Dear friends in Christ: Our mission to Zimbabwe was truly an amazing trip, but I am glad to be back in Texas safe and sound. I can now say I know what it feels like to be on the longest commercial flight operated by any American or European airline! Once again, I can’t adequately describe just how amazing this project was, and how powerfully God moved while we were there.
I had the opportunity to share the Gospel in 25 schools with over 20,000 students; over 16,000 of them made public professions of faith, saying that they were willing to turn from their sins and put all their trust and faith in Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior for the first time! We were also able to speak in training conferences, churches, and crusades. In total, our team shared the Gospel in almost 60 schools to 54,000 students with over 45,000 making professions of faith! We were also able to distribute about 35,000 tracts and 200 Bibles.
We could sense the Holy Spirit guiding us and helping us the entire way. We faced many challenges and difficulties along the way, but the ultimate victory was won by Jesus Christ. I will cherish the memories from this mission for the rest of my life!
My lasting prayer for the thousands of people who heard the Gospel is from the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. I know that some of the seed was sown on rocky soil, where the enemy came and snatched it away. I know that some will quickly sprout up and then be scorched because it doesn’t have good roots. And we know that some will grow up but be choked out by the struggles and thorns of this world. However, we also know that God’s Word doesn’t return void. So my ultimate prayer is for the seedlings to grow strong roots and mature into the vine and produce fruit 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown!
Please join me in prayer for our NEST (National Evangelist Support Team) partners, and the pastors, leaders, and Scripture Union members, as they go back into these schools and continue the discipleship process that has begun. Please pray for the many Christian teachers and administrators we met in the schools to step up into a leadership role and to guide these students down the right path. Our prayer is for this generation of students to grow into mature disciples who will go out and reach the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
God moved so mightily this trip! And the doors are open for us to do missions like this throughout Africa and in many countries around the world. What we need is for the Holy Spirit to direct us, people who will pray for us, and for more people who are actually willing to help send us. I can’t possibly describe how ripe for harvest many places in the world are. We all need to follow Jesus’ advice in Matthew 9:38 - “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Thank you all so much for the prayer and support throughout this mission! I hope I have the opportunity to sit down with each of you, and share with and thank you for everything in person. Thank you once again, and may God richly bless you all!
In Christ,
Steve Stockwell
Galatians 2:20, Crucified with Christ
