Articles
He Keeps Stealing My Bible.
Nov 29 2024
Introduction
This is The Thread: AIRO’s monthly missions-focused newsletter.
As the end of the year approaches, we’ve got an exciting edition of the Thread for you. There’s a lot happening before the year ends, and we want to make sure you’re in the know on what’s happening. Let’s get started!
In this edition of The Thread:
đ Story from the Field | âHe Keeps Stealing My Bibleâ
âď¸ AIRO in Arkansas
đď¸ AIRO Happenings
“He Keeps Stealing My Bible”
We often share stories with you from the 10/40 Window, a region home to thousands of UPGs and billions of unreached people. What you may not know is there are still many unreached people in North America, equally in need of the good news of Jesus.
So letâs take a look up north to Canada, where Charlie and Joanna Garcia are sharing the good news with an unreached tribe!
The Garcias recently sat down with Grace, a woman they shared the gospel with 6 years ago and have been discipling ever since. Aside from average life updates, Grace shared that she had concerning news about her son, Nick. The Garcias braced for bad news, knowing that Nick had struggled with addiction and depression.
âHe has become a Christian!â she said.
The Garcias sat back, eager for the rest of the story. Grace continued, sharing that Nick had stopped smoking, felt happier, and was posting about Jesus on Facebook. But Grace wasnât finished.
âOn top of that, he keeps stealing my Bible to read it. I told him I’d buy him his own, but he won’t stop stealing mine!â
What sweet news!
The Garcias thought back to when Grace first became a believer, seeing Godâs goodness reach her many years ago, and now her son. While making a public profession of faith in Jesus comes with consequences in their tribe, the Garcias are hopeful. They helped Grace walk this path, and they hope to do the same with Nick!
This news is a testament to both Godâs goodness and the Garciaâs faithfulness. God gave the Garcias a call to the unreached. They went, and they shared. And now, their willingness to share with Grace years ago has led to her sharing with Nick. For the Garcias (and all of us here), what a privilege to be a part of.
We hope youâll join us in prayer for the Garcias, Grace, and Nick. Pray for acceptance among their tribe and boldness in their faith. The gospel is good news for us all⌠to the ends of the earth.
AIRO In Arkansas
NWA For the Nations is one of our favorite annual missions conferences.
This conference gathers hundreds of college students and churchgoers around the Midwest to learn about Godâs heart for the nations. Every year we are encouraged by what God is doing to raise up a new generation of courageous goers and generous senders.
We went to NWA wanting to invite participants to play their role in the Great Commission by eliminating student debt for missionaries going to the unreached. And by Godâs grace, they answered the call! We welcomed 30 new Ropeholders into our mission at NWA this year! Their willingness to leverage what God has given them means that 3 new missionary partners get a âYES!â to having their student debt eliminated.
Eliminating student debt for these missionary partners means they can go to the unreached years ahead of schedule. Thatâs something to get excited about!
If youâre reading this, having joined us at NWA⌠thank you! If youâve been around here for a while, thank you! Our community of senders is growing and we are in deep gratitude for you all!
If youâve been considering joining us, we want to extend the invitation to you too! Take your role in the Great Commission before 2024 ends by joining us as a Ropeholder! AIRO is eager to approve 25 more missionary partners in 2025 and advance the gospel to more unreached people groups. Weâd love to have you on board in the new year!
Happenings at AIRO.
đť Chat With a Missionary
Max + Melanie Patel joined us for a quick Q&A this week to share their story and give updates on their service in Central Asia! Theyâve been engaging with the unreached in many ways, with social media taking the stage in sharing the good news. You can read all about it today by clicking the button below! (thereâs also a short animated film in there from Max, and itâs really good!)
đ Quarterly Prayer Call
Join us to pray for the nations at our virtual AIRO Prayer Call on Wednesday, January 15th from 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (PT) or Thursday, January 16th from 11:00 – 11:30 AM (PT). We will spend a half hour praying for missionary partners and the unreached people they’re serving! Save the date today and look for more in the coming weeks!
đď¸ CrossCon 2025
Will you be at CrossCon 2025? Let’s hang! We’ll be having a coffee meetup during the conference and would love to see you! Let us know you’re going and we’ll be in touch!
Want to join a community of believers passionate about advancing the gospel to the unreached? Our Ropeholder Community is made up of people just like you: faithful believers eager to play their role in the Great Commission. You donât need to leave to play your role, you can help send right from where you are. Joining this community puts you in the center of what weâre doing at AIRO.
Author
Luke Maynard
Author
Luke Maynard
Luke comes from the illustrious city of Bakersfield, CA, and fully moved to Riverside after graduating from California Baptist University. He studied Entrepreneurship and Marketing while honing the discipline in personal business ventures. Combined with professional experience in public relations, marketing, and communications, Luke brings a new set of skills to AIROâs digital presence. Growth in his faith during college increased his interest in missions and the importance of the work being done overseas. Now he aims to bring the conversation to new audiences across the world. Youâll usually find Luke sporting his favorite kicks while drinking an iced cappuccino and deal hunting.