I am grateful for the opportunity to partner with you in mission. Having served as a local church pastor for many years, I am aware of the need for all of us to have our eyes lifted up, to see more of what God is doing around the world. When we engage these global stories of transformation, it changes us! 

In my new role, I have the opportunity to hear even more of these stories. I realize that within each of these stories is a parallel story of sacrifice and hardship. Alongside the great things God is doing, there is pain. We all walk with these dual truths in our broken world. 

Today, I want to share three highlights with you and invite you once again to give generously to this work. Your participation with Multiply is strengthening our shared goal to send more disciples on mission, to develop more missional leaders, and to facilitate more mission partnerships within our growing global family. 

Sending Disciples Through Focus Internship

I want to begin in North America where we are investing in sending disciples on mission, not only from our US and Canadian MB churches, but from our partner conferences around the world.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, right now there are eighteen participants in a new nine-month mission training program called Focus Internship. The current participants include twelve single adults and three couples who are all discerning their call and place in Jesus’ mission. Each one of these disciples has embraced this intentional season of training, equipping, and practical service which will prepare them for cross-cultural service, pastoral ministry, community development, or kingdom influence in the marketplace.

Two weeks into the training, program directors, Lloyd and Carol Letkeman, said, 

"There are already so many awesome stories arising from our first days and weeks together. God is calling us afresh into mission and giving us opportunities to serve others and see him at work. We have such a great group of eager risk-takers, and we are excited about equipping them first and foremost to know the voice of the Shepherd and to walk in step with him."

The group includes six Americans, ten Canadians, and two South Americans, and there are already service assignments being discerned for locations in the Middle East, Uganda, Thailand and among First Nations in North America.

Training Leaders in North Africa

Another very encouraging development comes from North Africa where we recently sponsored a Mission Training School. It was the first of its kind for believers in this particular country, where the Islamic religion dominates society. The vision was to equip thirty local believers to reach the unreached communities in their country by helping to plant biblical and theological roots in their lives that would prepare them to win others to Christ.

At the training event, one of the participants testified,

"I learned who God truly is, and my spiritual identity and who the Enemy is. I learned how to search for a man of peace, and how to approach him. I have gained a deeper understanding of the Word of God, and I have learned that with prayer anything is possible!"

Our Regional Team Leader reported that it was a unique time of refreshment and joy for the participants. Each one of these missional leaders was not only built up in their faith, but was given support in very practical ways, such as learning how to take care of themselves physically and how to invest in the lives of their spouses and children.

The success of this training was also key strategically. The broader goal is to multiply these training events across North Africa and the Middle East, which would effectively serve a heartfelt need among the churches that are growing and spreading throughout the region.

Mission Partnerships in Southeast Asia

My final example brings us to a nation that is in desperate need, but is also a place where the light of Jesus is shining in the darkness. Our workers in this region have provided us with very recent updates from a neighboring country to Thailand that continues to suffer the damaging results of a military coup. Due to political instability and the ongoing effects of the pandemic, this nation has been closed to our workers for the past two years. But just recently, they were able to visit again and to be together face to face with church leaders. 

Our workers were nervous as they crossed the border into this country, but they were overwhelmed with joy when they were finally reunited with fellow believers there and they were amazed at the testimonies they heard. Although there had been many trials and hardships faced during the past two years, the church leaders also spoke about wonderful fruit in their ministries. Our workers reported,

"Churches are being planted in prisons, and villages that once rejected the Gospel now have over one hundred baptized believers meeting together. One after the other, pastors shared similar stories about growth and unity in the churches despite opposition. During the chaos of the past two years, the number of believers in the country has tripled."

These church leaders were encouraged to know that they are part of a global family of churches that are praying for them during this time and offering support. In the days to come, we look forward to growing stronger relationships and facilitating partnerships that will help bring hope and healing to this nation.

Conclusion

God is at work in our world in beautiful ways despite the challenges and hardships that also exist in each of these stories. As we give ourselves and our resources to him, God is able to use us to bring life and peace to those who desperately need it. Today, your gifts to the overall work of Multiply are greatly needed as they provide strong support to our missional teams who are reaching out to a world, lost without Jesus.

Once again, I am thankful that you have chosen to be a part of these redeeming storylines by supporting the work that we are doing together worldwide. Would you donate today to help Multiply continue to send disciples who make disciples? Your financial gifts and your sincere prayers make a difference.

Let’s continue to commit ourselves to working together that the world may know Jesus.

Bruce Enns
General Director