It was a busy fall for the ACCTS staff. Ministry trips to Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Central America, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam produced the following fruit for the Lord among the Military Christian Fellowships of the world.
In October, ACCTS staff traveled to El Salvador to encourage military Christians and follow up with graduates of the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in San Antonio to whom they had ministered. ACCTS is a ministry of relationships, and such follow up serves both to reinforce the discipleship lessons learned in San Antonio, and encourage these future military leaders as they serve the Lord in their homelands. Other staff members traveled to the country of Georgia to follow up with other DLI graduates, and explore options for American English Language Training (AELT) at their military academy. AELT offers optional Bible Study as a method for practicing English. The ACCTS team was warmly received, and fruitful discussions with various officials laid the groundwork for future ministry in the country. One interesting footnote to the trip was meeting a former KGB officer who had been wounded in Afghanistan, and had accepted Christ as the Lord healed him!
ACCTS staff also traveled to Poland to join their Military Christian Fellowship (MCF) in celebrating its 20th anniversary. Long-time friendships were renewed, and mutual encouragement took place as the fruitful ministry of the "Korneliusz" ministry was reviewed. The theme of the celebration was Philippians 3:13-14, "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Since this concept had been discussed at the ACCTS staff meeting in early October, it was encouraging to see the Lord leading others in the same direction. In late October, a ministry trip to Moldova and Romania provided an opportunity to deliver digital Bibles from "Faith Comes By Hearing," encourage the ACCTS staff that live in Moldova, and attend the 10th anniversary of the Romanian MCF. Meanwhile, other ACCTS staff members were attending a conference in Spain for military Christians from Southwestern Europe, and traveling on to Italy to disciple and encourage the new MCF there. In Spain, more than 150 attended the sessions held on a beach each night, and 7 new believers were baptized in the sea.
In India, joint ministry between ACCTS and our UK partner Military Ministries International brought about a Pan-India conference to mark a new beginning for their MCF, "Cornelius Network India (CNI)", which had failed to thrive since its beginning ten years ago. CNI hope to be self-sufficient for next year's Pan-India Meeting. Following the conference, a recent graduate of ACCTS Chaplain Interaction accompanied the ACCTS staff to Bhopal, where they encouraged another CNI "chapter" to form. In Vietnam, despite the threat of a typhoon and increased security for a meeting of international leaders, new chapters of the MCF-V were established in Hanoi & Hai Phong, and Da Nang. Pray that God's work in Vietnam through 10 new MCFs will not be slowed by the implementation of a new religion control law in 2018.
MCF-Indonesia had been dormant and ineffective, but it was not yet the Lord's time! A new national MCF leader / spiritual mentor has emerged, and a Christian businessman has agreed to register a foundation with the government to represent the several small groups meeting around the country as part of MCF-Indonesia. ACCTS staff was able to encourage this development, and link the group with the MCF in Singapore. MCF-Indonesia would also like to become part of the ACCTS cadet exchange program in which Christian cadets meet with their counterparts in other countries to learn how to integrate their faith with their military careers.
In November, ACCTS staff traveled to Bulgaria for a pray and plan to prepare for their MCF's 10th anniversary celebration next year. They stayed on to attend a conference on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, and join the
second
International Orthodox Consultation of Military Chaplains. The theme of the gathering was "Contemporary Challenges of Military Chaplaincy," and the interaction between Orthodox and Evangelical Christian was described as a "foretaste of Heaven," as noted in John 15 - "In my Father's house are many mansions." Pray that these events will continue to increase understanding between the different confessions.
A
lso in November, ACCTS staff attended the annual Spiritual Retreat of the Canadian MCF in Ottawa. It was a time to reflect on God's blessings, pray for one another, and seek God's will for the future of their MCF. Pray that MCF members and chaplains will continue to develop closer relationships, and that the MCF will continue to mature.
Praise God for providing the resources, superintending travel arrangements, and preparing hearts to respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ!
