Graduated!

Posted on: 
November 1, 2018

It wasn’t the first time someone completed ABT’s training track with Phase II Inhouse Training. But it was the first formal graduation dinner, with most of our board members present!

Phase II Training with the team heading to Indonesia included a number of firsts for us. You might call it our first full-fledged Phase II Training. Other graduating members in recent years had either come as a single family, or had been through the training camp held in 2013, or for various other reasons went through a fast-tracked version of Phase II.

We brought in a board member with mission field experience to lead them through some discussions of team dynamics. A brother from another Anabaptist mission gladly provided some contingency training—how to avoid, or respond to, crisis and hostage situations. Still another gave nearly two days to orient the team in a significant aspect of community development they hope to also use as a teaching opportunity.

We enjoyed working through three excellent books that address three aspects of our teams’ work:

Brother Bryant led the way, coordinating, communicating, spearheading team activities, and making sure someone prepared and led the daily devotions time. Brother Joel guided the Missionary Formation class, featuring books and writings that address a number of issues like emotional and spiritual health, child safety, and conflict resolution. Brother Aaron led some thoughtful discussions about ABT's developing Translation Policy, and also helped the team think about security in electronic communication.

We spent many mornings together watching and discussing 17 hours of Mark Zook’s recorded teaching from 2013 about Worldview, Animism, and Chronological Bible Teaching. During Literacy week, Miss Otto gave them good tools to use towards a community able to read Scripture.

Due to the specific context in which this team plans to serve, we also gave special attention to issues like translating names and terms for God, and discussed a video from Biblical Missiology.

The team designed, prepared, and painted their own rock in ABT’s prayer garden. This will stand as a visual reminder to all who pass through to pray for the Sungai* people of Indonesia.

Then, in honor to God who brought this team through years of training, and guided us all through seven intense weeks together, we enjoyed a meal together with all our families and some of our board members’ families as well.

Please pray for these two couples, with their families, as they now set their sights on departure dates for Indonesia.

*Sungai is a code name

Category: 
  • “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
  • “Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witness of these things.” Luke 24:47, 48
  • “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19
  • “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3
  • “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel.” Ephesians 3:6
  • “That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:21
  • “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’?” Mark 11:17
  • “Ask of me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance.” Psalm 2:8
  • “Behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes.” Revelation 7:9
  • “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1
  • “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16
  • “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
  • “As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.” Proverbs 25:25
  • “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” Psalm 19:10
  • “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.” Psalm 22:27
  • “Truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.” Numbers 14:21
  • “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:3, 4
  • “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14
  • “That all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.” 1 Kings 8:60
  • “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations.” Malachi 1:11
  • “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.” Psalm 86:9
  • “For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:11
  • "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10
  • "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3, 4
  • "You are worthy. . .; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God." Revelation 5:9, 10