This article was originally published in the January 2018 edition of ITMI Monthly.
Our trip to South Sudan and Uganda was filled with drama and suspense. It was also filled with wonderful ministry and experiencing firsthand the lives changed and futures now hope-filled.
Unless you’ve stood in a rock-strewn dirt floored church in front of 125 South Sudanese women whose faces and body language carry the emotional scars that have come from living in South Sudan, you can’t know the pressure to attempt to meet their expectations to relieve their poverty, pain and emptiness.
You also can’t know the joy that comes from locked in eyes, heads nodding in agreement and even smiles as God’s Word and His Spirit touch both their heads and their hearts with truth that will free them from part of their daily prison.
Steve trains 125 women on Biblical finance.
One elderly lady had Lazarus call me over during a break in the teaching. With deep determination, she looked me straight in the eyes, “Where have you been??”
“Excuse me??”
“Where have you been?” she repeated.
She explained that since the inception of this young country there has been a constant stream of organizations coming to South Sudan to “train” and “teach” the needy people business principles and practices, “…but none of them are even close to as helpful as the teaching you have given us here today.”
Vicky translates for Steve as he gives 125 women Biblical truth from the SALT financial training.
SALT principles for life and, in this case, specifically for Financial Freedom really is the truth that will lift these people and their society out of their unbiblical cultural practices.
Looking Ahead...
Piotr Zaremba will be in the States for most of the month of February.
If you want to know what God is doing since he finished and published the first evangelical translation of the Bible in Polish, please call the office and see if he is available for your home group, Sunday School class or even a personal meeting with you.
ITMI's Dr. Piotr Zaremba, Poland
If you haven’t met Piotr, you have really missed a treat. Piotr is one of the main reasons I became involved with ITMI, over 19 years ago.
It was meeting him in his home in Poland with my father and Bill Bathman that God used to show me how special our brothers and sisters who were born and raised in the Communist countries really are.
I invite you to see for yourself how special Piotr is.
Our Timothy Keller has really fallen into a great problem in Zambia. You see, there is a huge and well known credibility issue with police and military in most of Africa. Too little pay drives them to use their badges and positions to take what they want from those that have little to no ability to push back.
For the last year, Tim has been opening God’s Word and teaching police from all levels biblical truths and world view. Now he has been asked by a high ranking official in the Zambian police department to provide this training for those higher up.
For the last year, Tim has been opening God’s Word and teaching police from all levels biblical truths and world view.
To say that God opened a door that had previously been sealed shut is an understatement.
The Zambian church has, for the most part, ignored the police mission field, due to the deep hurt and mistrust between all parties.
Now, Tim’s use of God’s Word has brought tears to the eyes of many a police person when they finally realize the damage of their ways and the spiritual needs that they carry.
I have been in all of our partners’ homes and communities. I have seen first hand the myriad of needs created by generations of living apart from God. I couldn’t go without you.
Tim and Piotr could not serve without you. ITMI could not send the message without you.
Thank you, all, for just going with us to South Sudan. Thank you, all, for being with Piotr and Tim and all the ITMI partners…we are in this together and we will see new faces and smiles when we all get to Glory!
In His Service,
About the Author
Steve Evers
has advocated for and served the ITMI partners as ITMI Director since 2001. Approximately once a year, Steve visits with ITMI partners in their countries and brings stories back to encourage supporters. Steve enjoys photography and mechanics, (both hobbies that have greatly benefited ITMI partners!) Prior to becoming ITMI's Director, Steve served on the Board of Directors for 4 years. Steve lives in Arizona with his wife, Darlene.
