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October/November 2022
703-652-iBAM (4226) | ibam.org
Thriving Kingdom Businesses Engaging in Thriving Disciple-Making Ministry
PROGRESS THROUGH ADVERSITY GOD IS ALWAYS PROVIDING
Today, small businesses are experiencing a drought, especially in other countries. They are in a desert as the lingering effects of COVID-19 and political strife severely impact them economically. Because of this, it’s difficult to visit these countries and help disciples make Kingdom Building businesses. But even with these hardships, we’re making progress through adversity — seeing the blessings of God as He shows His Grace in Tibet, Zambia, and Ukraine.
what we started. I’m happy to announce that we are now in the process of funding our students’ businesses so they can impact their communities and create more disciples. Still Standing With Ukraine A political war continues in Ukraine. Our partners have made tremendous efforts to put a small bandage on a massive wound, but their funds are quickly draining. Businesses, homes, and churches are now ashes and smoke. It’s horrendous to hear the horror stories from our students and see pictures of areas we’ve grown to love now destroyed. But not all hope is gone. We have two farmers who stayed in Ukraine to provide for their communities, and their businesses are booming. After borrowing money from us five months ago, they’ve paid back every penny. They are now expanding to support more people in their community. The lingering effects of COVID-19 and political hardships may have prevented us from traveling to these countries to conduct training. However, we’re still providing for our students and partners because of God’s grace. Through God — and our faith in Him — the number of our Alliance Partners is growing. Our incredible training, coaching, and software are attracting many potential partners. Now, we’re looking forward to working with them and equipping them to use our materials so they can create more disciples, “Kingdom Building” businesses, and share the Good News. We hope to see over 500 disciple-making businesses start in the next five years. There’s still more work to be done as we continue to make progress through adversity. If you want to help, go to IBAM.org/give to donate. All proceeds will go directly to the hands of our partners and students in need. We also want to ask for your prayers in several areas, so please join our prayer ministry at IBAM.org/pray for more information. None of this would be possible without you and your continued support. Thank you for your faith in us as well as your donations and prayers — but most importantly, we’re so grateful for your continued faith in Christ.
Seeing God’s Presence in Tibet Tibet got out of another area-wide quarantine this past August. They keep going in and out of lockdown, making it hard for small-business owners to support their communities. It’s hard for us to have training sessions there because of this. Although it’s been devastating for their economy, several of our partners engaged with Tibetan communities and touched the hearts of children and adults with God’s message. Shining Light Through the Darkness Surrounding Zambia It’s been several years since we’ve worked with our students in Zambia. Before we left, we helped them develop their business plans. But Zambia had a presidential election, and the country went dark for several months as political hardships arose. It felt heartbreaking to see what Zambia suffered through during this turmoil. We wanted nothing more than to help our brothers and sisters during this time, but all we could do was pray and hope that one day, we would finish
-JO.
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BUILDING BRIDGES TO CONNECT MORE PEOPLE TO CHRIST
“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 I started my missionary journey with people in other countries 40 years ago. Romans 15:20 inspired me to understand what God was doing and how I could help Him reach others. I wanted to go to the darkest areas of the world, to the places that needed God the most, but had the least opportunity to hear His message. People in many countries have never heard the story of Jesus, and I knew He called me to fill that gap. So my wife Julie and I raised our family in several other countries as we told and enabled others to share Christ. We moved 15 different times and encouraged hundreds of missionaries on at least 50 different church-planting teams. God even allowed us to live in one of the world’s most restricted and isolated communist countries and share His message with the community. We spent time with the impoverished and starving and learned a foreign language to speak with the hearts of those that had never heard. Explaining the immense lack of resources to my western friends and families is difficult. The work does not just seem hard but impossible.
I began to notice another gap. Although I continuously built bridges to assist others in discovering Jesus in their lives, I wanted to help them impact their communities. These new believers often had no way to provide for themselves or their families, and they didn’t have the means to spread the Good News. This gap deeply disturbed me, and I wanted to find a way to build another bridge. I suddenly knew what was missing: How could I share God’s message but also assist indigenous people while they shared God’s love with others? Thirteen years ago we began building business strategies into disciple making called individuals. iBAM has the best of both worlds. Not only are they reaching people who don’t know God, but they are also equipping people to create businesses. iBAM has been filling in the gaps by sharing the gospel and giving locals an avenue to impact their communities. God called me to work alongside them and build the organization. Now, I’m using my global partnerships, disciplemaking experience, and business training to aid board members, trainers, and alliances as they provide training and resources to the most needed areas in the world. Building bridges and being able to do what God called me to do by working with iBAM has been one of the biggest blessings. In the near future, we launch our next program in the largest Muslim nation in the world. Very economically poor believers risk their lives daily to love their neighbors and proclaim forgiveness of their sins through Christ. There is still work to be done. So please keep iBAM, our
During my time in these places, I faced many challenges and adversities. I’ve been arrested, followed by government agencies, and separated from my family because of my work for extended periods. Most people would think it’s unnerving and stressful to live your life knowing that people are out to get you for sharing God’s true words — but it’s all worth it. God has done so much for us, and I want to help others feel His love and worship Him so they can experience life’s hardships not with regret, but with great hope. Despite the years of service among these peoples, sometimes I felt like I was not doing enough. I felt like something was missing.
trainers, students, and future disciples in your prayers. I’m looking forward to what God has in store for everyone — especially in the countries that His presence will soon touch.
-JS
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FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION BY UNDERSTANDING WHERE GOD CALLED US TO BE
As a young boy, I dreamed of smuggling Bibles across the Iron Curtain. Every day, I would pray that God would use me to spread His message and help those in the Soviet Union discover His grace. Fast forward to today — it seems like part of my dream actually came true. We conduct missionary work in other countries as we fulfill the Great Commission by multiplying leaders, churches, and mission movements among individuals in their communities. The Gospel of Matthew references the Great Commission several times when Jesus urges his apostles to make disciples of all nations. We are obeying Jesus’ purpose by putting Him first, celebrating the Word of God, sharing the Good News with others, and helping churches multiply to reach other nations. I’ve been a disciple maker for 30 years. At first, I worked and lived among those in Ukraine. My wife and I stayed there for 15 years and absolutely loved it — we thought we would be there for the rest of our lives. But God had other plans. I thought God might be saying to me that our
My wife and I continue to work in Central Asia for many years as we work to assist these people with following God’s call and vision. Both Central Asia and Ukraine had one striking thing in common: I got to work with communities who remember when their country was under Soviet Union control. They remember the political and historical hardships they and their families endured. I also helped them find healing through the Word of God — showing them who He is and how He is using them. So, in a way, I am fulfilling the dreams of giving out Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. I thank God for all of the blessings He’s provided. I’m honored to serve Him. I also want to thank God for my wife, Lisa, who joins me on this journey. She has firsthand experience with how serving God and spreading His message in the former Soviet Union can be dangerous. I wouldn’t want to travel and spread His message with anyone else. I look forward to what we’ll do in the future.
work in Ukraine was wonderful, but it’s not where He called us to be forever. Instead, He wanted us to go to Central Asia. At first, I didn’t take the news well because my wife and I spent years developing connections and friendships in Ukraine. We loved helping them find what God is calling them to do and teaching them how to be students of the scripture. But I knew God wouldn’t lead me astray, so I accepted His calling. I thought working in Central Asia would be vastly different from
Ukraine, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Although the language and culture were different, our processes and training remained effective and beneficial. We even had intimate conversations about what God is doing in their lives and how they can use that to find where He is calling them to be.
-EC
Scott Carter serves as a valued Field Worker Partner with iBAM and partners with us in various Central Asian locations to enable disciple-making to take place through local business ownership of called Christian leaders. iBAM partners with various mission agency personnel to facilitate its mission globally.
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give@ibam.org 703-652-iBAM (4226)
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE PO Box 4323, Wheaton, IL 60189
1. Progress Through Adversity
2. How iBAM Helped Fill in the Gaps
3. What Is God Calling You to Do?
4. Why We Do What We Do
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
“Do you guys realize what you’ve done?” a pastor from one of our training programs asked me and Steve one day after a session. Tears filled his eyes, and he seemed overwhelmed with emotions and the presence of God. We’d helped his community create their own
The man cried and asked us this heartfelt question because they’d once been shunned because of their religious beliefs, but now they’re welcomed with open arms. This is mainly due to the benefits they bring to their community. They no longer have to fear being cast out and treated with disdain or hate. Even in times of hardship, it’s incredible to see what God calls us to do and how He uses us to inspire others. Not only this, but now our students have a platform to create new disciples and impact their community in more ways than one. Stories like this explain how important it is for iBAM to visit other countries to train students. This is a shining example of why disciples share God’s message and reach out to others — even in times of fear. Despite how hard it can be at times, these inspirational experiences validate why we must move
forward and follow what God has called us to do. Hearing how God has inspired our students can motivate us. In fact, witnessing God’s work and seeing how He uses us to share the Good News is absolutely amazing. This is why we do what we do. -DK
businesses with a Kingdom Building mindset, and it obviously meant so much to him. Despite that, at first I felt confused by the question. Then, as I thought about what he implied, the full meaning of his words dawned on me. iBAM had trained in a country where Muslims made up most of the population. Christians got treated worse than dogs there. However, if you have a business and contribute to society, you’re elevated within the community — regardless of religious beliefs. The pastor felt delighted that his brothers and sisters of Christ could economically improve their community and share God’s message with others through their businesses.
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