World Partners Discipleship Stories from Around the World
A very special family reunion just happened in Asia! A World Partners staff member serving in Europe just returned from there and visited with his spiritual children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren! A significant disciple-making movement began in this closed country when the staff person’s disciple, living temporarily in Europe, began regular Zoom meetings with his sister back in their home country. The sister began meeting regularly with a small group to pass on what she was learning through her brother. A few years later, the brother has returned home, where a vibrant movement is in full swing!
The staff person was excited to meet with his disciple, now a World Partners affiliate, along with the third and fourth generations of the family. He states, “Today a number of indigenous teams have formed around the country, and the Good News is being shared among various unreached people groups. Just last week, eighteen people came to Christ from an unreached group, with a dozen baptized!”
In Spain, Rebecca and Dave Bumpus are preparing to host their annual Bike Blessing, which will take place on April 29. Motorcycles and missions might seem like a strange combination, but God is using the Bumpuses’ ministry in a Christian biker’s club, Tribe of Judah, to continue building relationships with bikers from other local clubs that they believe will one day expand God’s Kingdom. In recent years, hundreds of bikers have attended to receive the blessing.
In Asia, a World Partners staff member and his ministry partner have been intentionally building a relationship with their former guard for over a year. This friendship, which is now four years old, has become strong enough that the staff member recently gave the guard a New Testament Bible that they could read together. The staff member reported, “It was a bit awkward at first as we went to a café and the couple sitting next to us were holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes. We started reading in the guard’s native language then followed with our English Bibles.” The guard would ask the staff member questions to make sure he really understood what he was reading. The staff member stated, “It was very exciting to see him read about Jesus for the first time. Now he is truly curious about who this Jesus really is. He called a few days later and wanted to meet again. This time he said that we would read two chapters!”
In Uruguay, Daniel, a disciple of World Partners staff member Job Grain, has grown significantly in his time with Job and is now attending seminary and leading in ministry with his wife. Daniel recently took Job to meet with a family of migrants who were in great need. Job states, “With the help of God and other colleagues, we managed to provide for them. We prayed with them on the spot. Due to this support, the mother came to know Christ and due to the support they saw she had, a daughter and grandchildren became Christians. We continue to support them. God bless Daniel, who managed to help a family be restored to hope in Jesus.”
Photo: Photo from a Previous Bike Blessing