please pray for the people groups here in Mexico who have yet to hear God’s Word in their own language. There are still many dialects without a Bible in their heart language. And, many have never heard the name of Jesus in a language that they can understand. Pray, too, for the Christians here who are giving their lives to see that changed.

We recently blogged about the son of one of the Mexican missionary families that we trained… Chilo (Isidro), Nohemí and Jared. That blog can be found below on this page.

Thank you SO much for partnering with us in prayer for them. We just got an update to that situation so I’ve translated it and am passing it along to you.

Dear Brothers, We are writing to update you on what the doctors told us last Saturday about Jared.

The pediatric neurologist didn’t find any abnormalities in his examination of Jared, but he told us he had a form of epilepsy. He prescribed four months medical treatment. After that we need to take him back we will have an electroencephalogram and see the Dr. again. The Dr. said that they normally treat this condition over a period of two years after which it is possible that he will be released.

Thank you for your prayers for Jared. Please continue to praying for him. We are thankful to the Lord for the care and mercy He has shown in our lives.

Your Co-laborers

Nohemi, Chilo, and Jared.

Some of our former students are starting a new churchplanting effort among the Cora people of Mexico.   While still in the “ice-breaking” stages of the work, they were amazed by the testimony of a Cora man named Erasmo who already knew the Lord.  What follows is the translation of a testimony of Erasmo about the Christian life.  Keep in mind, this 73 year old Cora believer has had no formal training, just 47 years of faithfully walking with the Lord, reading and teaching the Word of God to the best of his ability (or should we say to the best of his engiftedness).

“The Christian life isn’t about a style of life which that pastor (another Mexican pastor in the area) teaches, it is not about following rules and regulations, it is about knowing His Word, hearing His voice and obeying.  We come to know the Word of God, the Spirit of God convinces us, then a conflict arises in our lives between our hearts and minds and the flesh until we arrive at the point when we make a decision:  to obey the flesh or obey the Spirit.  When we obey the flesh we are carnal, when we obey the Spirit we are spiritual, it’s that simple.  I want my people, the Cora, to walk by faith in a loving relationship with God, not obeying the ‘laws’ of men.  There is no true joy in that.  That style of Christianity is a lie, the people live a lie when they follow formulas or human rules pretending that by those things they will attain spirituality or maturity.  We go to church because the Spirit of God moves our spirit to look for the fellowship of the body.  We go to church because the Spirit of God makes us aware of our need to feed on the Word of God.  We sing together like brothers because the Spirit of God directs us to raise our voices and sing to him who looked upon us and saved us.  We go to church not to pay back God, it is not about paying God anything (it isn’t about God saying, I paid for your salvation now, what are you going to give me?) It is about something that happens inside of each one of us, in our hearts and minds and results in a ‘turning upside down’ completely in a life that results in a life of praise and adoration towards our God, who took the time to save people who are not important in this world.  I Cor. 1:26-29; I am not famous in this town, few are those who love me, but God, He loves me.  The Spirit of God convinces us of God’s love and we make a decision to obey, when we do love Him.  I don’t want people in my church that attend as an effort to change their lifestyle, I hope that those who come are believers and that they come out of a conviction of spirit (from the new man Col 3:9,10), that they are people who are convinced of the truths of the Word, coming from a place of spiritual obedience not from the appearance of spirituality (carnality).”

 Would you please pray that God would use Erasmo and our missionaries to plant a church among the Cora?  

Please pray for Jared Martinez, son of Isidro (Chilo) and Nohemí, one of the Mexican missionaries we trained. Chilo found his son convulsing in his sleep last week. The Martinez’ live among the Cora people in a remote area of central Mexico. They had to take Jared to a hospital two hours away. He is now conscious and the doctors are running tests to see what caused his convulsions. Please pray for wisdom to determine the cause, and provision to pay for the hospital, and their travel away from home.

Are you hungry for God’s word? I take for granted the printed and electronic access I have to the Bible. Here is an excerpt from one of our missionary letters. It’s about a conversation among some elderly tribal folks that desired to hear more of God’s word in their language. “Maybe, if we could be really quiet and sneak up under the house, no one would hear us. We’d have to be sure they weren’t looking, when we did it. Surely there is some way we can hide under there and listen in.” Some nefarious plot being planned? No, the ruminations of some of the older members of our community, calculating how they could manage to listen in on our translation sessions. Literacy came too late for them, so that diminishing eyesight and lack of flexibility left them without the ability to read the Siawi Bible, but with a hunger for the Word.” I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have any of God’s word in English. Thank you for praying and giving that more like these might at least hear, if not read His precious promises.

These days I am involved in “CLA-Practicum” a culture simulation class where we instructors take the parts of people of another culture and allow the students to develop relationships and endeavor to understand our “culture.” Today, after one of our more “serious” skits, I saw just how seriously some students are taking this part of the training. The students had developed their relationship with a particular culture “helper” and today that “helper” suddenly died on them (please understand this all just simulation) Some students were really taking it seriously because I saw several of the students, men and women talking with the instructor who played that part, and several were in tears.

Afterwards, in the session wrap-up, the teacher who has many years’ experience on the field challenged the students with the question, what do you do when you know a person may actually die before you are ready or able to present the Gospel to them. I remembered a teacher we had many years ago who shared about a deaf and blind man in the tribe he was trying to reach. As he neared death, he knew he had to try to share the gospel with him. He squatted down next to the man, and in the tribal language shouted the gospel in to his useless ears. After he had shouted in the man’s ear a while the man responded… “I’m sorry brother, I am both deaf and blind. I feel your breath on my face, but I cannot understand. It broke his heart that the man would never hear the gospel and went into eternity not long afterwards.

The preparation of these young lives is not something to be taken lightly. They need to be able to effectively and quickly move into a new culture and get to the point of sharing the Truth with them. Time is running out. The preparation of these young lives is not something to be taken lightly. They need to be able to effectively and quickly move into a new culture and get to the point of sharing the Truth with them. Time is running out.

I got a news letter the other day from a couple that are celebrated a 10 year anniversary last July 17th.  It really made me think.  They were on their way back to the field, when they missed a connection in New York City.  They spent quite a bit of time at the airline counter trying to get on a later flight but were unable to do so.  The next day they discovered that TWA flight 800 had gone down shortly after takeoff.  All 212 aboard were lost.  God had miraculously spared them to continue on in their ministry.

Yet the story doesn’t end there.  I know another missionary whose church had a group of teens on that flight.  They were NOT spared.  The point is, our lives are NOT ours.  They belong to Him who created us.  He has the right to use us and all we have to His glory.  It was a sobering reminder to me that my life is NOT my own.  It has been already purchased by God through Jesus Christ.  He alone has the sovereign right to use me as he sees fit.

Only one lift so soon it will pass.  Only what’s done for CHRIST will last.

A year ago, we received an application to study at our institute in Mexico from Vicente Tigre (far left) a young Guarijio man.  His name in English would be Vincent TIGER.  He helped the missionaries learn his language, and had come to know the Lord through their teaching.  When we get this type application, we wonder if their Spanish will be “good enough” for them understand the teaching, or if they would be better off studying with the missionaries in their native language.   We are so glad we admitted him, he is such a blessing.  Vicente not only excelled in the curriculum, he did it while translating Galatians to his own language.  I just received an  e-mail from one of our missionaries who works with a group of Guarijio on the outskirts of Chihuahua City.  They had to move to the city, but continue to reach the Guarijio.  Here’s what he says:

      “But God in His grace and mercy has given us another opportunity with Guarijio here in the City of Chihuahua.  Linda has been teaching some Guarijio Ladies for many months.  Luis, a son of one of the ladies has joined the group.  It is a small group, but I am sure precious in the sight of our Heavenly Father. 

   A young Guarijio believer who started this semester in our Bible Institute took over the teaching.  His name is Vicente.  Vicente was thrilled with the chance to teach someone in his own language.  (He is also a gifted teacher).  We are two lessons away from the presentation of the Gospel.  Please pray as Vicente presents Christ this week.  We will be teaching on the burial on Wednesday the 11^th of May and the Resurrection on Saturday the 14^th.”

   Would you please pray for Vicente right now as he presents the final lessons in this very important series? 

Thanks,

 Virgil and Jeri

 ps.  We’ve become aware that those who have subscribed to our blog (www.ntm.org/virgil_holt) may not be receiving notification of new uploads.  You may need to re-subscribe sorry.

We just started a new Bible Study at church last Friday.  We are looking at the book of Ruth, one of two books of the Bible that bear the names of women.   Ruth was a gentile (Moabite) and married a Jew, Esther was a Jew who married a gentile.  Yet God in His sovereignty used both to save the nation of Israel.  The story takes place during the time that Judges ruled in the land of Israel… that’s NOT a good thing because rather than have God as their king, “every man did what was right in his OWN eyes.”  I made some interesting observations regarding the story of Ruth…

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband means “God is my King.”  Naomi means “pleasantness.”  They were from Bethlehem which means “land of bread.”  Yet, when the famine hit, “God is my king” seems to take matters into his own hands, and left the “land of bread” and went to Moab a pagan worshiping nation to meet their needs.  Isn’t that  what we tend to do?  Like Elimelech, we may bear His name as King, and live in His Kingdom, without really making Him my king.  As children of the King, we have all we need, yet when hard times come we leave the umbrella of His provision and pursue our lack in our own strength.   The result is death.  Elimelech, and his two sons died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters in law with no hope of provision or inheritance.

I’m so glad the story doesn’t  end there, neither for Ruth and Naomi, nor for me when I take matters into my own hands.  God has a beautiful way of transforming our failures into classrooms of opportunity where we can learn to truly make him our King.  “Seek first God’s kingdom… and all these things will be added unto you.” trust Him even more deeply.    The end of the story is that Ruth is named as the great grandmother of David, and consequently named in the genealogy of Jesus Himself.  He has a way of turning our mistakes into blessings.