We are enjoying this time of visiting our supporting churches and presenting how biblical Worldview Discipleship is an answer to a problem outlined by Ken Ham in his book, Already Gone. Mr. Ham says that we are loosing a big percentage of our young people by the time they graduate from college. He says that we are not losing them IN college, but that they are “already gone” by 5^th and 6^th grade, at least in their minds, when they begin to question the validity of God’s Word. (This book is a must read for every Christian worker and parent.) Our ministry has had overwhelming support as parents who already know there is a problem see steps they can take to connect the Bible to the real issues and the tough questions that their children are facing.

One of the aspects of our ministry is not only to expose the problem, but to connect teachers and parents with the available resources that will address the problem. When we first started, we were asked what resources we would recommend. At the encouragement of our pastor, we bought books, curriculum, and videos to display (and sell) on our table. This is purely a service to churches and parents; we sell them at cost. As a barometer of the impact of the message we are giving, we are having trouble keeping our supply in stock and re-order every Monday morning. One weekend almost $500 of materials went into the hands of parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, youth directors and pastors. The materials are out there; we are just connecting them with the people who need them.

While our ministry is primarily to the church, it is broader than the local church. I have scheduled several in-service trainings at Christian Schools. Please spread the word that we are available to speak in chapel and for teacher training. While our major thrust is to teach the parents and educators how to do biblical Worldview Discipleship and connect them with resources, we look forward to opportunities to work with college students as well. We were recently invited to share in a campus Bible study. This opens up an exciting opportunity to challenge college students to develop a Biblical worldview. Our hearts are still pulled back to Africa. I look forward to returning to Africa periodically to train Bible students and pastors in two-week modules about the importance of biblical Worldview Discipleship.

We covet your prayers as we develop this ministry that God has laid on our hearts. We are under-supported, but we are trusting that God will take care of that as we minister to others. Lois is still dealing with some health issues, so continue to pray for her. We are booked up with meetings through January and are now scheduling in churches other than our supporters. Prayerfully consider inviting us this next year to minister to your church in a unique way.

This update is coming to you from our home in Loudonville, Ohio. We’ve been busy settling in, visiting friends and family, and meeting with our mission board and our sending pastor. The occasional rest is welcomed having just returned form the work in Niger. As you may be aware, Lois and I have no plans at the moment to return to Africa. God has directed us home due to some family health issues and limited finances.

We have enjoyed teaching missionary kids. We consider ourselves blessed to have worked with international kids for eight years. One of my goals in whatever class I teach was to present a biblical worldview. I have seen the lights go on in the lives of my students; parents have thanked me for preparing their children for the barrage of unbiblical thought that they have received in college. Our stated goal for our ministry has always been, “Training the Next Generation.” We have returned with a vision to continue the ministry that we have been doing for years. Many of you have asked what this ministry looks like. The following is a description of our vision.

Many missionaries have found that they cannot go into an isolated village in Africa and start their ministry by sharing John 3:16. They have to take the time to start with Genesis and teach a biblical view of God as Creator, the concept of sin and accountability. Only then can they present Jesus as Savior. At one time in America, churches were able to witness starting with John 3:16 because most people had an understanding of God, sin, and the Bible. Today we cannot assume that people are starting out with this biblical worldview. In the last few decades there has been a shift in thinking in America. Our educational system and our entire culture has been permeated with humanistic and New Age thinking.

We must  respond to this and start our witnessing with a worldview foundation just as missionaries do in Africa. Likewise, we cannot assume that our church members have a complete biblical worldview. Most just add Jesus to their current worldview and not realize that they have to start with the Bible as the foundation for their thinking in every area of life. It is especially devastating to our young people who have been taught to love Jesus and to be good, but when it comes to matters of science, history, sociology, psychology, government and economics—that is all just opinion. Statistics show that when they go off to college, the majority of them are rejecting the faith.

The purpose of missions is not just to make converts but to disciple all nations, taking the time to train them in the truths of Scripture. The whole purpose of it all is so the nations will bring glory to God. We as created beings bring glory to our creator best when we function the way we were created. For example, a train functions best when it stays on the track because it was designed that way. It is a good reflection of the designer of the train when it functions smoothly as it should. If it tries to go its own way, it crashes and burns alongside the track. In the same way, when we function as we were designed, and things go well, we bring glory to our Creator. When individuals, families and nations accept man’s view of marriage, government, economics, etc, they reap disastrous consequences. In contrast, when God’s truths are believed and practiced, freedom and prosperity reigns and God is glorified. People need to know that they can trust the Bible right from page one and that it fits with science and is not contrary to it. The foundation for our worldview starts with Genesis. People also need to know that there is truth and error which has consequences. The world is experimenting with all sorts of ideas concerning the family, the church, the government and economics. People need to know that there is truth to be found in God’s Word for every area of life, and there are devastating consequences for individuals and nations as a whole if these principles are ignored.

God has given Lois and me a vision to come along side our churches here in America and help them develop their own worldview discipleship. I see my role as one who presents the need and motivates others to study the Word of God and develop a Biblical worldview. One way this can be done is to recommend books, videos, and curriculum that will equip the church for the task. I feel that it is a vital part of my ministry to help moms and dads train their children in a Biblical worldview so that we do not loose them when they go off to college. I have also observed that many Christian school teachers have not been trained in a Biblical worldview and end up teaching aspects of humanism without even knowing it. Therefore I see another aspect to my ministry to the church is to train and equip Christian teachers in a Biblical worldview. From my experience in Africa I see a great need in training national pastors to develop a biblical worldview so that they can train others. I see this as an international ministry in worldview discipleship of national pastors.

The church for the most part has withdrawn from our culture and has adopted a “Build an Ark” mentality. We have taught our people how to be saved and become good Christians, but we have not gone on to disciple them to engage their culture with the truths that will keep all of society from falling apart. We need to respond to our changing culture and disciple a generation of Christians who know what they believe and why they believe it, and are not ashamed to proclaim it. If we fail to disciple our “Jerusalem” now, we may well see our right to proclaim the gospel eroding away, and foreign missionaries being deported for human rights violations.

It is our prayer that our supporting churches will catch the same vision that God has given us and continue with their prayers and financial support. Our schedule is booked solid through December with meetings to our supporting churches. This is a crucial times for us and the vision that God has given us. We humbly ask for your prayers as God directs us in this ministry.

Teachers and students the world over (whose school year runs concurrent to ours) are experiencing the same feelings we at Sahel Academy are. There’s amazement and relief that the year is actually over as well as excitement, anticipation and possibly apprehension about what’s next. Those involved with international ministries experience more sadness at saying good-byes, not knowing when they will ever see one another again. Re-unions are a little harder to plan when your student body and staff comes from all over the world.

Please pray for us as we are some of those saying good-byes. Most of you know by now that we are returning to the US for an early furlough. Please pray for our travels as we leave in just 5 days from now early on Saturday morning June 6^th.

For many reasons, it is unlikely that we will return to Niger. We’ve been struggling with this decision this past half year, wanting so badly to at least finish our four-year term, but slowly seeing that God was leading us home. We’re amazed that we’ve been here in Niger for three years, relieved that this busy and difficult year is finally ending, excited about returning to our friends and family in the US, sad about all the good-byes we’re saying once again, and filled with anticipation for what’s next for us. We believe that God is giving us a new vision. We’re anticipating the time with our pastor, our sending church, our mission, and you, our supporters, who will help to confirm this new direction in our lives.

Please pray for Niger. Recent political decisions have many concerned that the country is headed in the same direction as many other African countries that seldom resolves itself without loss of life or livelihood. Here in Niamey, the large African market burned to the ground this past week which will cause extreme hardship for those whose every possession was lost without insurance to cover the loss.

We will miss Niger and our ministry here at Sahel Academy, but we know that it is time to move on to a different ministry of Training the Next Generation. Our ministry once again will not change – only the location will change. Please pray for us as we seek to clearly know God’s direction.

As we wrap up another year with our students, we are reminded that the reason we are here at Sahel is to imprint our lives into the lives of our students. We trust that they will see Jesus in us and learn to trust Him and His Word. Our hearts resonate with the words of the songwriter who says: “I see a generation rising up to take the place in selfless faith…” One of my goals in teaching is to instill in my students an unquestioning trust in the complete Word of God and help them to realize that His Word gives us truth for every area of our lives. It is rewarding to hear from graduates about how this teaching of a Biblical worldview has prepared them for life after Sahel Academy. They are seeing it as essential for their survival, especially as they enter university studies. Pray that we will have the same kind of impact in the lives of the students we are teaching now.

This past week, a fellow missionary and I went out to a remote village one evening to show the Jesus film. This church is one of a group of churches where we have baptized many believers in the past few years. We do not have any missionaries regularly working with these churches, but they are doing quite well on their own evangelizing and spreading out all over that region. The last time I was at this  particular village, the church had just started with a hand full of believers. Since then, they have built a small church with a shelter along side it. When we arrived, there was a Good Friday service going on and about 200 people from all around the region were crammed into the shelter listening to sermons, one after another. Just before dark, they broke up and we set up for the film. The full moon was just coming up, and I could hear drums and singing coming from all directions as the people spread out into smaller groups waiting for the film. We set up a screen that can be viewed on both sides, women on one side and the men on the other. With the help of a generator, a projector and an amplifier, over 200 people viewed the film that night. Afterwards, many villagers came to the pastors to learn how to receive Christ. We guess that there will have to be another baptism soon, but not until the rains come and fill up the waterholes again.

We used my GPS to work our way out of the bush late that night. There are no roads out there—just donkey and bike paths that meander all over. Since it is not safe to drive late at night way away from the city (Niamey), we spent that night on the porch of the house of a missionary couple who are on furlough. There was no need for an alarm to wake us; the guinea hens woke us up in time to get on the road early so I could get back to my classes at Sahel Academy.

Reflecting on the whole event made me remember once again that the God who listens to our worship in our beautiful churches is the same God who works in the lives of these people who barely have enough food to eat. These people have the joy and love from the Holy Spirit, and they take their relationship with Christ very seriously. It is not just something they do on Sunday. It has become so much a part their lives that literally entire villages are coming to the Lord through their living testimonies. Once again, I was humbled and challenged by their sincere and simple faith.

Due to family health needs, Lois and I will be taking our furlough this next nine months, a year earlier than planned. We look forward to this time of re-evaluating our ministry, and visiting with our friends and supporters in the coming months and sharing the ministry that God has laid on our hearts. We will be contacting our friends and supporters to arrange for a time or ‘reporting’, but please feel free to contact us if you already have dates in mind.