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.
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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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