ANOTHER TREMENDOUS YEAR FOR MTM !!!

Truly God has done it again … another tremendous year for MTM. The year of 2011 consisted of 9 different pastoral leadership conferences conducted in 5 different countries. The average attendence was approximately 120 church leaders. Only God knows the gospel impact these church leaders make for His honor and glory among the unreached. Some special highlights were the conferences in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as well as the delta region of Myanmar.  Your ongoing prayer and financial support are the very means that have made this all possible. A very special thank you to all the different churches who gave as well as each of you who made personal contributions. Blessed be God !!!

THE GOSPEL IMPACT OF MTM UNTO THE UNREACHED 

Most all of the MTM conferences in 2011 were within the geographical region of the highest concentration of unreached people groups in the world. This truly is an open door that God has set before MTM in answering the gospel cry of the unreached. Many many pastors have testified that they are taking the truths of Gods Word they learned at the conference and are teaching others in empowering them to reach their own unreached for Jesus Christ. One pastor in Pakistain has taken a few simple truths that he learned at the MTM conference and has developed his own teaching course. God has open a door for him and now he is teaching this truth from Gods Word in many different churches in Pakistain. This is the very core heart of MTM.

LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2012

Once again the 2012 MTM schedule  is already fully packed out. Click on the highlighted link to see the 2012 schedule. Each year we have been saying 9 conferences per year are a packed out schedule. But once again God keeps pushing MTM forward and MTM has 12 conferences scheduled in 2012. Three of these MTM trips are what we are calling “double headers” which means two conferences in one trip. There will be a double header to Africa in January, and a double header to India in February and a double header to Indonesia in July plus all the other conferences. After we packed out the 2012 MTM schedule, there still remained 16 unaccomodated requests. In fact, presently we are making tentative promises for 2013 and most all of 2013 is already promised. The discipleship opportunities God has set before MTM are absolutely staggering. This clearly reflects God’s passionate heart of the cry of the unreached. Be assured MTM is doing no advertising, promoting or self inviting … all of these opportunites are divinely God orchestrated. Please do pray for us as we seek the Lord in regards to which invitations we should accommodate. 

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF MTM

MTM is a faith-based ministry. MTM’s ability to disciple and spiritually equip native Christians to win their own unreached people to Jesus Christ is largely contingent upon your faithful contributions to this ministry. Every dollar of your contributions will be used to facilitate a leadership training conference of native leaders. The IGo staff families giving leadership to this ministry receive their support from other sources.

Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support. By Gods faithful grace MTM will teach faithful men who shall be able to teach others also … so the gospel will be preached among the unreached. Contributions of any amount may be sent to the address below or click this Donate Link  to contribute through the MTM website and Pay-Pal.

IGo
PO Box 116
Ephrata, PA 17522 USA

Please be sure to earmark your contribution for MTM. A tax deductible receipt is available upon request. Thank you in advance for your prayer and financial contribution.

For Christ Jesus & The Nations
Raymond Burkholder
IGo-MTM Director

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I was privileged to have the opportunity to travel with Brother Raymond Burkholder to Myanmar from October 15 to 24 in order to participate in a Macedonian Teaching Ministry Conference. It was a blessing to see the desire for teaching and the passion of the Christian leaders in Myanmar to reach their own people for Christ.

We visited two locations in Myanmar during this trip. The first was to the Waboegone Karen Tribal Village on Pyinsula Island in the Irrawaddy Delta. This village had been devastated by cyclone Nargis several years ago. Before the cyclone the village had a population of over 1,000 people. That has been reduced now to about 240 people. There are many partial family groups and orphans who are survivors of the cyclone. 

Both Brother Raymond and I preached at the local church in evening services. Stephan Burkholder and Dwight Walner accompanied us on this trip. They also shared their testimony and children’s meetings. We also visited in homes in the village and shared the Gospel with people in their homes. At every home service neighbors gathered to hear the Gospel as well.

    MTM Ministry Team to Myanmar

L-R, Merle Burkholder, Issac (native coordinator), Raymond Burkholder, Dwight Waldner & Stephen Burkholder

In one of these home services we met a young man by the name of Tin Htun Aung. His mother had been a Christian, but his parents had been killed in the cyclone. He was living with his Buddhist uncles. He expressed an interest in accepting Christ but was afraid of what his uncles would say. We prayed for courage for him and encouraged him. One of the local men in the village had been sharing Christ with him and he was thinking about accepting Christ. Later that evening he came to the house where we were staying. At 11:00 PM that night he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. After he prayed the sinners prayer and received Christ, he said, “Thank you for bringing the light to me in my village!”.

We also toured a shrimp farm in the village that is being operated as a self help project in the village. The people there have been shrimp farmers for many generations. After the cyclone the shrimp beds were destroyed and many of the land owners died. The church is now purchasing shrimp bed land and turning it over to young men who are professional shrimp farmers. They are using 40% of the income to repay the loans they have for the land. 40% of the income goes for wages to the farmers. 10% of the income is given to the church, and the other 10% is used for community improvement projects such as saving for the opening of a medical clinic. The village has no medical services and the people would really love to have a clinic in their village.

The people in the village were very grateful for our visit. It took major effort to make the village. It took us 22 hours to travel from Yangon to the Waboegone village. We had a 12 hour bus ride with 70 people in a bus with only 44 seats. At one point the bus was so full that the driver climbed in the driver’s side window! After four hours on the bus they said the road was “not so good”. We transferred all the people and luggage to a truck and covered the next hour of travel in the truck. Then we transferred everything again to a second bus.

After an all night bus ride we then rested for an hour before we went to the docks in Laputta. At the dock we got on a long boat and traveled another five hours by boat until we reached the village.

After several days in the village we made the trip back to Yangon and then traveled to the Northern Myanmar city of Mandalay. In Mandalay we conducted a two day conference. Brother Raymond taught missions from the book of Acts and I taught on the Fruit of the Spirit. The teaching was well received and greatly appreciated.

The Mandalay Conference Leaders

I was impressed with the indigenous mission work that is being done by our Christian brothers in Myanmar. Our conference coordinator operates a children’s home near Yangon for orphans from cyclone Nargis. This is supported totally by gifts from churches and Burmese believers.

One of the pastors who helped to host the conference in Mandalay showed us a medical clinic that their church is operating in a ghetto in Mandalay. This ghetto consists of 700 house that are built in a swamp. The clinic is staffed by three Burmese Christian doctors who volunteer their time. Their church also operates an English teaching ministry center for university students in Mandalay. Again this is all supported and staffed by Burmese believers.

I found that the churches and church leaders had a real passion for the lost. They were looking for creative ways of reaching the lost in Myanmar. At the conference there was a group of about ten young men who were studying the Korean language. When they have mastered the Korean language, they will go to work in Korea. The majority of their wages will be sent back to the church in Myanmar to support Burmese missionaries to go out to villages for the purpose of church planting. We laid hands on these brothers and prayed that God would bless them and use their efforts to raise up many new believers in Myanmar.

This trip to Myanmar was a real encouragement to me. I believe that God has gifted Brother Raymond in unique ways to enable him to carry out this ministry. He has been blessed with many relationships in many countries with men who are serving God in their own countries. Raymond has become a spiritual father to many of these men. For some of them, they do not have a Christian father and Raymond can fill and important role in their lives.

These men are not looking for financial support. They are not asking for money from American Christians. They are looking for Christian discipleship and teaching. Macedonian Teaching Ministry is answering their call for help. Thank you for your prayer and financial support for the Macedonian Teaching Ministry.

Merle Burkholder

Editors Note; Merle Burkholder is from Sioux Lookout, Ontario Canada. Merle is also the IGo board chairman. A very special thank you to brother Merle for serving the Lord and the Myanmar people through MTM.  

Click Here For A Picture Tour Of MTM To Myanmar

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Wednesday night we had a service with a Catholic group. Brother Raymond shared about the Triune God and there were a number of responses, for which we praised God.  On Thursday afternoon when I was done sharing I was soaking wet with sweat, then I was told by our host Pastor that I would be preaching in a village later that evening.  We arrived at the village and the people were extra warm; and very receptive and open to the gospel.  I could tell that God’s Word was connecting with the people.  After the service a shy 19 year old Muslim girl made her way up front and wanted prayer.  Brother Raymond asked her some questions through the interpreter, and when it was all over she had asked Jesus into her heart.  God gave us that experience to show us that He was indeed making a difference in these services.

We made friends with many Christian families as we stopped at their homes to pray for them.  On Friday night we visited a Muslim family that fed us a wonderful dinner of rice, mutton, and chicken.  We visited, shared our personal testimonies and had prayer for them before we left.

Sharing the Gospel in these settings has made the cultural challenges and late nights very worthwhile. These Pakistan Christians will always have a special place in my heart.  Praise be to God that I could have a small part in helping MTM fulfill the Great Commission by helping to teach and equip native pastors to be more effective in leading their own people to Christ.  May God be praised!

Marvin Troyer

63645 Hidden Ridge Ct

Goshen, IN 46528

greenmeadows@ligtel.com

Editor’s Note; It was a great joy to share together in the work of the Lord with brother Marvin in Pakistan. His teaching on the book of James greatly impacted the Pakastani church leaders. May the Lord richly bless you brother for your great sacrifice and labor of love for these dear people. Also a special thank you to Marvins wife Margaret for her willingness to support Marvin while we traveled to Pakistan. Margaret stayed back in Thailand with my wife Naomi while Marv & I traveled to Pakistan. 

There were many who counseled us not to go due to the terrorists & political situation between America and this country. We did go by faith trusting our God who commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples as well as preach the gospel to all creatures … and lo I will be with you always. AND HE WAS WITH US !!! There was never a time that we were fearful or doubtful. The hospitality of the Pakistani people is some of the most hospital I have ever experienced…Christian or Muslim. The gospel opportunity in this country is absolutley staggering. 170 million people with less than 2% of the population being Christian. Jesus taught that His people are to be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove … and with this Wisdom of God, the Gospel can be openly preached … even on the streets. 

At our leadership conferences we impacted 280-300 church leaders. Their hungar for the Word of God was very invigorating and refreshing indeed. Most all of the evening services, at different locations, (see the picture captions by clicking the link below) there were souls getting saved. As near as we can tell there were more than 30 souls all totaled that came to Jesus Christ. Blessed be God !!! Truly God was with us !!! Thank you for your prayers and please do pray for the Christians of Pakistan.

Our MTM Leadership Team

L-R, Pastor Stephen King (Pakistan Coordinator), Marvin Troyer & Raymond Burkholder

One of the 3 different leadership conference groups we ministered to. The completion certificates were very precious to each attendee.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A PAKISTAN PICTURE TOUR

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God has clearly opened the door for MTM to conduct a pastors leadership conference in an exclusively Muslim country where Americans, on the most part, are not at all appreciated. Please be in much prayer as Marvin Troyer (Goshen IN) and myself travel to P_____n this weekend and conduct a native leadership conference September 19-23. Our native coordinator is projecting we will have 100+ native pastors and church leaders. The opportunity that we have as conservative Anabaptist in Islamic countries is overwhelming. The evangelical Christians have totally misrepresented Christianity and Muslims associate Christianity with Hollywood. But our faith and practice as conservative Anabaptists is very intriguing to Muslims. Please pray that Marvin & I could accurately portray Christianity, not only to the Muslim’s, but also to the native Christians who have been influenced by the evangelicals of the west. We desire to accurately portray Christianity as Jesus lived and taught it. Please also pray for our wives as they stay here in Chiang Mai.

WE DO NOT GO BECAUSE IT IS SAFE … RATHER WE GO FOR GOD HAS PROMISED HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US. 

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After a good flight with a good view of Mt. Everest, we landed at one of the hardest International Airports to land at, Paro International Airport. What an experience.

Our arrival was on Sunday Morning and since the preaching service was in the afternoon, Raymond and I were promptly told we were both to speak. So this we did and Joyce gave her testimony.

This conference was 2 days long. Raymond taught on “Servant Leadership” and I taught from the book of Hebrews. The days were long and the amount of teaching we did was a bit overloaded because we covered most of our material in this short time. But the testimonies at the end of the conference are what really told the story.

1.      “This is the first time I have ever heard teaching like this” by a young man.

2.      A testimony with tears from a former lady assistant to a witch doctor.

3.      Several gave testimony of the impact of the “Servant Leadership” spirit.

4.      The testimonies came with tears and passion.

When we got home I sent my Hebrews file to a young missionary that lives in a part of India that is between Nepal and Bhutan. Following is the response I got from him. I know Raymond also gave his notes to someone.

Greetings from  Sikkim !

         Well thank you so much for sending me the precious materials which will be so much help full to become more stronger in faith and walk closely with Jesus. It was really very encouraging to hear your message and i admire you and madam serving our lord in this very old age with great burden. In a short period of time i am really blessed to have fellowship with you. May our lord use you both more abundantly. 

MTM Ministry Team; Raymond Burkholder & Lee & Joyce Mummau

Most All The Attendees Were Church Leaders From Different Districts of Bhutan

Editors Note; The above article was written by brother Lee Mummau. Brother Lee & his wife Joyce traveled with MTM to Bhutan and Lee served as a guest teacher with MTM. Lee & Joyce live here in Thailand and are part of the IGo administration. A very special thank you to Lee & Joyce for serving the Lord through MTM.

Click Here For A Picture Tour Of Bhutan

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L-R,  Adison, Nicholas & Keishon and all the blueberries

We also spent a day at the Columbia, SC, Riverfront Zoo. This is Lexie (Duane & Leann’s)  our latest and only granddaughter.

We also spent time with Mike & Laura and their family as well as Krista, Lorida & Jana.

Mike & Laura’s son Raygan soaking up Grandpa Burkholder at a Central PA Cabin (thanks to Jake & Evie King)

Grandma Burkholder watching Kyran & Raygan (Mike & Laura’s sons) preparing those tomatoes for canning. Missing from the picture is Judson.

We also had the privilege of doing some traveling (just shy of 6000 miles) while doing IGo-MTM Public Relations work. We conducted 15 different MTM PR services in 7 different states along with many preaching opportunities. We certainly are humbled at the great interest and support that Gods people are showing in IGo-MTM. A very special thank you to all who pray and financially support IGo-MTM.

The Burkholder family also is very grateful for all those who blessed us in many personal ways. There is no way that I could begin to mention all the blessings that came our way. Nevertheless we are deeply indebted to all of you who so abundantly have blessed us. Freely we have received and freely we will give to the needs of others.

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A MTM bible conference was about to begin today at Bardaghat. The attendees from distant villages and far away places were walking, bussing or driving their motor cycles to come and hear the Word of God. Pastors, teachers, youth leaders, church leaders with Bible and a notebook found their place inside the conference hall and sat on the floor and anxiously waited. They never had this kind of opportunity before. Most all of them were unlearned and ignorant of Bible teaching. All of them are needy and void of earthly riches but sincerely hungry for the Word of God. What did Jesus see?

As the Saints prayed the conference began. The conference teachers filled with the Holy Spirit rose to the challenge and taught and preached the good news of hope in Jesus Christ. Messages were preached on the heart of God, purity, the value of a soul, the need to go beyond your borders for the cause of the gospel, to reach the lost through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What did Jesus see?

Hearts were open and moved through the preaching and teaching and commitments to give all to Jesus were made. Young and old alike were asking for more Bible teaching. “When will you come to my remote village and my people for we also need teaching such as this. With earnest faces and pleading expressions and eyes filled with tears they would tell us, I am the only Christian in my family and I am rejected. They do not like me and they will not eat with me. I am the only one in my whole village that loves Jesus. They also tell us that just over that distant mountain there are many villages of people who have never heard the name of Jesus just one time. Please come back again so we can go to those mountain villages and preach the gospel to them? What would Jesus see?

They would take us by the hand and lead us to the sick. Please pray for healing for the sick among us. Many sick and hurting would gather and make a large circle. In the Name of Jesus Christ we prayed as we lifted our hands over them, sometimes we laid our hands upon them. We prayed for spiritual and physical healing and that Gods perfect will would be accomplished. Most of all we prayed for the salvation of their souls, that the chains of darkness would be broken by the power of Jesus Christ. We also prayed that the love of Jesus would shine in their hearts and they would be a witness for Jesus Christ in their homes and to their own unreached people.

Still today Jesus is looking over His creation the same as He looked over Jerusalem. The heart of God has not changed. His love for the lost has not changed. Heaven still rejoices when one sinner repents and comes to Jesus. The value of one soul is still more than the whole world. Jesus is still looking at our talents, our time, our gospel opportunities, our finances, our churches … WHAT DOES JESUS SEE ?

Editors Note; The above article was written by brother Nevin Good from Fortuna MO (USA). He served as a guest teacher with MTM at the recent Bardaghat Nepal conference. A very special thank you to brother Nevin for being available to be used mightily of the Lord. This MTM conference was a partnership with IGo-Ransom Ministries as well as IGo Student Ministry Trips. Heidi Gingerich & Rosa King taught a young ladies class representing Ransom Ministries. The IGo students were doing daily children’s ministry and also ministered at the conference in song.  

Full MTM Ministry Team; L-R, Back Row – Raymond Burkholder, Asher Witmer, Nevin Good, Evan Jackson, Jesse Weiler, Lavon Slabaugh, Matt Chupp. Front Row – Jana Burkholder, Megan Ulrich, Krista Yoder, Heidi Gingerich, Marcy Boone & Rosa King

Bardaghat Nepal Full Conference Group

THE REST OF THE STORY BY PICTURES & VIDEOS

The Burkholder family will be stateside July 5th to August 16th for our yearly Thai visa renewal. We will also be doing some PR work for IGo-MTM in this time. Check the RKB family schedule to see if their will be a presentaion in your area. We would loove to meet you there.

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L to R: Leon Brubaker, Lanus & Aganetha Dueck, Matthew Chupp, Megan Ulrich, Justin Zimmerman, Krista Yoder, Evan Jackson, Teresa Miller, Jesse Weiler, Deanne Weaver, Duane Fisher, Kamran Ishaq (due to visa issues returned to Pakistan), Asher Witmer, Darren & Lisa Strubhar

Shortly after this term is completed, the students are off on ministry trips and MTM is off for a Bible conference in eastern Nepal. The MTM ministry team to Nepal will include 6 IGo students, Lavon Slabaugh (IGo dean of men) as well as Rosa King & Hedi Gingerich representing IGo Ransom ministries. Nevin Good (from MO, USA) will be serving with me as the guest MTM teacher. My daughter Jana will also be going with me on this ministry trip. The MTM ministry trip will be June 22-July 1. Thank you for your faithful prayers.

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After the Nepal conference, brother Harold and brother Akash (Nepal MTM coordinator) and myself all traveled to Delhi, India. There I was joined by my dear wife and we flew on to Jammu in Jammu & Kashmir state of India. This is in the far northern regions of India. Once again we were in for a major stretching. This time it was heat. Every day the temperature was 105-110 degrees. Preaching and teaching is such heat is very physically taxing. Both Harold and I struggled with heat exhaustion. Some of the nights we were in non-A/C rooms. But God was very merciful. Nevertheless we had a good conference. There were brothers there from Kashmir (exclusively Muslim region) that were recently converted to Christ from Islam. Their hungar and thirst for the word of God was very invigorating. There also was a young man converted during the conference. Blessed be God !!! After this conference we traveled to Katra, India. This is the second most holy place in all of India for the Hindus. Everyday there are 25-30,000 Hindus who make a walking pilgrimage 14 kilometers to the top of this mountain to make sacrifices to Vaishno Devi which is a Hindu goddess. Our hearts were so grieved to see this and we prayed much that this satanic stronghold would be brought down and Christ would be glorified on this mountain.

MTM India Ministry Team – L-R, Narinder (our native coordinator), Akash (from Nepal), Harold Carpenter, Raymond & Naomi Burkholder

A Church Service In Katra, India

Editors Note; The article below was written by brother Harold Carpenter from Sturgis MI. He was our guest teacher at both MTM conferences. Brother Harold has cross cultural teaching experience and does an excellent job of connecting with the native people. Thank you Papa Harold.

Tired, Stretched, Blessed

I am tired of riding in hot stuffed buses with too many people and “room for more”. I am tired of being gone from home and family. I am tired of heat and sweating and no A/C. I am tired of hearing languages that I am unable to understand. I am tired of filth and spiritual oppression and poverty on every hand.

I am stretched by the 4 ½ hour 1500′ up the mountain climb. I am stretched by the hunger and spiritual cry of the Christians of other lands. I am stretched by the vastness of the need of peoples that have never heard. I am stretched by the heart of natives to see God’s glory take the place of the devil’s stolen claims in their lands. I am stretched by the multitudes that worship false gods innumerable.

I am blessed by the brother who shares with me the points that I taught in past conferences. I am blessed by the spiritual fervor and the heart cry to God of His people. I am blessed by the many who share their testimony of suffering, sacrifice, vision, and resolve to see the kingdom of God increased among their own people. I am blessed by those who have left family and culture to seek after the true and living God.

I can’t wait to hear the call of God and see Him provide for the next opportunity to share with hungry hearts the truth of God’s word. Here I am Lord, what do you have in store?

LETTING THE PICTURES SPEAK ………..

Nepal MTM Conference

India MTM Conference

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