The scope of work for LMI’s Youth and Schools Team is wide, with speaking engagements in churches and youth groups, delivering talks in school assemblies and leading Religious Education lessons. Yet, one key area of their ministry that may sometimes fly under the radar is the team’s involvement in youth weekends. These weekends offer incredible opportunities for fellowship, teaching God’s Word and encouraging young believers.
John and Mary’s vision is not waning. In fact, LMI’s reach in Southeast Asia is extending to even more people. Last summer, John and Mary embarked on a ministry fact-finding trip to South Sumatra, accompanied by Pastor Joel and his wife, Martha* (names changed for security reasons). Their goal was to research another Southeast Asian people group: the ‘R’ tribe.Last summer, John and Mary embarked on a ministry fact-finding trip to South Sumatra, accompanied by Pastor Joel and his wife, Martha, Their goal was to research another Southeast Asian people group: the ‘R’ tribe.
Welcome back to the second and final part of our Confessions of a Cross-Cultural Missionary mini-series. In this instalment, we will be learning about some of the challenges and encouragements that our missionaries have experienced during their time in Southeast Asia, as well as gaining an insight into their vision for the future.
As Christians, we are all called to lead lives wholly dedicated to the Lord, in full and willing submission to His plans and desires. Yet, the outworking of this will look different for every believer. For some, it will involve serving in ‘full-time ministry’, but for the majority, it will involve serving at their local church and living intentionally missional lives every day wherever they go. For John and Mary, being surrendered to God meant traveling all the way to Southeast Asia to bring His Good News to the ‘B’ tribe.
John and Mary* have been serving with LMI as cross-cultural missionaries in Southeast Asia since September 2015. As it is coming up on their 10-year anniversary in the particular country in which they are working, we thought we’d sit down with them both to reflect upon and share some of their experiences and insights.
It’s a great joy and privilege for me to facilitate the network of LMI’s global partnerships. Whilst we are, of course, separated by thousands of miles and multiple time zones, thanks to modern technology I am able to keep in contact with LMI’s partners across the world. Staying connected with our partners helps us to support them in the best possible way. In recent times, we have been able to assist with the printing of translated resources for discipleship in both Kenya and Rwanda, with the latter also receiving funds for the distribution of Bibles. We have also been able to support some great work elsewhere in Africa, including the building of a toilet block for a refugee children’s school in Uganda.
In August, I had the opportunity to go to Kenya as part of an LMI overseas ministry trip with the Youth & Schools Team and my husband Josh. We visited LMI’s partner for Kenya and East Africa, Pastor Eric Ngala Mutumbi, and spent three weeks in Bumala, where Pastor Eric is based, seeing the work being done there and leading several different events.
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