Baptized With Christ
Last month, the Lord brought us an incredible divine appointment with Alex, a contractor I (Naomi) found on Yelp. When we met him for an estimate, Alex’s heart was completely open to the message of the gospel. His first week at church, Alex sat next to Clyde, who used to teach a class for new believers. Clyde is the perfect person to disciple Alex. Zack and I were overjoyed to witness Clyde baptize Alex (pictured above). Alex is growing in his new faith.
Bridges Summer Missions
In the Spring, our National Bridges Prayer Team focused on praying for the Bridges Summer Missions/Retreats. I (Naomi) was encouraged by some specific answers to prayer.
When we prayed for the Yeshotsav Retreat (for Hindu Background Believers) only 20 students had signed up. We asked the Lord in faith for 50, and they had exactly 50 students attend! Here are some responses from participants:
“I was inspired by how people endure their persecutions and are eager to share the gospel with their friends and families.”
“The retreat was truly transformative. I had the opportunity to connect with many inspiring individuals, and their stories were incredibly powerful. The experience left me feeling deeply moved and strengthened in my faith.”
“Now I see I’m not the only one.”
The Lord also answered our prayers for the Vancouver missions team (pictured above). They initiated 512 spiritual conversations and shared the gospel with 102 students. They saw seven students indicate decisions for Christ!
Theater of the Mind
God is powerfully at work among Middle Eastern students. They frequently have dreams and visions of Jesus, and experience other miracles that point them to Christ. But it’s difficult to share their stories with you––especially using videos and other media. Persecution from relatives and government officials causes serious security challenges. So, Naomi and I (Zack) are working on a solution for this: a fictional audio drama podcast based on true stories.
We will create this by adapting stories of supernatural experiences that led someone to Christ. Personal details will be altered to protect the identity of believers. By delivering these stories through a podcast, people from the Middle East can listen privately, anywhere. Currently, I am gathering stories from our field staff and working these into a script. Then, I will work with actors to record a pilot episode and test it out.
Praise Reports
• Alex got baptized and plugged into a great church.
• 50 Hindu Background Believers attended the retreat.
• 7 students came to Christ in Vancouver.
Prayer Requests
• Alex’s wife and daughter would come to know Jesus.
• HBBs would continue to grow in their faith and fellowship
• God would guide our Audio Drama project.
• Many would come to Christ through the Bridges Sydney Summer Mission (July 11-27) and the participants would become life-long laborers for Christ.