Plans for 2020
We could look at this year lamenting what could have been. We had a vision for for taking big steps in reaching the unreached in 2020. As we approach seven months later, I believe we have taken many big steps, just not what I was thinking in January. Back then, our plan was to be in Colombia in October, and to have likely found new partners to come alongside in other parts of the world.
Here's what God led us to do instead.
First of all, the shutdown gave us time to pray more intentionally about our call. That call is to help everyday Christians accelerate the spread of the gospel to the hardest to reach people groups in the world. By doing that, we can see God reaching every unreached people group in our lifetime. We found ways to more effectively share that call with other believers. Our oneMESSAGE.tv community has stepped up, and become active ambassadors for that mission.
During the lockdown in Colombia, God has expanded the work among our people group there even though our partners have been restricted in the person-to-person contact they can have, There are some villages where the existing videos are being shared by social media and message apps almost on their own. We recently heard about a man who walked 28km and climbed a mountain just to download the Bible storying videos on his phone, and then he shared them by bluetooth with others in his village!
Another example of God's plan has been with the members of the people group who live in the urban centers. They had proved difficult for our partners to reach. During the quarantine they had been particularly hard hit, and just finding food each day was a struggle. So our mission partners began collecting funds to help feed them. Our oneMESSAGE.tv community was a big part of this outreach giving more $1,500 and providing more than 10,000 meals. That gift has opened a new relationship with them.
Finally, God has led us to three separate ministries all working in the same part of Africa, and we are exploring resourcing them with the video Bible stories for their people groups.
So forward.
Because our donors have continued to be faithful, we are poised to move into action as soon as the borders open. Unless God sees differently, we will travel to Colombia in January of 2021, to expand the video library with our original people group, and to begin building a library with a number of other mission partners there. Also, we are planning to firm up a trip to Africa, and as that comes together we will share more specific details.
We didn't know what was in store for us in 2020, but God did.
God has used this year to make our mission stronger so we can reach every unreached people group in our lifetime. Thank you for being a vital partner through your prayers and gifts. We could not do this without you!