He was thrown into prison, beaten, his life repeatedly threatened and at least once they tried to kill him! In spite of all this, he started a church in prison that is still going strong to this day. He spent three years building that church, and today he returns for a week every month to continue teaching the Bible.
In our world of unreached peoples and staggering need for discipleship, sometimes it is hard to know where to focus one’s efforts. As I ponder over the World and its immense spiritual needs, one thing seems to stand out to me as a clear priority; those asking for teaching and discipleship. When I learned about Raymond’s focus with MTM, it resonated with me. MTM’s focus is on answering the “Macedonian call.” There are people scattered across the globe who are ASKING for discipleship and teaching, and this is what MTM focuses on. That priority makes sense.
Our energy is feeling spent, but our hearts are full and overflowing with joy at the welcome we received and the gladness with which the teaching from God’s Word was received from the brothers and sisters here in Cambodia.
We were part of two worship services on Sunday; at Myitkyina in the morning, and at another congregation in an outlying village that evening. Monday through Wednesday was spent teaching at the church with about 150 brothers and sisters attending. There were some pastors, deacons, and participants from other congregations also in attendance. Brother Merle taught on marriage and leadership in the home, with the last message on the “headship veiling”. Brother Ward taught on godly parenting. The teaching was very well received.
The gospels give us several accounts of Jesus and his disciples out on the water. This is one you have not heard for it is just now being written. Twelve disciples leave the far reaches of Chin State in northwest Myanmar. Three of them travel by motor bike for a day to join the others. Together they travel south, one day by boat and then 25 hours by bus.
This MTM ministry trip was marked by four major ministry events all in one trip to India. This included three different leadership conferences in three totally different regions of India. All this was followed by the Burkholder’s officiating in a wedding in yet another region of India. This trip also included hosting three different MTM teaching teams from different parts of the world. After 10 different air flights and one month in India truly this was MTM-Ministry To the MAX.
Where would you fit yourself in this description? Like the Great Harvest Jesus spoke of…some are observing, some are sitting, some are standing, and a few are working…and others are just going on with life as normal. Lu 10:2, Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
Arriving in Indonesia, we deeply felt our dependency on God as we experienced city life, strange languages, dangerous traffic patterns. The cultural differences from America was amazing.
It was with mixed feeling that I climbed into my parent’s vehicle to head for the airport in Chiang Mai, Thailand. There were sad feelings were due to saying farewell to my wife and 3 younger sons for 9 days. Those feelings of sadness conflicted with the emotions of excitement as I was finally traveling to India with my father, Raymond, to participate in an MTM youth conference in Gyalshing, West Sikkim. This was a dream that both my father and I had for many years that has finally coming to fruition. It was also exciting that my two oldest sons, Kyran (11) and Raygan (9), were going along as well.
As you read the title, what were your first instinctive thoughts? Where in the world is Vietnam? Depending on your age you may have immediately thought of the horrible atrocities of the 10-year war that the US was part of in this small Asian country. A war for freedom that ultimately was lost to communism. Or perhaps your immediate thoughts were a restricted, communist, closed to the gospel country. All the above facts are true, but what about Vietnam today?
