NTM

The Spring 2008 semester is well under way. 30 new freshman students joined us on the 11th of January for orientation. Classes began on the 14th.

Our staff is always encouraged with the help given to the new students by the upper classmen. It’s a sure sign that they are internalizing the teaching that they have received.

Despite record amounts of snow and extremely cold temperatures, New Tribes Bible Institute continues to be a cozy environment with plenty of “Son” shine for our students. We thank God for each one that the Lord brings our way.

Recently we heard from two of our NTBI alumni working in Papua New Guinea. Tony and Tara Sutton completed their studies here in 1996. In 2003 they began to live with the Inanbimali people along with 2 other couples.

On January 23rd of this year, after 5 laborious years of language study, culture study, and lesson preparation, their team began teaching the Scriptures to this tribe. 90 percent of the village was present.

In preparation for this day, the missionary team had taught the people to read. As the teaching began, the Suttons and their partners presented the village with a translation of Genesis 1: 1-25.

One of the things that amazed the Inanbimali people was that God knows everyone’s thoughts. "We saw a lot of scared looks on their faces," Tim wrote. One tribal man said, "I never knew that ‘the God’ could know my thoughts … wow, that’s power!"

Please pray for the Suttons and their partners as they continue to teach the people from God’s Word. Pray that the Inanbimali people would respond positively to the Gospel as they continue to hear it taught in their language. Pray for two tribal chiefs, Manu and Kandal, who are speaking out against the teaching (see photo above).

Once again we are reminded that the Suttons and all of our missionaries sacrificially committed themselves to years of training in order to be well equipped to teach God’s Word to people of different languages and cultures. For most, that training began with 2 years of intensive study of the Bible right here.

Thank you for your contribution to our ministry and, by extension, to the ministry of New Tribes Bible Institute. Be assured that your gifts have eternal value. Please support us with your prayers for the following:

• That we would seek to grow in our faith and personal walk with Jesus who knows our every thought and still loves us unconditionally
• That we would be effective in our ministry to both students and staff here at the Bible Institute
• That many of our students would dedicate themselves to reaching tribes with the Gospel
• That our new class of freshmen will adjust quickly to the rigorous academic schedule and will apply what they learn to their daily lives.

Yours for the Harvest,

Jan & Cheryl Bast

The year 2008 is now unfolding before us! What events will take place? We seem to be able to handle “good” when it occurs but what if calamity strikes? Will these events place fear in our hearts? Will they cause our faith to be exercised? Will we rely on ourselves and follow our “culture” or will our hearts be drawn to Christ and His kingdom? We do not have complete control of our circumstances but we can determine to make “right” choices each day.

I am feeling a little pensive as I think of this coming year. I just read that 2008 marks Israel’s 60th anniversary of the rebirth of their nation. What a year of rejoicing that will be for them, and yet they live each day facing the reality that other nations and terrorist groups desire their demise. I wonder how closely their aspirations in 1948 resemble today’s realities?

I think of my parents, pregnant with me that year, looking forward to my birth. They had survived the depression and finally hope was alive with steady employment and new life developing. Yet, there were no guarantees for them. Ten years earlier, their first child died only 6 weeks after birth.

I think of the Christian church at large in 1948 and now. Styles of worship have changed. Music has changed. We still continue to grow and the gospel is still being taken to the ends of the earth. We Christians, in the US, have tremendous opportunities to serve, to give financially, and to congregate freely without fear from the authorities. But, everyday our brethren are tortured and killed for their faith in Christ in countries hostile to the Gospel. Do we suffer with those who suffer; would we be ready to face hardship because of our faith in Christ?

Nothing in life is certain for us. What I desire may never come to fruition. But, that’s OK with me. I am learning that Christ, who is my life, is planning my path and He knows what is best for me. Soon, He will have given me 60 years to know Him better in preparation for eternity. He has given me precious promises to anchor me everyday to His steadfastness. He has given me a wonderful husband and family and brothers and sisters in Christ who have been by our side for many, many years. How could I even begin to express my gratitude for those who have prayed with and for us for so many years? I am truly blessed and I would not trade the path I’ve walked for any other.

I have regrets, some; made wrong choices, many; a sin nature, without a doubt. Nevertheless, each day I endeavor to forget what is past and keep straining for what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil 13:13-14)

This year my prayer for each one of you, dear ones, is that you would rather have Jesus than what this world has to offer. It is the only sure hope we have today. I am quoting for you the words to a wonderful hymn that speaks truth to our hearts.

"The words to this beautiful song came from a poem written in 1922 by Rhea F. Miller. George Beverly Shea wrote the music. According to the late evangelist Jack Wyrtzen, George’s mother had placed the poem on the family piano so George would see it when he returned home after receiving a lucrative singing offer in the secular world. After reading the poem, he chose to serve the Lord and wrote the music to this famous and beautiful hymn. Bev Shea will be 99 in February. And as of this writing, he is still singing." 1

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

1. Thomas C. Simcox, Making Melody in Your Heart (Isreal My Glory Jan/Feb 2008), 25

For obvious reasons I’ve recently been thinking a lot about the theme of thankfulness. There are so many things for which we are thankful: family, friends, health, our faith, our God, to name a few.

As I write this, you are especially on our minds. We are so thankful for your partnership in our ministry with New Tribes Bible Institute.

Without your prayers and your encouragement, I am convinced that we would not have the largest enrollment in the school’s history. Without your partnership we would not be sending more than 50% of our graduates to NTM’s Missionary Training Center (MTC) to prepare for ministries in tribal evangelism and church planting.

The truth is, without your involvement, there would be far fewer stories to tell like that of Stephen & Carolyn Crockett and Kendaya, one of the first believers in the Moi tribe in Indonesia.

The Crocketts took Kendaya out of his isolated tribal village to a town. While there, Kendaya experienced eating at a restaurant for the first time in his life. Before they ate, he was asked to give thanks for the meal.

It was a lengthy prayer, one that might cause you and me to shift in our seats and wonder if the food would still be warm when the prayer ended. (We all like our burger and fries warm, don’t we?) What do you think Kendaya said to God?

He told God how he had been away from his village for almost a month without knowing who had died, or what had happened; if their gardens were growing well, or what else could have happened in his absence.

Then he prayed that even though he is concerned, he is thankful that God sees, and He knows, and He has been watching over it all while Kendaya is gone. Therefore, he doesn’t have to worry.

One more thing that I’m most thankful for this Christmas season is that I can read of these events and know that we, and you, have had a part in making them happen. What a wonder that we all can be partners with God in taking the Good News to people who have never heard it. And it’s all because God gave Himself to us.

Cheryl and I thank you for your partnership and pray God’s richest blessings for you this Christmas season!

By the way, this will be Kendaya’s first Christmas. I wonder how he and his Moi brothers will celebrate

Derik and Sarah Grant (NTBI 2000 graduates) are in the thick of ministry. They and their partners, Scott & Jennie Phillips, have been teaching the Dao people of Indonesia for a number of months and in mid-August presented the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus."

It’s true! This is a true talk!" shouted Todopui, a Dao leader.

Others chimed in. "Jesus has done a very big thing for us," exclaimed Bedenadus.

"This really is a big and true talk!" said Wadamena.

Almost the entire group of Dao people who attended the lesson expressed faith. Some did it by jumping up and exclaiming, but most simply grinned ear-to-ear and listened to their brothers and sisters witness.

A number of weeks ago, Scott’s mother had to undergo a serious operation here in the States. They told the Daos attending the teaching that they had decided to stay in the tribe until they had finished the lessons because their message is the most important message the Daos will ever hear.

A few days later, a very important woman in the tribe died. Rather than take the customary 3-4 days to mourn her death, the Daos decided to continue with the teaching.

Voicing the sentiments of the group, one of the men said, “Was it not three days ago that Degapiyaa (Scott’s Dao name) told us of his mothers sickness ? Did they not tell us that this message was important enough that even if his own mothered died he would not leave us? Are he and his wife not still here at this very moment sitting among us and keeping their word to finish telling us the Creator’s talk ? We need to stay! We need to put God’s talk first. If it is a big enough message for Degapiyaa to stay it will also become a big message for us!”

On August 19th New Tribes Bible Institute began its fall semester. 98 freshmen have decided that the Word of God is important enough to give 2 years of their lives in an exhaustive study of its truths. Another 124 students (juniors and seniors) will complete their studies this year.

These young people are sacrificing a lot by putting God’s Word first: separation from family, delayed career goals, the financial cost of their education, just to name a few. Like the Dao people, their actions show that they have placed a high premium on understanding and following “God’s Talk”.

Pray for all of our Bible students, including those studying in our sister schools in Jackson, MI, England, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia. Pray that they will persevere in their studies. Pray that they will understand God’s Word and incorporate its truths into their lives.

Pray for the first Dao believers; that they will continue to hunger for a deeper understanding of the scriptures. Pray that more of them will learn to read so they can grow in their faith.

Thank you for your part in the ministry of NTBI through your prayers and giving. We count it a privilege to partner with you. Together we are impacting the lives of the students and those whose lives they touch!

Yours for the Harvest

Bible and Missions Are One”.

Missions is often thought of as a man’s domain. In the Bible God used many women in pivotal roles to further His plan for the salvation of mankind. The stories of Ester, Ruth, and Mary, are well known. What part do women play in modern-day missions?

Recently I read the following on our NTM website.

“After many long months of hard work, missionaries Keri Pacheco and Becky Preheim were able to complete their first major translation projects. The books of Mark and Exodus were recently reviewed by two translation consultants and Mengen co-workers.”

I wasn’t surprised to learn that both Keri and Becky are alumni of New Tribes Bible Institute. Keri attended our Jackson Michigan campus from 1995-1997. Becky graduated from our Waukesha campus in 1996.

It is interesting to note that about 50% of our Bible Institute graduates are single women. Understandably, many of those single girls meet and marry single guys while they are training to become missionaries; thereby fulfilling the roles of wife and mother as well as missionary when they begin their ministry.

There are also a significant number of single women serving in New Tribes Mission. Keri and Becky are representative of the many who have found challenging and rewarding ministries in reaching tribal people with the Gospel.

NTM values the enormous contribution of all the women in our organization. We are grateful to God for the gifts that they offer in building His Church.

New Tribes Bible Institute is pleased to have a part in training young women to minister to those who have never heard the Gospel. Daily, I interact with many who will follow in the footsteps of Keri and Becky and I rejoice that God will use them for His glory.

Please pray for our young women as they continue their studies here at NTBI. Ask the Lord to guide those who will graduate in just a few months.

To those of  you who partner with us in our ministry, please pray for Cheryl, my dear wife, friend, and partner in ministry.

Thanks and praise to God that the qualities of Esther and Ruth are multiplied many times in the lives of Christian women today and will continue until Jesus comes again. I know that they are a reality because I have lived with one for 38 years!

Click here to read more about Keri’s and Becky’s ministries.

Recently we received exciting news from 2 of our NTBI alumni. Another people group has been reached with the Gospel. The Tobo tribe of Papua New Guinea now has a small group of people who have placed their trust in Christ!

Chad and Janeene Mankins teamed up with Jason and Kellie Knapp in August of 2002 to begin language and culture study among the Tobo people. After more than 2 years of hard work they were ready to begin preparing Bible lessons.

All their hard work paid off a few weeks ago when the first phase of their teaching culminated with the story of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

In Their Own Words

How did the Tobo people respond to the Gospel? Here are a couple of quotes:

"I am so happy!" Welsen told Chad one morning. "Jesus spilled His blood for me. I believe and now I am going to heaven. I have eternal life!"

When Jason asked Alis why he had said, “Thank you Jesus.” His reply was, “Because Jesus died for me, and I believe, and now I’m not going to hell anymore.”

Chad asked Agabus what he was thinking after the lesson on Jesus’ resurrection. “I believe Jesus died for me, spilled His blood and saved me from the penalty for my sin,” he said. “I still have lots more questions, and I really want to talk more about these things.”

Building On A Firm Foundation

I wonder if the Mankins and the Knapps ever envisioned themselves giving birth to a church in a tribe that had never before heard the Good News of Jesus. They began the journey simply in 1987 and in 1996 respectively when they enrolled in New Tribes Bible Institute, here in Waukesha.

Click on photos to enlarge

As Cheryl and I walk the halls of the Bible Institute, as we share meals with our students, or join them in their social events, we sense below the surface of their fun-loving spirits, a seriousness to follow God’s leading – regardless of the hardships. In just a few short years  many of these young people will be risking their lives in remote corners of the world  sharing the “Bread of Life” with people who know nothing of Jesus.

What a privilege it is for us to be involved in preparing a new generation to take the Gospel to the "ends of the earth". What a joy it is for us to partner with you as you pray and give to our ministry! We sincerely thank you for standing with us.

Please continue to pray for the Mankins, the Knapps, and the Tobo believers. The work has just begun. These infant Christians have a lot to learn yet and the neighboring villages and tribes around them also need to hear the Good News.

Pray for our current students as well. They have a sincere desire to obey the Lord. They are earnestly seeking to know His will for their lives. The decisions they make here will have eternal consequences. There are still many churches waiting to be born!

To read more about the Tobo tribe, go to www.ntm.org/news/4583. There you will also find a number of related articles.

Have you ever wondered what we do when we’re not involved in ministry? Here’s a brief rundown of some of our activities over the past month:

We always enjoy visitors. During the first week of November 2 families visited us, one from a supporting church in Upper MI and another that lives in the area. It’s always nice to visit with friends.

We visited the Chiropractor several times, saw our family dentist for our semi-annual cleaning and our doctor for annual checkups. We’re so thankful to have good medical and dental care here.

On the second Sunday of every month we attend a support group meeting for those who serve our country. We have a pot-luck meal and then share what’s going on with our loved ones. We spend time praying for their needs and every few months put together and mail “care” packages to them.

Every other week we meet with a small group from our church. We study the scriptures, pray for one another and find mutual encouragement. This month we all volunteered as greeters for a church function.

There are always extra-curricular activities going on at the school. In the past couple months we had 2 evening coffee houses (we served at one). The staff squared off against the students in our annual “Turkey Bowl” football game. This year the students won by 3 points.

On December 2 we had our annual open house. The students decorate their dorms and the staff their homes.  Then we all visit one another, enjoying snacks and holiday drinks. A few days later, the school held a cookie bake. Our daughter-in-law, Carrie brought her daughter Seija. They had a great time.

Some dear friend of ours from West Bend, WI, gave us a gift of 2 season tickets to a local Christian theater group. We went to a performance of Little House on the Prairie a couple weeks ago. We took our 4 year-old granddaughter, Seija. She really enjoyed it.

We celebrated 3 birthdays this past month, our son-in-law and 2 grandchildren. Caleb and Carrie also celebrated their anniversary. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with Aimee’s and Caleb’s family. We sure missed Josh not being there. He should be able to be with us again next year.

Every 3rd year our church has Bethlehem Marketplace. The church’s gym is transformed into the streets of Bethlehem. This is the first year we have been here for the event. We took our grandkids on December 8th. Then on the 9th we dressed in costumes and acted the part of olive and nut vendors. On the 12th Cheryl was a greeter to the visitors as they finished their walk down the streets of Bethlehem. As many as 40,000 visitors are expected to experience Bethlehem Marketplace this year.

This will be the first year that we will volunteer as bell ringers for the well-known Christian aid organization. We are assigned to the “kettle” at the local Wal-Mart store. We’ll put on our long underwear and heavy coats and go for it. It should be fun!

On December 1 we had our first snow storm. We got 13 inches and the schools were closed. Our school didn’t close since all but a few of our students live on campus. It was a full 2 days before most of the roads were plowed. We’ve come to realize that the snow storms in Wisconsin are as much a nuisance as the hurricanes in Florida, but much lovelier.

In closing, we wish you a most blessed Christmas and pray that the coming year will draw you closer to our Savior. Thanks for your partnership in our ministry.

November and December were busy months at our NTBI – Waukesha campus. By this weekend, things will be very quiet.

As I write, more than 200 students are busy either taking final semester tests or preparing for them. The fall semester tends to be a bit more difficult because of the many distractions that come at the end. There’s the 4-day weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday; the many special activities associated with Christmas, and the anticipation of the Christmas holiday and semester break. Imagine balancing your time between classes, studying, writing papers, a 20-25 hr/week job, Christmas shopping, parties, church activities, and laundry! I get exhausted just thinking about it! Fortunately, they don’t have to do their own cooking!

In spite of all that can distract our students, as a group they are doing well. Many of them are learning for the first time to budget their own time. They can no longer count on their parents to manage and prioritize their lives. Our young people are growing up, at times with the help of our staff, at times learning from one another, and at times learning by their mistakes.

The last day of classes is Thursday, December 14. Both the staff and students are looking forward to a well-deserved break. Classes will resume on January 16th.

Our students would appreciate your prayers:

• for the safety of all who will be traveling.
• for a refreshing break from school
• for opportunities to share what they are learning

The fall semester ends 12/14.
STUDENTS:

• Pray that our students would persevere in their studies and assignments.
• Pray that they will stay focused in their classes
• Pray that they will continue to have a hunger for God’s Word.

STAFF:

• Pray for our teachers that they will be well prepared for their classes.
• Pray that they will communicate clearly.
• Pray that they will stay healthy.