10 Things Access Partners is Thankful for This Year
Then Samuel took a stone…and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
We have many reminders of how the Lord has helped us in our work this past year.
God placed resources on our path when we needed them most. He was with us at every turn as we sought to be faithful to the Great Commission, and along the way we have many “ebenezers” to point to. Here are a few.
A Replicable Business
Two years, 12 volunteers, 1 business director, and five partner churches. God used this combination of resources so that we could launch one more business in the 10/40 window this year. Lord willing, it will support six, maybe seven church planters in the next few years. We are also grateful because the business model lends itself to potential replication in other areas of Central Asia.
Church Partnerships
We are not able to do our work without our partnerships with local churches. This year, our partner churches have sent their members to AP trips abroad, funded a startup business, and have offered needed advice on a number of our projects. Their willingness to help us as we support the people in the field is overwhelming and humbling.
Faithful Co-Laborers
Our friends in the 10/40 window are our heroes. We can say “it is not easy to serve as a church planter in these countries,” but they can show you why that statement is true. They face disappointment, medical problems, the loss of loved ones, persecution, and death, yet their joy in the Lord remains. We have learned so much through their example.
100 Church Planters
Our team set a goal of supporting 100 church planters by the end of 2010. In God’s sovereign kindness, we were able to achieve that goal ahead of schedule in 2009.
Safety
We’ve had the pleasure of traveling to Central Asian countries to work with BAM (Business-as-Mission) companies and church planters. Not all travel destinations are safe, but by God’s grace, we have been able to conduct our business without direct threats or harm to the people working on a particular project. We are grateful that we have been able to complete the objectives of our trips in a safe and productive manner.
10/40 Pioneers
We launched a monthly donation program called the “10/40 Pioneers” this year and we are grateful for all the donations that came in – large and small. It is these very donations that provide us with the opportunity to help bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Pro-bono Staff
Since January, we have counted approximately 2,400 donated hours from friends who worked on different AP projects. Several pro bono administrators, industry experts, and business consultants have passed through our doors this year. We recognize we could not have paid for the high caliber of support we received from volunteers each month.
A Growing Network
More people are growing in their interest in Business as Missions (BAM) strategies. This year, we talked to business owners, expatriates in the 10/40 window, and other industry experts who are open to help us. Lord willing, these connections will help us find more ways for church planters to live in least reached countries.
Business Directors
Without business directors on the field, raising up a successful company is a bigger challenge. It is difficult for church planters to launch and run a successful company while also planting a church. Business directors are people we recruit and send to the field to help with various BAM initiatives. We are especially thankful that we have been able to place business directors on the field and that we have more candidates who are considering placement.
New Believers
In Turkey, there are 3,062 Christians in a country of 72 million people. In Turkmenistan, there are about 2,000 believers out of a population of 4 million. That’s the size of some churches here in DC. These numbers can be discouraging if you didn’t know that in the early 1990s, there were only 540 known believers in Turkey and only 5 known Turkmen Christians.
By God’s grace, there are more people who came to know Christ as their Savior this year compared to the years before. God willing, we will continue to play a small role in helping church planters bring the good news of the gospel to the lost people of Central Asia.
We are grateful that we have the opportunity to see God work in Central Asia—in a remote city, in a church in the suburbs, in a small local government office—He has been faithful and amazing. We count ourselves blessed that we can join Him in the small role we play in sharing the gospel with the lost people of Central Asia.
We have been placed in challenging environments but God has removed the barriers to our progress. While we never take God’s grace for granted, we are also not surprised when He meets us. He is continually providing the funds we need, directing us to the right people to help us, guiding our plans (and changing them!), and sustaining our desire and determination to serve our brothers and sisters in the 10/40 window. As we look back on the year, we also say, “Till now, the Lord has helped us.”