June - July 2018
The Gift of Hearing
By Carlos Mora
Open Bible Field Director - Costa Rica
Field Director Carlos Mora from San Jose, Costa Rica, recently shared a testimony from Susana Pablo, a member of New Life Open Bible Church in Costa Rica. She has a six-year-old son named Jose. Susana began to notice that Jose was becoming easily distracted and didn’t understand instructions that she was giving him. After a series of exams Susana was informed that Jose had severe hearing loss in his right ear. More tests were run and the doctor determined that Jose needed special hearing aids to allow him to hear properly. This greatly upset Susana.

Out of concern for this stressful situation, she requested prayer during a church service for the healing of her son’s hearing. After a few days of many people praying for God to heal Jose, his mother took him back to the hospital for more testing. The doctor was astounded that his hearing was fine and that his capacity to hear was now at 100 percent. Susana shares: “This was a miracle! God heard and answered our prayer! I give thanks to God for His grace and mercy in healing my son and for His immense kindness.”
What in the world is Global Missions up to?

A Global Legacy
By Christopher Garcia
Communications Director for Inste Global Bible College
35 years. Very few things last 35 years these days, and if they do they definitely don’t last longer. But that’s exactly what Drs. Leona and Nick Venditti did with Inste Global Bible College (IGBC). I’m sure many of you know the story, but for those of you who don’t, allow me to elaborate. IGBC was born in Spain, as most good things do, in 1982. From there, it has gone on to be taught in more than 40 countries and in 15 languages. Those numbers alone are answers to prayers that have been spoken over IGBC since well before the first class was given.

From the very beginning IGBC has been about the mission field. But we don’t just consider the mission field to be outside our national borders. The mission field begins right at home. The place where all disciples of Jesus Christ begin to practice their faith and their calling. Just like a musician or athlete, it matters how you practice, or in this case, how you learn. “Perfect practice makes perfect,” as they say, and what better way to practice the Gospel than to learn directly from the Bible? That’s exactly the way the IGBC curriculum was built: on a foundation of Scripture.
For those of you reading this who might not know about how IGBC works, the program is autodidact and is great for training up pastors and ministers on the premise of mentoring and personal development. These things make up The Great Commission. And we at IGBC have taken that to heart! Jesus gave us the best example of this with His disciples, then sent them forth. Anybody that’s taken even one IGBC class can attest to the fact that Dr. Leona built a wonderful, fruit-filled curriculum and that Dr. Nick is an absolutely wonderful teacher. I would also like to add a personal note that Drs. Nick and Leona have a wonderful burden for training up the next generation. I was able to experience this in my short time together with them at the IGBC administrative offices. Their hearts are quite unlike ones that you encounter in life. God has truly used them.
With the vision of IGBC set firmly on the future, it was with great pleasure that pastor Fermin Garcia was brought in to continue with such a rich legacy. Having already been serving with IGBC as the regional director of INSTE Mexico, the Venditti’s and the IGBC board agreed that Fermin should be the one to continue the vision. Continuing the missional mindset that has already been established is and will continue to be priority number one.
With the vision of IGBC set firmly on the future, it was with great pleasure that pastor Fermin Garcia was brought in to continue with such a rich legacy. Having already been serving with IGBC as the regional director of INSTE Mexico, the Venditti’s and the IGBC board agreed that Fermin should be the one to continue the vision. Continuing the missional mindset that has already been established is and will continue to be priority number one.

We at IGBC cannot overstate our excitement in what God is doing in our midst. It is with great delight that we join in with not only the Vendittis, the new Academic Dean, Gamaliel Garcia, and myself, but with YOU, dear reader, in looking forward to what God has in store for the future of IGBC. We also ask that you keep us in your prayers. That God will guide and lead us as we press forward with this great commission, for we know that is the only proper way to do it. Here’s to another 35 years of IGBC!