NTM

…speeding up at times? Excitement is building…anticipation of the unknown…what is this new thing? What will happen…in Jackson, MI; in Waukesha, WI and in two villages on the other side of the world. What is going on?

Both NTBI’s are preparing for up to 200 new freshmen to walk through the doors the weekend of the 21^st. How we pray that they will all be able to come. We know that God will use many of them in missions in the future…to take the gospel to unreached people groups such as the Wano and the Uriay.

Both the Wano and the Uriay are hearing the Bible taught in their language for the very first time. NTBI Alumni are among those presenting the lessons chronologically and within just a few weeks, Lord willing, churches will be born in both locations. Please pray for all to go as planned and that God would prevent anything from interrupting the presentation of the Gospel to these dear people. Here is a quick excerpt from Mike and Libby’s recent email about the Wano…

“This a big talk that you guys are telling us.”  The young man who said this has been helping us in preparation for teaching.  He has been involved in checks that ensure that we are clearly communicating.  He has already heard parts and pieces of the lessons but this week when the teaching started on Wednesday he heard the first lesson in complete.  Morgan thought he looked teary as Mike began explaining that this was a big talk and it was for them, for all the people here, for the ones who chew betel nut and the ones who don’t, for the ones who smoke and the ones who don’t.  We have these lessons recorded and they are on 4 hand crank mp3 players.  The young man came to our house Wednesday night after hearing the lesson again in a hut where the people in our village gathered.  He said, “I just wish my dad could have heard this talk.”  His dad died in 2007. Already, the weight of this message is being understood by this young man.”

In the Uriay people group, Lisa reports…

Next week’s lessons will start with the proclamation of John the Baptist’s birth and Jesus’ birth by the angel to Zechariah and Mary.  John is born, the angel foretells Jesus’ birth and then Jesus is born. We finish off the week with Jesus traveling to Jerusalem with his parents and amazing the teachers in the temple as he answers their questions.  We’re looking forward to them putting the pieces together – that Christ is the Redeemer we’ve been talking about – and that His death was not only necessary for their sins but the payment for them.  We’re on the home stretch here as we move into the life of Christ – exciting days to come!  Continue to pray for distractions to be minimal and attendance to be high. Pray that God would continue to draw these folks to Himself!

As you go through your day and are challenged with what is really important, may the Lord bring these folks to mind. Here they are, on the brink of hearing the Gospel for the first time in their language…about to be offered the gift of eternal life…and many will trust Christ as their Savior, I truly believe that. Get ready to rejoice Angels!!! May the Lord cause your heart to rejoice again with the fact of your eternal life…your being delivered from sin and all its stench! Hallelujah, what a Savior! Thank You Lord!

Trucking to Jackson

6 weeks is a long time to be away from the comforts of home eh? Thank the Lord we are back in Jackson now and able to relax in our own place. June found us in FL for 4 weeks preparing for and having an estate sale. We then drove to MO to spend the 4th with our kids in Branson and had a wonderful time. We hopped a plane and returned to FL to pack up a truck and tow our car back to Jackson. What a great adventure it was. Reminded us of days gone by when we moved to Jackson the first time, only we were much younger. Thankfully we arrived with everything in tact and no surprises. The Lord is good!

We are now catching up and getting things settled once again. The new semester is right around the corner. We are expecting a good group of freshmen and about 75 returning students, which will make for an amazing student body. Please join us in praying for them all as they anticipate an incredible semester  of studying God’s Word. Thanks!

Celebration Day

“As you pass through the gate, will you continue to believe?” That was the essence of the question posed to our 46 NTBI Jackson graduates by Rich Bruce, NTBI Faculty speaker. Selected by the class, Rich challenged each one to continue to walk in the truth they now have; the truth about God; the truth of who they are in Christ. Read the rest of this entry »

Students trying to get some words from a real live "Joti" man

What a week it was! 81 of us transported to the middle of PA for a week, hearing from experienced church planters and “visiting” a tribal village, equipped with real “live” tribal people. Wow, talk about challenging. And that is exactly what we hope for. Students saw first hand the challenges of learning a new language and trying to understand how different people think. They heard from NTM folks who have actually planted churches in VEN and PNG. Each step of the way was explained in common sense terms so we could see that reaching the unreached is Read the rest of this entry »

The week of April 25 will find our group of about 85 or so in the mountains of central PA. Mornings students will be in the “Intro to Tribal Missions” class, hearing from two experienced tribal church planters. Afternoons will find them in a replica tribal village, interacting with a “Yanomami” woman and a “Joti” man, trying to discover words and investigating new cultures. It is quite the experience. If it sounds interesting, you can be a part of it with a group from your church. Check it out at http://www.ntm.org/missiontrips/wayumi.php.

We appreciate your prayers for safe travel and a great week together with the missionaries at WAYUMI, and that many of our students will see the possibilitites available throughout the world and be willing to take the Gospel to the un-reached. Thank you so much.

That question is asked a number of times after we took the field trip last week. The day saw us travel about an hour away to visit some folks who serve their community by Read the rest of this entry »