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History of the Missions Training Institute in Mexico
Gateway in Review, 1998
TO:
Gateway Missions Center supporters
FROM: Seth Barnes
RE: The year in review
I just returned from Mexico
last night. I was on hand to see a beautiful sight: 34 Mexican students
graduating from our missions center!
What a year it has been. At
the beginning of the year, many of the students traveled to the Gateway
without enough money even for bus fare. They had no idea what lay ahead
of them. All they knew was that they felt God had called them to a life
of ministry and that they were prepared to live by faith.
When they arrived at the Gateway,
there were no buildings for them. They had to share space with the American
short-term missionaries who regularly came through. Frictions were inevitable:
Some of our staff wondered if indeed God was really calling us to this
kind of ministry. Others were alarmed that, while living by faith, the
students weren't getting enough to eat. Some of the students struggled
academically. All were challenged by the rigorous spiritual disciplines
required of them. The bold faith which their regular outreaches require
intimidated some.
In June, the students had
to move out of their temporary quarters to make room for the wave of summer
short-term groups. On top of this, we experienced some turnover with our
professors. We had to scrounge for resources of all kinds. A couple of
times, misunderstandings among our staff were so profound that they threatened
to derail the whole ministry.
But over time we began to make
progress and even to see some incredible fruit. I learned that thousands
were coming to Christ during the students' outreaches. Each student was
responsible for keeping track of the people they led to Christ, the followup
visits in which they engaged and the Bible studies they led. Although
only at the end was I able to get some fairly reliable statistics, they
had 12 months of record keeping to which they could point.
When the final numbers were
totaled, 11,600 had come to Christ through their efforts! That's approximately
350 people per student! On top of that, the students are now preparing
to start new ministries around Mexico in 13 different locations on a faith
basis.
Although a number of people
generously supported the construction of the students' building, a few
ministry partners actually helped underwrite the cost of food, transportation
and scholastic costs for individual students. One couple regularly gave
$60 a month - sponsoring a student for much of the year. What a return
on their investment: 350 people professing faith in Christ, the training
of a national missionary and the planting of a new church!
With such a whirlwind year
behind them, the students were understandably jubilant at the graduation
ceremony. They looked great in rented tuxes and long white dresses. They
beamed as their names were called out and the audience clapped. Afterwards,
many of them sought me out to earnestly give me their heartfelt thanks.
Many of you have made all this
possible with your prayers and gifts. What looked like an impossibility
to the world in January became a reality because you dared to believe
with us in a God of the impossible. Please know how much we appreciate
you. Thank you for stepping out in faith with us.
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