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Thank you so much for your support and your prayers as we headed with a team of 19 Americans and 1 Canadian into the mountains on the southern border of Poland. After a three summers with no English camps, we were not sure what to expect heading to a new facility with nearly all first-time attendees.

Our camper consisted of Poles and Ukrainian refugees, approximately half-and-half. Translation into 2 languages is extremely time-consuming, so most English and Bible Reading classes were divided into Ukrainian or Polish students. This left many shared, all-camp activities in the mornings and evenings. The camp was smaller than some with about 95 students (130 with Americans and translators). This size was wonderful as it allowed us to meet and get to know nearly every student at some point throughout the week.

God answered prayer in miraculous ways this week. The entire spirit of the camp was God-filled. It was clear that God was preparing hearts before the campers stepped into the facility. There was complete openness to discussing spiritual things almost from the start. Many Ukrainians have lost homes, family members, and all sense of security. Many of the children have lived without their fathers for more than a year. Most of us here in America live with a false belief that peace and security in the norm in this world. The Ukrainian refugees came to the camp with an acute understanding that true peace and security cannot be guaranteed by anything this world has to offer.

The results of the camp were astonishing. Of the 75 adult and teen campers, 34 (nearly half) indicated on their surveys that they had made a decision to accept Christ during the week. We do not know how many started the week as believers, so when we heard this number we were brought to tears.

I intend to stop praying prayers too small for an infinitely powerful and loving God, so I went into this week asking–not just to reach the lost–but for God to transform unbelievers into missionaries and disciple-makers. Mid-week, God blessed me with a conversation with a Polish teenager. He pulled me aside and asked, “My girlfriend isn’t a Christian. I’ve started a Bible Study with her, but I am wondering if you have any ideas how I can help her become a believer.”

I asked him, “Do you have 6-10 other friends who are unbelievers who you think need Jesus? What would you think about inviting the entire group to your Bible study? This could be a more effective environment both for your girlfriend and also introduce the others to Jesus.”

His face lit up. “Oh,” he said, “and I could use the same kind of Bible study we were are doing here at the camp!”

“Great idea.” I replied, shocked that God’s Spirit had given him the very idea I was about to suggest.

“Thank you,” he said earnestly. “I am going to do it!”

Amazing. Please pray with me that this young man follows through and God uses him to reach other teens.

This is one story. If you talked with our team, I am sure there would be 95 other stories of God’s goodness and grace as he reached the hearts of both unbelievers and believers alike. If you’d like to hear any more, feel free to reach out to Mary and myself.

Again, thank you for your prayers and financial support. God shows up when we ask him. I believe he can’t wait to show his love and power when we request the impossible and step forward in faith together as his body.

Your partners in ministry.

Mike and Mary

This year, I am writing this letter from the airport in Amsterdam. After a 3-year “break” due to COVID and a war in Ukraine, Mary and I are heading back to Poland to leading a Family English Camp.

This year we have a smaller team with about 20 Americans, but we also have a smaller facility and camp this year. We expect a total of about 125 attendees with approximately 50% Polish and 50% Ukrainian refugees. Most of the Ukrainian refugees are attending on scholarships provided by American churches and team members.

Mary and I will be leading a great team from the Twin Cities, Iowa, and a team member from Canada. Mike will be sharing worship-time teaching with another team member each morning and evening. With a smaller team, we will likely be doing less administrative work which will free us up to lead small groups and English classes.

Our trip dates are June 29 (yesterday) through Tuesday, July 11. Here are some thing you can be praying for.

• Team unity: “By this will everyone know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:35
• That God will give each of us boldness to speak and the words to communicate
• That God will bring the people he wants to reach with the gospel
• That God will use this trip to build his kingdom and raise up future disciple-makers in Poland

Thank you for partnering with us through prayer. Mary and I show up in Poland, but only God can change the hearts of those attending. We are aware that God works in response to your prayers.

Thank you for your prayers and support as we traveled to Poland this year to work with Ukrainian refugees. It has taken a few weeks to gather our thoughts regarding our trip to Poland this year. We expected it to be a different kind of trip than our typical Family English Camp, and it was exactly that. We made a plan, but as we arrived in Głogów, even our Polish hosts were unsure how the week would unfold. Our time was filled with unplanned changes, uncertainty, and challenges. It was also a wonderful week where God showed up and we could see his hand clearly leading, empowering, and impact the lives of individuals.

The Sunday before we left for Poland, pastor Meyer’s message was, “If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.” This became the theme of the week for us. Peter could not walk on water without trusting Jesus and then walking away from the safety of the boat. Our week was filled unpredictability and uncertainty. Every day brought new challenges. We had team members who were sidelined by sickness. Half the team’s luggage, including most of our children’s ministries supplies did not arrive until the end of the week. Most days, our plan was unknown or would change significantly throughout the day. This was often uncomfortable, uncertain, or even caused some fear. But we decided to follow God, do whatever work was put before us, and step back allowing him to do the rest.

Many of the Ukrainians in Poland are women and children. Most men stayed back to defend their country. Our team of 23 Americans partnered with both Polish and Ukrainian believers and put together multiple ministries for different age groups. We hosted a VBS for 85 Ukrainian and Polish children ages 6-11. Every day included English class, Bible teaching, a skit, art, lunch, and—of course—outdoor activities for the kids. We also created a day-camp for 45 Polish and Ukrainian teens. In addition, we hosted arts and craft projects for Ukrainian women.

We had a wonderful team that stood together in unity through a difficult and unpredictable week. Leading a team of mature believers allowed Mary and I more time to focus on the ministry opportunities God put before us. We were able to spend many hours with a group of Ukrainian believers, teaching and training them in Equip2Counsel tools. We also taught a group of Ukrainian women Biblical truth combined with practical tools around grieving loss, dealing with anxiety, and freedom through forgiveness. We are so grateful to have met these beautiful people who are dealing with the loss of nearly everything they know and even loved ones. They are hurting but resilient people, and it was humbling to be served by men and women who are themselves in such great need.

It is difficult to ascertain the eternal results of our trip, but we did see God’s hand at work throughout our week. Darwin Anderson, the president of International Messengers, says that there are two most important measures of success. (1) Did you give God time for relationship? (2) Did you do the things that God asked you to do throughout the week? On these two counts, the trip was a success! We worked hard, followed God even when it was uncomfortable (which was often), and grew in our relationship with him. Though it is difficult for us to quantify the impact of our work, the people who had an opportunity to encounter God this week will be dispersed throughout Europe and the world. We continue to pray that God uses our work and these Ukrainians to bring his message along with them.

Thank you again for your prayers and financial support. Mary and I continue to consider other opportunities to serve overseas and will keep you posted as God provides additional clarity and guidance.

Dear Prayer Partners:

Many of you know that Mary and I are leading a team to Poland once again this summer. With COVID restrictions hindering travel for many, it has been 3 years since we have been able to take a team on a missions trip. This spring, just as we were finalizing plans for a Family English Camp in Poland, the invasion of Ukraine was launched. In just a few weeks, an estimated 4 million Ukrainians poured into Poland. As we talked with Pastor Z and his wife Edyta, we all agreed that the greatest need was no longer an English camp. Instead, God redirected our efforts to serve and encourage the displaced Ukrainians now living in Głogów, Poland.

Pastor Z and his wife Edyta along with the entire church have been working tirelessly for months to provide shelter, find homes, secure employment, and even file official paperwork. It is a very difficult time for the Ukrainian women and children who have left their homes, husbands, fathers, friends, and families, and now must live in a foreign culture. Many lost both loved ones and homes to the violence. So, Pastor Z and Edyta have invited our team to host a VBS for children and a youth day-camp for teens. These events will primarily be for Ukrainian refugees but will also include some Polish children and teens.

It has been a wild couple of months planning this trip. After many years of running well-defined English Camps, we needed to create an entirely different plan from scratch, knowing little about what will transpire during our trip. For example, even one week ago did not know whether we would have 20 or 80 children attending the VBS program. We are beginning to pack our bags this weekend, and there are still so many unknowns. Dr Kevin Meyers, our pastor, taught from the story of Peter walking on water. As we get on this airplane this week, many of us are feel the discomfort of God asking us to get out of the boat. God has promised He will lead us and give us all we need as we go.

Here are some of the planned activities our team will be involved in:

• A 6-day VBS for Ukrainian and Polish children ages 6-11
• A 6-day day-camp for Ukrainian and Polish teens, ages 12-16
• Optional Bible Studies for the teens immediately following the day camp
• Several optional crafts for Ukrainian women.
• Teaching for Ukrainian women regarding living heathy and parenting in times of extreme stress
• Dinners in homes, hosted by local Polish families (both believers and unbelievers)
• Evening Equip2Counsel seminars for the Polish church and community

There will be 21 team members flying into Warsaw, Poland and traveling by bus to Głogów. Our trip dates are this Wednesday, June 29 – Wednesday, July 13. As you can see, it will be an extremely busy week with team members serving in multiple locations throughout the day. Each day will likely bring surprises and changes to plans. We are trusting that God already has a perfect plan that will accomplish His perfect will, somehow through us—an imperfect team of Jesus’ followers.

Here are some prayer requests:

• Team unity: “By this will everyone know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:35
• That God will give each of us boldness to speak and the words to communicate
• That God will bring the people he wants to reach with the gospel
• That God will use this trip to build his kingdom and bring hope to the Ukrainian people
• That this week will be a time of peace, hope, and joy for the Ukrainian kids, teens, and women

God had so much more planned for this trip than we could have ever organized. From the time we stepped off the plane in Beirut, God began to use Mary and I to do His work. So much happened in 10 short days that we are amazed at God’s sovereignty and his goodness. We are so thankful for your prayers.

There were times we saw God work in ways we expected through counseling, teaching, etc. But there were also times when individuals surprised us by saying things like, “I thank God you came. You did ____ in my life.” Mary and I were left wondering, “Really? What did we do that would help in that way?” We could only say, “Praise God. He did this in your life, not us.” It just reminded us that God’s sovereignty is so far beyond us and he can use us even when we are not aware of what he is doing.

Because we spend a lot of time counseling individuals, we do not always share specifics. But here are some of the highlights of the trip:

• Lebanon has suffered about 800% inflation. Yes, that is correct: 1,500 LBP was worth $1.00 a year ago. Today it is worth about 12 cents. The government has frozen most personal bank accounts, attempting to artificially prop up the currency. Despite this, the Lebanese believers were incredibly welcoming and generous. It was humbling to be served and receive so much generosity from a people in such deep financial crisis.
• We met with believers, missionaries, and ministers from Lebanon, Egypt, Germany, and Romania. We also met with native Syrians and Iraqis ministering and living in Lebanon. We saw God use these times together to minister and encourage our brothers and sisters in Lebanon. In the past year, these believers have started 2 schools for refugees, food distribution to needy families, and so many other ministries.
• The conference was held Monday – Thursday, from 2pm to about 8pm each day. Coronavirus, infrastructure, and cultural differences brought us many opportunities to be flexible. At first it was quite stressful, but we decided to trust God through the hour-by-hour adjustments. God did not disappoint. As we look back on the week, we can see how He used many of these inconveniences to shape the week just as he wanted it.
  For example, on Thursday we planned to do one-on-one sessions with each attendee but did not have enough private meeting spaces. We had no power in the facility the entire day but continued with laptops, cellular data, and cellphone flashlights. The darkness created a sense of separation for each private counseling session even though most shared the same room. We hoped for working electricity, but God used this power outage to enable His work!
• Mary had such a great ministry. God used her in powerful ways, and the Lebanese people were drawn to her. She had many opportunities to listen, counsel, and encourage.
• We asked you to pray for unity. We experienced unity with a team from 3 countries. God is good. Thanks to Burgi Ohler (Germany) and Jennifer Nagy (Poland), who both worked selflessly with our team, even though they were unable to travel and attend in-person.
• We asked you to pray for healing for the conference attendees. The attendees came with great needs but open hearts. We saw many take great strides toward healing from past trauma. Attendees learned about the power of forgiveness to bring healing. They also received tools and individual counseling to help them process fear and anxiety in a healthier way. It typically takes a few weeks to hear back from individuals how God is bringing change.
  One young man received help for a nearly debilitating anxiety. He knew the anxiety was irrational but still felt powerless in certain situations. Two days after the conference, he shared how he stepped into this same situation and experienced very little stress. Praise God!
• We asked you to pray for God to raise up ministers in Lebanon to continue to use these tools to bring healing to the Lebanese church and people even after we left. The final chapter has not yet been written, but we left confident that the leaders understood the tools. Most had an opportunity to practice the tools in sessions with conference attendees. We will offer to continue to support this effort remotely via online tools like Zoom.

We are so thankful for what we saw God do. We have learned we are only one part of the team: As we see God’s hand at work, He is answering the prayers of our partners around the world. We have the privilege of being on the ground doing the work, but those of you who are faithfully praying for us will—for sure—share in the reward. I look forward to a time in glory when I imagine Jesus will open the books, explain how each person impacted a life through prayer or financial gifts or ministry, and honor all who faithfully played their part as lead by the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for being our partners in this Kingdom work. Please continue to remember our brothers and sisters in Lebanon in your prayers. Ask God to keep them pure and holy, using them to reach the hurting and lost people of Lebanon!

Mike and Mary

It has been a long day, but Mary and I have a few minutes this evening to send you a short update and a few prayer requests.

We have spent most of this week with the Nations Desire Church here in Lebanon. Four International Messengers’ staff attend this church. It has been such a blessing to get to know the heart of this body. Friday was Lebanon’s “Labor Day.” The church drove to a private park in the mountains for a picnic. About 35 from this small church were at the park from about 11am to 9pm. The setting was beautiful, and the food was delicious, but it was so humbling to see this body interact with the community. About 8 (25%) of the attendees were invited from a battered women’s shelter in town. They were welcomed and included in every activity. One young woman from the shelter told us, “This church treats me like family. It is my family.”

Of course, there were other families at the park. 3 men from the Druze community sat at a table in the middle of our group and began to smoke and drink hard alcohol. Many of the church stopped and introduced themselves to these young men. One young man from the church was about the same age. He spent at least 6 hours talking and building a friendship with these young guys. Before leaving they exchanged phone numbers and plan to follow up at a later time.

Fadia is our host at the apartment where we are staying. She talks to everyone she meets. At this park there was a woman who was selling tickets for entry to the privately owned park. Fadia began to talk to her about Jesus. The woman decided to accept Christ as her personal savior. After praying with this woman, Fadia asked Mary if she would come and pray with this woman. What a privilege to be a small part in this woman’s spiritual journey to God.

Praises:

• Mary has had many opportunities to minister and pray with women. Many immediately trust Mary and tell her their entire story. She prays with authority, and has used this gifting several times already this week.
• I (Mike) was invited to preach this morning. It was such a blessing and a privilege. If anyone would like to watch the message, follow this link to the video.
• So many 5-minute opportunities to minister and encourage. So thankful for the ways the church here has ministered to us.
• Encouraged as we spend time with this small body of Christ working boldly in this difficult country and culture.

Prayer Requests:

• There seems to be a simple cold running through the church. Mary and I would prefer not to share in this fellowship during the conference. 🙂 Please pray that we will stay healthy.
• Mike’s trigeminal neuralgia (face pain) is flaring up a bit.
• Please pray for the conference starting tomorrow. If you have ever traveled on a missions trip, you know that things are never as neat and tidy as you envisioned them. Please pray for us to be patient, listening to the Holy Spirit’s direction, and boldly obedient.
• That God will raise up gifted men and women to use the tools to bring ongoing counseling and healing to the Lebanese people long after we leave.

Thanks again for your prayer and partnership in this ministry.

It has been nearly 20 months since we have been able to travel on a mission’s trip. In the past year it feels like we have hardly been able to leave the house. It seems almost surreal to be packing for a mission’s trip to Lebanon. But the opportunity is significant, and we are looking forward to reconnecting with our ministry partners in Lebanon.

We appreciate your prayers as we travel. Here is our itinerary:

Prayer requests:

A couple of weeks ago, Mary and I received an unexpected invitation from some missionary friends in Beirut, Lebanon. Anthony and Elie have been on staff with International Messengers for about 5 years. These young men are Lebanese nationals who serve the Lord faithfully in their home country. God has given them a heart for their country. They lead a small team of national missionaries who work to bring the gospel while they meet physical and practical needs.

Anthony reached out to us and invited us to come and share tools for helping survivors of trauma. This is an area of counseling where God has given Mary and I understanding and gifting. Lebanon is in a state of economic and political crises. This small country with less than 7 million citizens has experienced an influx of more than 1.7 million refugees, mostly from neighboring Syria. The huge fertilizer explosion last year was followed by the worldwide pandemic, creating further instability. Inflation in 2020 was 85%, creating even more hardship for the poor and middle class of Lebanon.

International Messengers has been partnering with the local church in Lebanon. The massive refugee population in this small country is both a crisis and an opportunity for the gospel. Many of these displaced people will return to countries which have been unreached for many generations. International Messengers’ ministries reach out to both the Lebanese people and refugees living in Beirut. In this volatile, war-torn region, countless individuals have survived traumatic events. For many of the children and youth, crisis has been a constant companion. It is a challenge to bring real and lasting healing to individuals.

Mary and I have partnered with Jennifer Nagy, an extremely gifted missionary living in Warsaw, Poland. Ben and Burgi Ohler, leaders of International Messengers in this region, also hope to join us and work with us. We are planning to travel between April 26 and May 9, 2021. As a team, we have the following 2 goals for this conference:

1. Work with a small group of survivors of traumatic events, offering teaching and individual counseling to bring God’s healing.
2. Work with a hand-picked group of Lebanese believers to give them tools and training so they can continue to help hurting, traumatized individuals as an ongoing ministry.

We are planning to hold weekly training meetings (via Zoom) for the next 5 weeks to help prepare our Lebanese partners for this ministry. The conference is an opportunity to further train and mentor the local church while bringing real healing to hurting individuals.

Of course, none of this is possible without the wisdom and healing of the Holy Spirit. We have crafted a ministry plan that we believe will have a significant and lasting impact in Lebanon, but we fully understand that only God can bring healing and lasting change to this hurting people. Please pray with us, expecting God to answer these prayers:

• Unity amongst a team from the US, Poland, Cyprus, and Lebanon.
• Ben and Burgi will only be able to travel to Lebanon if they receive a COVID vaccine. Please pray that God eliminates language and cultural barriers and are able to receive this immediately.
• Jennifer Nagy is unable to leave Poland until her residency papers are issued. Please pray with us that this paperwork will be approved and issued quickly so that she is able to join us.
• Pray that the borders will remain open for us to travel.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to do this ministry. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer!

On Friday night, I (Mike) stood before a group of about 170 Polish adults, teens, and children with this message: “God is asking you to give up your hopes and your dreams and even your identity. He asks us to die to these things and come follow Him.”

What an absurd marketing pitch! Who would sign on to follow a God who asks us to give up everything we value? The theme verse for this year was Romans 5:8: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God gives back so much more than we could ever possibly give up following Him. As a team, we brought this message through Bible reading, devotionals, worship and singing, personal testimonies, many hours of personal interaction, and by demonstrating God’s love by the way we loved our fellow team members. It was a powerful, unstoppable message.

Each year as the camp draws to a close, our team meets together and reads through the survey results written by the students. There were many surprises, praises, and joyful tears as we learned how God had impacted the students. It was clear to us as we read the feedback that God penetrated the hearts of every student and translator at the camp. Here are some of the results / praises:

• Approximately 35 adults and high school students indicated that they decided to trust Jesus as their Savior during the camp.
• 9-10 pre-teens (ages 10-13) indicated that they made a similar decision during the camp.
• Many students indicated that they really enjoyed the Bible Reading time.
• Several students indicated that they will start to read their Bibles after the camp.
• Many who did not accept Christ indicated that they are going home considering this weighty decision as they leave the camp.

Becky Miller, who has taught at 20+ English camps, shared this with me this morning, “I have never seen this happen at a camp before—every unbeliever in our group accepted Christ this week! It is so wonderful!”

Every single Bible reading group included people who indicated that they accepted Christ this week. What a blessing, and what a confirmation of the countless investments of time, effort, finances, and prayer that went into this week.

We were proud of Josiah who worked hard, built relationships with Polish kids and teens, invested in the other team members and served God faithfully throughout the week. The entire team was an absolute blessing to lead. Our members served faithfully, were transparent, allowed others to help with difficulties or discouragement and loved one another with the love of Christ. This testimony shone so brightly to the campers.

Mary and I walked into the week quite discouraged and exhausted. Many team members shared similar stories of discouragement as we started the camp on Sunday. In a way that only God could do, He used this incredibly busy and exhausting jet-lagged week to encourage, strengthen, reinvigorate, and bring joy to us and to these team members.

For more information, check out the pictures and videos at: FamilyEnglishCamp.PL

As this trip draws to a close, we are looking forward to the next ministry steps. Here are a few things you can continue to pray with us:

• God has not made it clear whether Mary and I will be traveling overseas for ministry this fall. Please pray with us that God will give us a clear answer.
• We will be hosting at least 2 missionaries in our home and providing training in counseling tools this summer / fall. Please pray that God will expand the reach of these tools to more hurting individuals through this training.
• God has moved things forward on the Forgiveness book providing a marketing expert who will help us package the book and design a cover. Please pray with us that this process will continue to move forward.

Thank you again for your financial and prayer partnership!

Mike, Mary, and Josiah

17 years. That is how many consecutive years we have been able to serve in Poland Family English Camps. As we look back, we realize that God has made this unlikely journey possible. Sixteen years ago, we signed up for one camp.  One. We decided to try bringing our kids, and honestly weren’t even even sure this was a great idea. But looking back at all the things God has done, we are so thankful that God has sent us back each year. We see God work in the lives of Poles each year, and nothing has shaped us or our kids more than these missions trips.

Today as we board our flight toward Poland, we are not looking back—but forward to the next two weeks of ministry. Once again, God has been faithful and provided a team of 32 Americans from across the Midwest and from Europe.  Family English Camp starts on Sunday, so the team’s travels will converge Friday evening in Kudowa Zdrój (pronounced Coo-dō-va Zdroo-ey). We will have a couple of days to begin to adjust to jet lag, to finalize planning for the week, and to gel as a team. Anyone who studies team dynamics will know intuitively that 24 hours is not enough time to develop team dynamics, but ironically these relationships are the foundation for our week of ministry. Jesus taught that if we are going to be a light to the lost, we must start by loving one another. The call is not to “tolerate,” or even to “get along.” Jesus said, “They will know you are my disciples by how you love one another.” Christlike love for one another is not only God’s command, but the fuel that ignites the fire in the hearts of the lost.

On Sunday, about 160 Polish campers will show up at the camp. This will include campers of all ages, but we expect a larger number of youth and teens this year. In a typical camp, about 60-70% of the campers would identify themselves as unbelievers. For many, this camp will be the first time they have ever personally opened and read the Bible for themselves. It will be the first opportunity they have to experience a Christ-centered community lead by God’s Spirit. This is why we all do our part by investing our time, our prayer, and our money. These trips give us this rare opportunity to live in this fishbowl environment for a week and introduce Jesus to these wonderful, lost people.

Our trip starts today, and continues through Wednesday, July 10. Thank you for praying with us for the following:

• The enemy seems to be attacking our family through discouragement this year. Pray that we would persevere and experience God’s encouragement as we lead and serve this week.
• That the team would love one another with God’s love as we work together in a challenging and fast-paced environment.
• That many would experience God this week and would want to know more.
• That the enemy would not be able to disrupt our plans by impacting our families, jobs, etc. back home.
• We will be inviting campers to start Bible studies on their own after the camp with their families or friends or coworkers. Please pray with us that some campers would catch this vision and begin Bible studies within their own communities.

Thank you again for partnering with us in prayer!

Mike, Mary, and Josiah