Dear All,
Wednesday’s Bottom Line:
Our “Go Nepal!” team members are finally on their way east! They will land in Kathmandu on Thursday morning local time (Wednesday night MO time) and meet up with Scott in D on Friday. There, everybody will hit the ground running with Saturday church services, a two-day DM Summit, and the three-day youth camp over the next week. WOW! While our Faithful Five have been airborne, Scott, already in D, was leading a successful DM Coaches Summit there.
Wednesday’s Prayer Requests:
- Our “Go Nepal!” team’s remaining travel and adjustment in-country to go smoothly. Nepal is 11 hours, 45 minutes ahead of us, and that adjustment is hard on one’s physical body. Pray for great grace for our team as they arrive in Nepal and then fly on to D.
- For Scott’s meeting on Thursday or Friday with the family of the Hindu lady and her 2 year-old daughter that were on his planes from Dallas to Doha to Kathmandu; specifically, for her and her husband’s hearts to be open to the gospel!
- For all those in new and existing Nepali DM groups to clearly understand that what they are experiencing as they become disciple-makers is primarily NOT for them, but for the others God wants them to disciple.
- Great health for all six of our team members!
Wednesday’s Details:
International travel is often not easy, and it can be quite challenging. As I type this, our Faithful Five are in the middle of a very long journey. If I’ve done the math correctly, the total time from their departure in Springfield, Missouri till they meet up with Scott in D will be about 33 hours. That is grueling, no matter how you slice it, and jet lag is a real thing, so they are depending on our prayers.
As to the DM Coaches Summit in D, which just concluded, I will now try my best to give you a SHORT explanation.
Each disciple-makers (DM) group, whether in the US or abroad, has a trained leader, which we call a coach, and several group members, usually about 6 to 10. These groups are not casual; they are for the fully committed who really want to become disciple-makers, and they’re pretty intense, involving daily personal Bible reading and prayer, daily Bible study homework, and weekly memory verses and accountability, as well as the weekly 90-minute group meeting.
Coaches have numerous responsibilities. Not only do they facilitate the weekly group meetings, they also do lots of background work to connect with, encourage, and mentor their disciples, and they continually strive to expand the disciple-making process to others.
Once or twice a year, all the DM group members and coaches in a region come together for a one- or two-day in-person “DM Summit,” a time of encouragement, instruction, ministry, and fun. They get to interact with others who are all going through the same disciplines, challenges, and joys, and they leave built up and read to press forward on the path toward leading their own DM groups.
In addition to DM Summits, each region also holds a periodic DM Coaches Summit where all the coaches to gather for a more in-depth time of advanced training and powerful ministry specifically designed for their needs. We are continually amazed by how wonderfully the Holy Spirit guides these Coaches Summits.
Well, that wasn’t very short.
But hopefully you now know what’s involved when I say that while our Faithful Five have been in the air, Scott was leading a DM Coaches Summit in D with our current 11 DM coaches in Nepal. Samuel has been the key leader in western Nepal, and here are the folks who have been in his DM group(s) and who are now coaching their own groups. (The guy seated in the middle does coach groups, but he doesn’t live in Nepal.)
Our DM coaches in Nepal, Samuel top right
These fine coaches are all raising disciple-makers in western Nepal, in areas around D where Samuel lives. As a result of the connections God gave Scott at the nationwide pastors conference last week, we are hoping to establish “outposts” (beginnings of disciple-makers movements) in areas in eastern parts of Nepal as well.
Samuel really has the same heart as Scott and is passionate about and very dedicated to raising disciple-makers. Scott has visited him and his family on numerous trips to Nepal and has a special place in his heart for Samuel’s children. He likes to bring them gifts.
“Sarah seems to like her bunny rabbit”
And here are a couple cultural photos. I’m not sure, but this first one may have been taken during the coaches summit. Scott said, “Some things are universal…”
“A two-year old being babysat by a device.
A sad, universal phenomenon.”
And this next one is more fun! Scott said, “This is what our team [those who traveled with him from N to D] had for breakfast.”
Breakfast anyone?
When I asked Scott what it was, he said, “Rice rings. Make a paste of rice porridge and make it into a ring, then deep fry.” Sounds yummy, but I’ll bet most of us did not have rice rings for breakfast today!
However, whenever you do eat YOUR next meal, would you please remember rice rings, let them remind you of our team of soon-to-be SIX on the ground in Nepal, and take a moment to pray for them? I know they all really appreciate your faithful, daily prayers as they each fulfill God’s specific assignments for them on this mission trip. Thank you so much!
Blessings,
Patty