God Has Gone Before Us: Botswana Fall 2013

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:8

     This scripture came alive as we entered Botswana. Every place we turned we could clearly see that the Lord had been working and we were honored to join His work there. Last year we met a young, small body of deaf believers in Southern Botswana; this year we met a thriving, large body of deaf believers who had changed spiritually to a degree that was visible physically. They anticipated time to learn God’s word, they go out and share God’s story and they come back to church with a few new friends in tow. We were able to spend several days encouraging the church and training on communicating the Gospel clearly and effectively.Our time at the church left us encouraged and excited for all that the Lord will do with these faithful believers in the coming year.

     After our time at the church, we traveled up North. We saw the Lord going before us in a different way. Up north we had formative contacts and no deaf church established. The Lord provided contacts for us and we were able to find two new schools for the deaf where we built relationships with the leaders of these schools. We also returned to the primary school in Maun that had become like home last year. We were burdened for the teachers as there were now only 2 teachers for all 7 grade levels. We continued to speak God’s promise over the place “do not be afraid or discouraged…He will neither fail nor abandon you.” By the end of our time there we saw the Lord developing understanding in the lives of the students, the teachers regaining a small glimmer of hope for their weary souls, and the team resting in the knowledge that we serve a God faithful to all his promises.

We pray that the church in Botswana would soon become a sending church. That they would go out to the far corners of their country, the countries around them and beyond. They have a commitment to God’s word, a insatiable hunger to know more and a humble posture as they share the good news. Please join us in praying for how we can be an encouragement and resource as this body begins to live out the great commission so that the Deaf worldwide may understand and receive God’s glorious grace.

(Post written by a School to the Nations Staff Member who led this outreach)

On the Field: Southern Africa Deaf Team

Please be in prayer for our team working with the deaf in Southern Africa for the next several days! We look forward to a great report of lives changed and God's Kingdom advanced among this unreached people group. 

Prayer Points: 
-Safety and Protection of our team 
-Clear vision and wisdom as they share The Story with many people 
-Open doors into schools and communities where they can share 
-Strong relationships between our team and the national brothers and sisters 
-Great rest each night as they are working long days of ministry 

Thank you for joining with us as we watch the Gospel spread among the unreached across the world! 

To join the email updates for this outreach please email: theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com 

Focus on the Unreached: International Day 2013

 Close to 600,000 international students come to study in the United States each year. This opens an opportunity for missions that we do not often have. We now have untold opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with foreign students who previously could only be reached by long-term missionaries. This year, School to the Nations gets another opportunity to reach over 400 students from all over the world, connecting them with local businesses, community, and campus ministries. 

 The idea of International Day came about when Randy and Maureen were working with inner-city missions, hosting teenagers at what is now the School to the Nations campus. Randy had a deep sense from the Lord that one day the influence of the campus would expand to host and reach the nations. In 2007, he attended classes with Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, where he met new friends who were already involved with international students and were in need of a place that could host those students. That autumn, the first event took place, and over 100 international students were ministered to and welcomed.

Globalization has caused an unprecedented intermingling of cultures in the last several decades.  Nations from all over the world are coming to the United States and Europe seeking education and a better life.  As such, the opportunities for cross-cultural ministry abound just by walking out the door.  God’s sovereign hand provides this opportunity to do his work. It's like the Lord told us to go to the world and gave us all these resources, but we instead chose to stay and enjoy the comforts of America. "Well," God says, "if you won't go to them, I'll just bring them to you. Is this close enough?" 

This authentic welcome requires a lot of help. Each year we are blessed with new volunteers, whose hearts are full of Christ and ready to share and have community with these students. We can impact the world right here in our backyard because the world sends their best and brightest right to our doorstep. Please join us in this! You have a unique opportunity to pray for them, love on them, share your life and faith with them. Let them see what your life, family, and faith is all about. See what God will do. Send them back with a vision to reach their own country for Christ. When these students come to know Christ, are discipled, and return home, they become missionaries in their own right. But instead of reaching a people foreign to them, they are reaching their friends and family.

Welcomers are people who are especially good at reaching out people of different cultures while remaining at home.  This should be part and parcel for believers in their own sphere of influence.  Reaching and discipling international students is possibly the most strategic mission in God's Kingdom today for fulfilling the Great Commission. Alongside campus ministries which work constantly to reach and disciple hundreds of students, International Day volunteers are a vital part of welcoming! Will you join us on August 15th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in welcoming these students for God's glory? We are especially in need of volunteers to help prepare food for these students the day of the event, starting around 2 p.m. at a nearby church. If you are interested in helping with this or any other part of International Day 2013, please contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@stnations.com -- she would be so blessed to hear from you as this event draws near!

“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’” Revelation 5:9

Even if you can't make it to the event, we would be so blessed by your prayers and/or financial help. To take part in prayer for this upcoming event or to provide financial support, please contact Randy at randy@stnations.com . 

Focus on the Unreached: The K People of Sub-Saharan Africa

Learn.

In 2003, the call that had been put on the hearts of those who founded School to the Nations began to be fulfilled. A trip to the K People, a tribe in Sub-Saharan Africa, took place in January 2003 when they were officially adopted by what would become School to the Nations. There had been little to no preliminary mission work in this area, and there were no known believers among the 35,000 people of the K tribe.

School to the Nations first reached the K People by partnering with IMB in Africa. The first goals of this partnership was to facilitate indigenous church planting among believers and to bring compassionate touch to the K. We began with medical clinics, where over 400 patients were treated and individually prayed over. Eventually, the compassion projects expanded into BioSand filter wells to give the villages access to clean water and a healthier life.

The area is harsh. There is constant drought, occasional danger of famine, and malaria is prevalent among their villages. What’s more, they battle with spiritual warfare against the worshipping of nature and folk Islam.  Their country was, at the time of our first outreach, among the top 10 poorest in the world. All of this was a heavy weight on the first teams to reach the K People in 2003 and 2004. Leaders of School to the Nations experienced extreme spiritual warfare they had not anticipated – some very personal struggles as well as a deep discouragement among the teams.

Faced with returning for another trip again, School to the Nations’ leadership sought to obey Christ, remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 9:37: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. The Lord fulfilled His promises to the K People Outreach teams, when in 2005, the first Houses of Peace were established, meaning that they found people who had clearly been touched by Jesus before even hearing from this missionary team.  One Muslim man had had a dream about following and seeking Jesus, and approached the team to tell them he wanted to accept Christ.

After this encouraging trip, teams began returning to the K People two or three times each year, and in 2006 the first group of believers came about. This particular team witnessed a powerful work of the Lord, as K People literally began to burn up the idols they had relied on for so long. With new believers emerging each trip, the prayer for the K People shifted to finding them an indigenous leader. In 2007, Pastor A and his family moved to the tribal regions and planted the K People’s first indigenous church in 2008, where a team from School to the Nations experienced the first baptisms of these people. Truly, the Lord showed Himself faithful when these teams chose to draw near to Him and His people in obedience.

Pray.

This church is very young and in a very dark place – the political turmoil in this Sub-Saharan country is powerful, and teams have not been able to reach the K People recently. We pray, and hope you will pray with us, that Pastor A and his family as they seek to reach and disciple around 35,000 K individuals. The harvest truly is plenty, but these workers are few. Pray that they are supported by current believers and encouraged that the Lord is working among the K People. Pray that political trouble will be assuaged and that the elections this summer will bring up strong leaders who will create peace.  Pray that this political upheaval ends soon so that the doors will be open once again for missionaries to come and aid pastors like Pastor A in reaching these tribal, unreached peoples.

The amazing thing about our work among the K People is the reality of prophetic words coming true. Revelation 5:9 says “for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Jesus has bought the freedom of all unreached people with His blood, and we have had and will have the opportunity to see the first fruits of this promise from the Lord.

To read an amazing story of Jesus’ miracles amongh the K People, visit this post. To get involved with School to the Nations' intercessory prayer movement, which includes prayer for the K People, email us at stn.intercession@gmail.com.

Lifting the Fog: A New Field in Southeast Asia

A new adventure and a new day are beginning for School to the Nations as we live out our mission statement to “Penetrate the final frontiers for the glory of Jesus by mobilizing the next generation to the Nations.” Recently, we sent a group of twelve people to Asia for two purposes, one to work with University Students and two to explore a new mission field in L country. Three of our leadership staff, partnering with the IMB traveled into this country in order to find possible inroads for future efforts to penetrate the unengaged, unreached people in this region. They were told that they were the first Caucasians that these people had ever seen! We believe that these are God-ordained relationships with the people here and our team was captivated by the surreal environment they experienced:

“Nestled on the side of a mountain in the extreme upper highlands, is a long house, living in this house are precious people created in the image of God. Shut off completely to any knowledge of God and the access to even hearing of the mercy of their Creator found in Jesus. These people live in fear and seek to appease the spirits and because of some communist ideology, extreme mountainous terrain, animistic worldview, and Buddhism permeating every aspect of their lives a fog covers their eyes that must be lifted, much like the fog rises each morning from the valleys.”

Our team was successful in creating lasting relationships with key figures in this region and potential creative access inroads with the government. The future is hopeful, as this new field has opened up! During their visit they came in contact with two specific unengaged people groups that we will identify as "the mountain people." Both of these people groups are in desperate need of the Gospel, and School to the Nations along with a local church are fully engaged into a strategic long-term church planting movement among these precious people.

In the midst of the first contact they were able to clearly see the governing hand of God by giving them favor with key contacts and government approval to be in this region, something that cannot be handled carelessly. We must be as strategic and as creative as we have ever been to continue a healthy relationship with those in L country. So where do we go from here?

As with any unengaged, unreached people group the mountain people will not be reached unless the church marshals a strong prayer strategy. We, the body of Christ, the church must pray that the fog that blurs their spiritual eyes be lifted, and only by the power of the Cross. Missions among the unengaged and unreached are more about prayer than they are about strategy; prayer produces strategy, but prayer must supersede all efforts.

Will you join School to the Nations in praying Ephesians 1:18, as we begin a prayer movement for the mountain people in L country?

 “I pray that the eyes of you heart will be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his  glorious inheritance in his holy people and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV

**For more on what an “unengaged & unreached” people group is, read this article from the latest issue of Mission Frontier: “The Most Abomidable “Word”.”

Botswana Outreach 2012 Recap - "In that day the deaf will hear..."

"In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, 

and out of doom and darkness the 

eyes of the blind will see." 

Isaiah 29:18 

After many days of traveling, dirt, long days, and more dirt our Botswana team returned to the States full of amazing stories of all that the Lord did during their mission. It would be impossible to share each and every story, but hopefully by highlighting some of the major ones you will see a glimpse of what it is like to be on the field, and to see those who have never heard, hear for the first time and decide to follow Christ. 

It is important to highlight that this team did not fly overseas to work in a different culture completely unprepared. In fact, this team completed 6 months of missional training at the School to the Nations Training Center where they were trained in every aspect from cross-cultural living to storying the Bible with non-believers. The high quality training was evident once in Botswana as the team worked hard, stayed unified, and were prepared for the shock of being in a different culture. 

Here is a brief recap of their trip...

The first city they worked in was a smaller one outside of the capitol city, Gaborone. Here they shared the Gospel with hundreds of deaf children and teenagers along with teachers and staff members at a residential deaf school. Our team was creative with their presentation of the Gospel and shared in many unique ways. Not only did they share with the students but they also had a chance to bless and honor the teachers who sacrifice so much to work with these students each day. Our team included two educators and they were able to connect and relate in many ways in order to bring hope and encouragement in the Word of God. 

The next stop was in the city of Maun which is in northern Botswana. A school of 900 children (deaf and hearing) sat here, and the team was welcomed with a song from the students: 

During their time in Maun, the team met a 17 year old boy (far left in this picture) who was deaf due to the medication he was given to treat HIV. After hearing the Gospel message, this boy gave his life to Christ! Also at this school, the headmaster gave his life to Christ as well. He told the team that his family had been praying for him to receive Christ, and that prayer was answered and the team was honored to be a part of his decision! Our team also hosted a dinner to honor the teachers and staff members at this school and it was a special time of encouragement for each of these teachers. 

After finishing in Maun, they traveled a LONG days travel in 110 degree weather (missions are not for the weak!) on a bus to Francistown with no air conditioning. Once they arrived they were welcomed into Francistown Center for Deaf Education where they were able to share the Gospel and show the children's version of the Jesus Film. Many children heard the Gospel for the first time and many seeds were planted! One 23 year old man gave his life to Christ! 

Their next stop was back to the capitol, Gaborone, where at a bus stop they saw some men standing around playing pool. One of the team members started a conversation with them, shared the Gospel, and 11 of these men accepted Christ right there at the bus stop! What a wonderful picture illustrating that God orchestrates divine appointments! These men were not even from Botswana, they had crossed the border from Zimbabwe. Praise God for bringing our team to these men at just the right time. 

Overall SIXTEEN people came to Christ during the teams trip in Botswana and many seeds were planted among children, teenagers, and adults that will hopefully be the beginning of many coming to Christ among the deaf community. The future is bright for our partnership in Botswana. Our team met with the President of the Baptist Convention in Botswana, Benjamin Kabika, who is excited about the future partnering of School to the Nations and Ridgecrest Baptist Church among the deaf in his country. This trip established clear and strategic inroads for future work to evangelize and disciple the deaf. 

Thank you to our wonderful team, who worked hard, stayed positive, and made lasting impacts on the children and adults they met. Thank you to Ridgecrest Baptist Church for partnering with us in taking the Gospel to the deaf. Thank you to our prayer partners and financial supporters who were a part of this team as they lifted us in prayer each day! 

To God be the glory for all that He has done and will continue to do among the deaf around the world! 

Outreach Update: The deaf shall hear...

Our team is doing well and as of today have had three come to Christ through their sharing, storying, and showing the Jesus film! Praise the Lord for seeds that have been planted and for all that He is beginning to do among the deaf in Southern Africa. These are the most unreached of the unreached, and the Lord is beginning a new work among these people so in need of God's love. 

Please continue joining us in prayer for the team and that God will continue to grant them favor among the leaders in the schools they are working in and that many more will come to Christ as they tell students, teachers, and the community about Jesus for the first time. 

The deaf are hearing of God's love and gift of salvation!!

Students hearing the Gospel message for the first time! Pray that these seeds will take root and that mighty oaks of righteousness will begin to grow among the deaf in Southern Africa. 

For daily updates via email please email theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com. 

Training Report: Botswana Team

Last Saturday we spent the day training our team headed to Southern Africa (Botswana) to work with the deaf people in that area later this month! Our Extreme Adventure Challenge Course is a great way to build team unity, learn each other's strengths and weaknesses, and come together as one unit in preparation for the upcoming trip.

Many of our team members are deaf, and we are excited to see how God uses their gifts to cross cultural barriers and minister to the deaf in Botswana, who in many ways are just like them. We saw clearly as they conquered the ropes course on Saturday that communication comes in many different forms, and when a team has a unified goal, anything can be accomplished.

Please join us in prayer for the team as they prepare to leave. Pray for their families they are leaving at home, for their jobs, for their protection, and for their ministry while they are in Africa.

If you would like to join the prayer update list please email theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com or visit here for a specific prayer guide for the trip: Prayer Guide 

October Outreach Prayer Guide

Join us in praying for team partnering with us from Ridgecrest Baptist Church and First Baptist Church in Midland, TX traveling to South Africa in October. 

If you would like to be on the email list for trip updates and prayer request please email: theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com

Click Here to View & Download the Prayer Guide 

“Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way, say

to those with fearful hearts, “Be

strong, do not fear; your God will

come … Then will the eyes of the

blind be opened and the ears of

the deaf unstopped.”

~Isaiah 35:3-5

Video Friday: Who We Are - Prayer

Prayer is a huge aspect of School to the Nations. Watch a short video about the heart behind this aspect of praying for the nations: 

Who We Are: Prayer 

Like what you see? Share it with friends and family! 

Created and Edited By: 

Matt Douglas and James Copeland

Call to Prayer: International Day 2012

On Thursday August 16th, we are welcoming over 400 International Students from local colleges to our Home Base campus for our annual International Day event. We are so excited at this opportunity to host so many nations literally in our own backyard and hope that this event is a catalyst to many friendships and to many hearts turned towards Christ.

Would you join us in praying for this event? As with any event of this size there are a lot of details and energy that go into making it happen. We hope that this event will fan the flame among the church for the nations. Our prayer is that these students feel at home here and will become connected in some way to a local church or ministry throughout the school year.

Here are some prayer points. Will you join us in covering this event in prayer?

-Pray for great weather on Thursday

-Pray for all the preparations going into Thursday's event

-Pray for the students that will attend, that friendships will be formed and connections made that will outlast the event

-Pray for protection and safety

We truly believe that this event is crucial in the impact of School to the Nations in our local community!

****Look for a recap of this year's event next week here on the blog...complete with pictures!!****