Ministry – Stefan and Marie Dell

Easter Impact: Millions Watch “JESUS”

We trust you had a meaningful Easter, reflecting again on the hope we have in Jesus. We’ve been praying for the many outreaches that took place this season — that hearts would be open, and lives would be changed as the good news was shared.

We’re so grateful to share a glimpse of what God has been doing through the “JESUS” film Project this Easter. We know that 103 TV stations showed “JESUS” or one of our other films during the Easter season. Although the final viewer numbers will not be in for a few more weeks, we trusted the Lord for at least 120 million views over the Easter season.

On our other channels, where we have “JESUS” available, like YouTube, we reached an all-time high of 18.2 million views over the 7 days of the Passion week. On Good Friday alone, 4.2 million people watched — our highest single-day viewership ever, surpassing the previous record set in 2023.

Behind every view is a real person — someone choosing to press play on the story of “JESUS”, perhaps for the very first time. Thank you for standing with us in this work.

Please pray with us:

That many who watched the “JESUS” film would take their next step towards Jesus.
Pray for Marie and her team as they prepare for Campus Crusade for Christ International’s 75th anniversary.
Stefan will be in Armenia and Georgia for the next two weeks. Pray for safety and good connections with our church planters and missionaries in those countries.

A glimpse of heaven in Ethiopia

The voices of 308 people from 93 countries rose together in worship of our Risen Saviour. It felt like a small glimpse of heaven.

Thank you so much for praying for the Motus Dei church planters conference in Ethiopia. It was a meaningful and fruitful time, with rich discussions around the tables and wisdom shared by experienced church planters. We are grateful for how smoothly the conference unfolded.

Not everyone could attend. Around 80 people from 30 countries were unable to come due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Our own journey was unexpectedly difficult. A week before departure, our route changed from Dubai to Johannesburg, giving us a hoped-for 28-hour stop at home. We were so excited to see family, meet our new niece, and celebrate Marie’s birthday together.

But severe weather disrupted everything. After leaving Orlando on Wednesday, we missed our connection in New York by minutes. The next day brought more delays, and we missed another connection. By then, it became clear we would not arrive in time. After two nights in hotels and much uncertainty, the airline arranged a direct flight with Ethiopian Airlines. A kind check-in agent even tracked down our luggage that had been checked in days earlier.

When we finally took off on Friday, we could only laugh. The Lord gave us peace throughout, and we were deeply aware of your prayers, even though it was exhausting.

Very happy to finally be in Addis Ababa!

Arriving in Addis Ababa on Saturday morning brought great relief. It was a privilege to spend time with believers planting churches in some of the most challenging places in the world. Their faith and perseverance deeply encouraged us.

We were also reminded how much prayer matters. Even when we pray for places we cannot place on a map, God knows and faithfully answers. Thank you for standing with us in prayer. Please don’t grow weary — your prayers matter.

Happy Easter!

Prayer Requests:

Praise God for the Motus Dei conference and for those who were able to attend. Pray that lasting fruit will come from this time together.
Pray for all the Easter outreaches this week that the Lord will soften the hearts of people and draw them unto Himself.
Pray for Monica’s internship in June and July in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, that all details will come together.
Pray for Marie and her team as they prepare for Campus Crusade for Christ International’s 75th anniversary.

On Our Way to Ethiopia

We are grateful for the ways you continue to stand with us in prayer and partnership. God has been reminding us again and again that His work in the world is far bigger than anything we could imagine.

This week we will travel to Ethiopia for the Motus Dei 2026 conference. Motus Dei means “Movement of God”, and that name captures the heart behind the gathering. Our prayer is to recognise and join what God is already doing among the nations.

Almost 400 church planters from 125 countries will be there. Rather than simply listening to talks, the week is designed for collaboration. We will share real ministry challenges, pray together, and look for practical ways to help the gospel spread further and faster.

Behind it all is a vision that continues to inspire us: to see a healthy church or faith community for every 1,000 people on earth.

The theme of the week is “Vital and Sustainable.”

Vital speaks about spiritual life. Our desire is to see local communities of believers who truly love Jesus and are passionate about reaching the people around them.

Sustainable points to multiplication. We long to see churches that not only grow but send people out to start new communities of faith in their own villages and neighbourhoods. When ordinary believers are equipped to lead, the gospel spreads naturally from one person to the next, reaching a whole community.

We have built times of prayer and fasting into the rhythm of the conference. We know that lasting fruit only comes when the Holy Spirit leads the way.

Please pray with us for:

Stefan, he is the conference director. Pray for good health and stamina.
Safe travel and protection for everyone attending. We already had a few flight changes and delays but trust to arrive in Africa tomorrow.
A fresh movement of the Holy Spirit as we seek the Lord’s face.

Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support make it possible for us to take part in opportunities like this. We are deeply thankful for the way you share in the work God has given us.

Grace and peace to you,

Stefan and Marie

Impacting the Next Generation

In December and January, we saw a record number of students gather for conferences around the world for training in prayer, evangelism and discipleship. We are very encouraged by what the Lord is doing in the emerging generation as many of these students commit themselves to being instruments in the Lord’s hands for the furtherance of His Kingdom.

Here are just a few of these conferences:

1. In South Korea, 7 000 students attended prayer and fasting days in 12 locations.

2. In Hong Kong, during the conference, a “Life & Death Education” experience was a profoundly impactful exercise, where students simulated the end of life with mock coffins and funeral photos of themselves. They considered the questions: “If life is so fragile, what is the meaning of life?” and “Who is truly the King of my life?”

By the end of the conference, over 50 students had surrendered to the calling to full-time service. Many had discovered their new identity in God and their new mission — to be a witness of this gospel of “radical rest” to a restless generation.

3. In the U.S.A., 12 Winter conferences took place with 7 200 students attending.

Here in Orlando, three students left the Winter conference with car trouble. They called an Uber, and during the ride, they shared the gospel with their driver, John. By the time they reached their destination, John had placed his faith in Christ.

Meanwhile, at the Minneapolis conference, a first year student named Braden — who wasn’t a believer — attended with his friend Evan. After watching his peers live out their faith for two days, his intellectual barriers began to fall. During the conference while driving in a car with friends, Braden suddenly yelled out, “I want to trust Christ!” His friends explained how he could do that, and Braden received Christ right there in the car.

We thank God for each of the students. Join us in praying for them for boldness and faith as they live for Jesus.

Yours in Christ,

Stefan & Marie

“I’ve Never Seen So Many Come to Faith”

A missionary recently shared, “I can’t remember another season when I’ve seen so many people come to faith in Jesus.” What a statement of joy! And what’s even more encouraging is that we are hearing this same refrain from teams in many nations.

Just last week, our missionaries serving among students worldwide gathered for their quarterly virtual meeting. Their reports were overflowing with good news — this year, they have already seen a 27% increase in the number of students hearing the gospel and a 40% increase in students becoming multiplying disciples — young believers who, like in 2 Timothy 2:2, are helping others follow Jesus and do the same. Praise God!

Here’s more from the missionary in Chicago who shared that inspiring line above:

“Through our Roseland outreaches alone, at least 75 individuals indicated decisions to invite Christ into their lives!

We partnered with local church leaders to set up prayer and outreach booths at two community festivals. Handing out cookies opened the door for over 350 spiritual conversations with adults and another 350 with children — many of whom began a relationship with Jesus.

Darrell, a man from a Hindu background, stopped by for cookies but expressed curiosity about Jesus. After an hour-long conversation with our team, Darrell chose to put his faith in Christ as his Savior.”

Stories like these fill us with wonder and deep gratitude — for God’s work in people’s lives, and for your faithful prayers and partnership that make these moments possible. Together, we are seeing the gospel reach hearts in places and ways that only God could orchestrate.

Photo credit to Monica Dell – these are King penguins from Argentina. They are over 1 meters tall. The chubby brown ones are the juveniles. Their coats aren’t as compact as the adults, so they look much bigger.

Please join us in prayer:

Praise God for the many open doors and hearts ready to receive the gospel.
Pray for wisdom, stamina, and grace for Marie as she helps solve complex challenges that will strengthen how we communicate with and resource our missionaries globally.
Pray for Monica’s protection as she travels to Antarctica (12-22 Nov.) — and praise God for this unique opportunity she has to witness there.

Blessed by the Next Generation

Visiting with the five students from Bloemfontein and two staff members.

“Tell us how you knew God called you to become missionaries.”

Three weeks ago, we were unexpectedly invited to speak to five students from our Alma Mater, the University of the Free State. They are involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and were in Johannesburg as part of a mission project to help our ministry at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Some of the students feel the Lord’s call to become missionaries, so listening to our journey, which started when we were students, was very helpful. Our 20-minute visit turned into an hour because they had so many questions. Sharing our story, we are again in awe of the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives and the many partners who have joined us over the last 31 years in this journey.

Speaking with these students is just one of the opportunities we have had this last month visiting our partners in South Africa. It is wonderful to reconnect with long-term friends and family. Being here without our children is different, but they are both doing well. We are also thankful that we can support Stefan’s mother in her recovery after two serious falls and two subsequent surgeries.

Prayer Requests

Thank the Lord for the opportunity we have to be in South Africa.
Pray for safe travels in South Africa and good connections with our partners.
Pray for the five Kovsie students as they are on the journey to confirm their calling to mission work.
Pray for the recovery of Stefan’s Mom after her falls and surgeries.

See You Soon South Africa!

*We are enjoying Spring and the little ducklings that have made our pond their home.*

Exciting news: Stefan and Marie are coming to South Africa at the start of June. We can’t wait to reconnect with you and our family.

It will feel very different: Kenneth is now employed at a surveying company in Florida and Monica is doing an eight-week summer outreach project with our organization in California.

Here is our tentative plan:

5-26 June: Gauteng
27-30 June: KwaZulu Natal
1-13 July: Colesberg, Garden Route and Cape Town
14-31 July: Vaal Triangle
1-11 August: Gauteng

News From America:

Since both of us had some life-changing experiences at Student conferences, we find this news encouraging. From the end of December through the beginning of February, our ministry hosted 6,809 students at 12 Student Conferences.

The attendance of these conferences was up by 32% from previous years. The Northeast conference (includes Boston where Monica is studying) hadn’t happened since 2010. Our staff members made a faith decision to restart the conference and planned for 250 students to attend. They had to use additional hotels and an overflow room when more than 650 students attended!

Praise the Lord!

Prayer Requests:

Pray for our trip to South Africa – for all the details to fall into place.
Pray for Stefan’s Mom. She had two bad falls and two surgeries in April. We hope to be of help when we are in South Africa.
Pray for Marie as she leads the project of moving our 16,000 staff members onto a new communications platform this month.
Pray for Stefan, he is the conference director for our global church planters conference next year. There are a lot of details to keep track of, and he needs a good team to assist him.
Pray for Kenneth and Monica to walk closely with the Lord.

Jesus is Worth It

Celebrating Monica’s birthday at a Mexican restaurant.

Going on a mission project during our student years was instrumental in cementing our callings into full-time missionary work. Stefan went to Botswana and the Caprivi Strip in 1991, and Marie to Bulgaria in 1992. Trusting the Lord to provide for those trips gave us a good taste of the Lord’s faithfulness and how He uses other people as part of that journey.

It is fun to see students still learning that lesson. Naomi, a student involved with our ministry here in the United States, talked to a friend after his mission outreach. She saw he was noticeably changed and thought, “I should consider this.” But when she found out she would need to fundraise for it, the fear was just too much.

Later, she heard another student sharing about one of her own fears. Instead of giving up, this girl leaned into her fear, saying, “Jesus is worth it.” Naomi decided to trust God in the face of her fears. This past July, she did her first mission project. During a recent student conference, Naomi passionately challenged other students to invest their summer in missions: “Go! Even if you have to do it scared…because Jesus is worth it!”

May her challenge also motivate us to “Go! Because Jesus is worth it.”

Prayer Requests:

Praise the Lord for thousands of students preparing for mission projects this year.
Marie is attending our Global Executive Team meetings in Panama this week. Please pray for good meetings, stamina, and good health. She is feeling a bit under the weather.
Stefan’s Mom needs to move out of her current accommodation, and we are praying for a place in a retirement village. Please pray for a solution.

Looking Back At 2024

Kenneth and Monica on the University of Florida campus.

We wish our South African friends a special Day of Reconciliation today.

As we prepare for Christmas, we wish you ‘exceeding great joy’ as we celebrate the miracle of His birth. (Matthew 2:10) We are privileged to be messengers of that joy and hope.

We experienced a lot of joy this year:

Kenneth graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Geomatics on 13 December. He has several job offers and is excited about the future.
We have an unexpected opportunity to be in South Africa over Christmas.
The spiritual growth of the people we are discipling has been faith-building to watch, as well as seeing Kenneth and Monica catching the vision of building spiritually into the lives of fellow students.
Stefan loved visiting Egypt and an Asian country to confirm reports of church planting growth there. In the Asian country, 26 generations of churches have been planted despite the prominence of another major religion. The generations mean a church that plants a church, and that new church then plants a church, etc. Stefan and his team were privileged to interview members of those 26 generations of churches, and it was amazing to see the accuracy of their doctrine.
We celebrate nearly 500 leaders who have either graduated or are studying a Master’s program in Transformational Leadership. Stefan helps to coordinate the program. It is designed to produce leaders of character and competence who help ensure the health and sustainability of churches being planted around the world. Stefan loves seeing their growth in leadership.

We also had some tears:

Stefan’s dad is facing some health challenges.
Our cat, Foxy, went missing in August.
The ongoing wars and unrest that several of our co-workers are experiencing in the 110 armed conflicts around the world. The stories we hear are heartbreaking, yet we know the Lord is also at work amid all the tears.

Thank you for your friendship, prayers, encouragement and support during 2024. May the Lord richly bless and use you!

Merry Christmas!

The Fruit of our Labour

Enjoying an African sunset

Greetings from South Africa!

Since 2000, we have been serving in various operational and administrative roles to accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Sometimes, the work required is to improve the communication system or the finance system to get money to our missionaries or to help train our missionaries to incorporate digital tools in their day-to-day ministry.

Last week in Johannesburg, we had the wonderful opportunity to join 60 of our missionaries from around the world who are involved in operational and digital strategies for a leadership conference.

There were several “wow” moments for us:

Reunion with leaders we have relationships with dating back to 2005.
In 2019, Marie was part of a leadership development cohort of 12 women working in digital ministry. Six of the ladies were at this meeting, and several of us met face-to-face for the first time.
Meeting new leaders in person who we have only seen in Zoom meetings
Over the years, we have been involved in several digital initiatives to help the gospel spread. It was a blessing to hear reports of the impact and how our work’s training and examples have helped several countries start their own initiatives.
This is the first time Marie is back in South Africa in summer – seeing the Jacaranda trees in full bloom and the agapanthus flowers starting to come out is a treat!
We visited our South African office and recognized that Stefan was instrumental in recruiting and training several staff members still serving in operational roles.

Six of the Digital Dames

Explaining our work group’s findings

Praying together

Taking our friends from Panama, Philippines, Trinidad and Tebago, East Asia and USA to Nando’s

Most days, we are in the trenches, solving problems and helping support our missionaries worldwide. Last week provided a rare opportunity to look back on many years of service and experience the impact of our work. You have made it possible for us! Thank you for your part in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Your missionaries