Urgent, Critical, Top Priority from Tokyo to Cape Town

This past summer at the Global Mission Consultation in Tokyo, Japan, evangelical missionary leaders from around the world gathered to discuss a strategy for fulfilling Christ's Great Commission in our generation.  Dr. Paul Eshleman, vice-president of Campus Crusade for Christ and founder of the JESUS film project outlined the top ten essential priorities for the church to make disciples of every unreached people group in our generation.  He repeated the priorities at the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in October.  Here are the top five:

#5  Church Planting
#4  Reaching Oral Learners
#3  Increasing Evangelization, with a focus on Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus
#2  Engaging the unengaged people groups
#1  Scripture translation

Eshleman declared, "Scripture translation is the #1 priority throughout the world because it’s impossible to do ministry without a Biblical foundation."

We agree!  This is one reason why we are going to Tanzania.  Our passion is to equip Tanzanians to translate the Bible into their own languages and then make disciples of their nation.


Resources:
http://www.tokyo2010.org/
http://www.missionfrontiers.org/pdf/2010/04/10-11.pdf
watch the video at:
http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/11455

Countdown...

Tootsie Rolls for all

 Our kids can smell tootsie rolls.  Every Sunday at church there's an elderly gentleman who hands out tootsie rolls to all the children.  Last week he walked into nursery and dropped a few tootsie rolls on the counter.  Ellie immediately stopped what she was doing and said, "Mommy I have one of those?"  Jeannette replied, "those are not for babies."  (No, we do not give tootsie rolls to our two year olds)  Ellie raised her hands and declared with all her heart, "those candies are for all peoples!"

Yeah, it's kinda like the gospel. 

This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.  --  Matthew 24:14
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.  --  Romans 1:16
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.  --  Romans 15:20
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.  --  I Thessalonians 2:8

10 percent

 God has graciously, miraculously provided 10 percent of our needed financial support!  It has been so humbling and exciting to see God kindling a passion in people's hearts for Bible translation and the people of Tanzania.  Thank you to all those who have joined our team as prayer and financial partners.  You are a vital part in this mission.

We are praying that God will provide the rest of our financial support by June of 2011 so that we can go to Dallas for advanced linguistics courses.  Please pray for us.