Spain
This article was first published in the January 2019 edition of ITMI Monthly.
A Happy New Year to you and your family!
New Year’s Eve was always an exciting time in the Evers house when we were young. This New Year’s quip pretty much sums it up: “Youth is when you are allowed to stay up late on New Year’s eve. Middle age is when you are…forced to.”
If one does a bit of investigation you can find many New Year’s resolutions and quips that portray many views of this thing called New Year. One such defeatist quote goes like this: “Resolution for 2019 - No expectation…No disappointment!”
Peter Marshall once said, “Small deeds done…are better than great deeds planned.” This is a reminder that our growth in the Lord and in His truth is much better actually “done” than just planned or talked about.
“Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” – Jim Elliott.
Jim did just this. As a young man he was martyred on a river beach landing strip in the remotest part of Peru, seeking to bring Jesus to a tribe that had never heard of God’s love and our hope of redemption.
The great preacher, Charles Finney, once said, “A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.” My desire is that I experience a revival in my own Christian growth this year, and may all who read this, far and near also ask and seek this revival in their lives.
This revival is something that our dear partners so want to bring, with God’s help and merciful grace, to the many tribes and peoples that God has put before them.
ITMI’s Adi and Ema Ban just completed a long weekend marriage and family conference, not in their home country of Romania, but in a Romanian community in Spain.
Adi tells me that there are many thousands of Romanians in Spain. He chuckled as he told me that the neighborhood that he and Ema ministered in felt like a part of Romania as everyone, even those casual bystanders walking down the street, conversed in his mother tongue.
What surprised Adi and Ema during this conference was the deep hunger to know how to be a more godly husband, wife and family.
Adi shares at the family and marriage conference in Madrid.
Adi shared how engaged the conference attendees were, and how personal and serious the “what-if” questions for Adi and Ema were. Many of the couples asked Adi, “…now there is time, are you going to come again before Christmas (that is Christmas 2018)?”
Adi wisely told them that they would need to implement and practice some of the lessons learned and then communicate the results before another level of growth was to be undertaken.
Adi and Ema, ITMI’s other partners in India, Africa, and Eastern Europe, are committed to carefully and faithfully putting the truths of God’s Word out for those that are hungry and ready for revival.
Allow me to encourage you for all your “deeds done” in helping us reach the world with the saving gospel of Jesus. May this 2019 be a time that we recommit our efforts and recommit our obedience to God’s leading and His Great Commission.
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.
