Looking Back On 2023

Merry Christmas from Deming, New Mexico!

Dallas, Texas

We wish you a very merry Christmas as you remember the birth of our Saviour and hopefully also enjoy some time off over the holidays.  

We are enjoying our sabbatical (an extended time of rest offered by our organization every few years). We are grateful for the slower pace that allows us extended time in Bible study and doing what our hearts desire.

It also allowed us to reflect on all we experienced in 2023.

Highlights

  1. In the last year, our 2,730 church planting missionaries have trained about 80,000 church planters and facilitated the planting of 23,563 churches of various sizes; the average size of the church is 38 people. We have seen at least two generations of church multiplication in 116 countries, with the highest being 30 generations in Tanzania, 26 in an Asian country, and 21 in Ethiopia. Generations mean churches planting churches that are planting churches. Stefan continues to help our church planters in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. 
  2. Our sabbatical!
  3. Kenneth loves his geomatics studies at university and has received several scholarships.
  4. Monica moved to Boston and is enjoying her studies and exploring New England.
  5. Marie’s Mom came to visit us in Orlando.

Lowlights

  1. The ongoing wars and unrest that several of our co-workers are experiencing in the 32 active conflicts around the world. The stories we hear are heartbreaking, yet we know the Lord is also at work amid all the tears.
  2. The persecution many Christians are experiencing, especially in some of the countries Stefan is involved with.

Looking Forward

We are thrilled to announce that our JESUS Film Project team is producing a new, feature-length animated family film about the life of Jesus, which we hope to release worldwide around Christmas 2025. Anchored in the Gospels, this film re-imagines the 1979 JESUS film, using much of its dialogue in a refreshed script. Here is a quick look into what is already happening!

Thank you for your friendship, prayers, encouragement and support during 2023. May the Lord richly bless and use you!

Our Rhythms of Rest

Stefan and Monica in downtown Boston

Starting at the end of October, we will take a sabbatical. We will disconnect from work responsibilities for three months, investing our time into our relationship with God and each other while also including more time for rest. This may seem like a detour from our mission, but our ministry sees it as a vital rhythm to our missionary life.

WE’LL FOCUS ON 3 SPECIFIC THINGS:

  1. Investing in our relationship with God through lots of time in prayer and Bible study, as well as self-reflection and meeting with spiritual mentors regularly.
  2. Investing in our marriage and family through time together.
  3. Rest.

Please pray for deep rest and refreshment during this time.

But before we go, we want to give you a few highlights from a busy six weeks.

  1. 147 European church planters from 9 different organizations came together in Germany to discuss best practices and how we could collaborate. It was a beautiful time of mutual encouragement and praying for God to move in Europe. A personal highlight was that 9 of our friends from Finland joined us, and it was a sweet reunion.
  2. 118 church planting organizations met in Dallas, U.S.A., for the annual Global Alliance of Church Multiplication (GACX). All we can say is wow! The Lord is at work worldwide, and we see even greater fruitfulness as we join hands together.
  3. This weekend, we were able to visit Monica in Boston for her parent weekend and confirm her reports that she is doing well and enjoying her studies. Enjoy some photos from the autumn leaves – we rarely see the change of colours in Orlando, so this was a real treat.

WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOU!

Come With Me To Cambodia

Greetings from Cambodia!

Cambodia (also known as Kampuchea) has a rich history in architecture, culture, and tradition. Cambodia continues to recover from the ravages of past regimes, and while it has one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, most of its population still lives in poverty.

I (Stefan) visited several churches this weekend in the countryside near the border of Vietnam. There are over 20 churches in this particular rural area. It was encouraging to meet with the leaders of this small network to hear their strategy for starting new churches in all the village communities throughout the region.

Each church intentionally applies what they learn from God’s Word each week, reaches out to their community and families, and launches new churches. During my visit, three people indicated they believed in Christ, and the church members will immediately begin helping them to share their new faith with others.

I can’t show you photos of the people for security reasons, but I thought you would enjoy seeing the rice-based snacks they shared with us after church.

Prayer Requests and Praise Items:

  1. Thank you for praying for my trip to this country, and continue to pray for stamina and good interactions with church planters.
  2. Thank you for also praying for Monica at university. She is settling in well. Pray she finds a Christian community quickly.
  3. Thank you for praying for Marie’s Mom. She did not need surgery for her shoulder after falling while visiting us in America. She is comfortable and recovering slowly.

Where Did The Years Go?

Greetings from Boston!

Today we arrived in Boston, where Monica will be a student at Brandeis University. She is very excited about this new adventure.

In front of Monica’s new residence.

Today Kenneth returned to the University of Florida, where he is working on his Geomatics degree. He loved his internship with a surveying company during our summer and was also privileged to attend an international and national conference for surveyors. Looking at his excitement to go work each day, the Lord has led him to something he is passionate about.

This weekend we celebrated the successful completion of mandatory schooling for the Dell family with an excellent Chinese dinner. After 14 years, it felt strange not to send a child to school! 

Celebrating the end of mandatory schooling!

Cultural Experience

We had a fun experience recently when invited to “Quinceanera.” It is the traditional coming-of-age celebration for Latinas. Our Puerto Rican neighbours hosted this for their granddaughter. It is an elegant party on the girl’s 15th birthday – thanking God for her and marking her transition from childhood to womanhood. We were amazed at her beautiful gown!

Our neighbour Louis, his daughter and granddaughter Briana.

Prayer Requests:

  1. Praise the Lord that both Kenneth and Monica were home for the summer.
  2. While Marie’s mother visited us, she had a fall and injured her shoulder. This week they will decide if she needs surgery. We are praying that she will not need it. Please join us in praying for her recovery.
  3. Pray for Monica to settle well into her new life and to find a Christian community quickly.
  4. Stefan will be in Asia for three weeks to help train church planters. Pray for his safety and stamina.

Your Missionaries,

The Dells

 A Life-Changing Dream

With Marie’s Mom at the Disney Yacht Club Hotel

Like most people in her closed Central Asian country, Alina* followed the majority religion. She believed Jesus was a prophet but nothing more.

When our local staff team members came to her village to distribute food and clothing, Alina welcomed them gladly. She listened as they talked about Jesus. At the end of their visit, Alina told them about friends who also needed help. The team was happy to provide them with meals as well.

Alina insisted on going with them as they visited each home. She watched team members express the kindness of Jesus in a tangible way, and she listened as they talked about His eternal hope.

A few days after the team delivered aid, Alina urgently asked to talk with them again — she had seen Jesus in a dream.

Alina told the team members about meeting Abraham, Isaac and Jesus in her dream. At first she thought she was meeting three of the main prophets of her religion. But then Jesus walked up to her and said, “You’ve heard about Me. You know I’m the Way. It’s time to start following Me.”

Alina realized that Jesus was more than a prophet. She was ready and eager to follow Him. The team members prayed with Alina as she joyfully responded in faith to His message. 

Today Alina is part of a house church in her village. Over the past six months, team members have seen others experience the kindness of Jesus and come to faith in Him. Six new house churches have been established in this previously unreached area!

Encouraging our workers and church-planters to remain strong in the Lord is one of the highlights of Stefan’s work and he recently heard this and other stories of what God is doing in some very hard to reach places. 

Family News

Unexpectedly the doors opened for Marie’s Mom to visit us for a few weeks. It’s been lovely to have her here.

Kenneth is home doing an internship with a surveying company. He entertains us each night with stories of snakes and fire-ants as he is bundu bashing through swamps to locate things for various construction projects.

It is a treat to have a house full of people, and we savour the time because we know we will soon be empty nesters, with Monica also leaving for university in August.

*name changed for security

Prayer Requests:

  1. Praise the Lord for the people He draws to Himself in hard-to-reach places.
  2. Pray that Marie’s Mom will have a good visit with us.
  3. Pray for Marie as she is working on a big communications project.

You Helped Monica

Marie has been humming the “Pomp and Circumstance” graduation march for the last few days, not surprisingly with two graduation ceremonies for Monica this month.

Here, in a USA high school, some students can enroll at a university to do some of the basic courses that count toward a two-year Associate’s degree. Monica was one of those students, and on 7 May, she graduated with her Associate’s degree from Valencia College. It was a spectacular experience.

On 24 May, Monica graduated from high school with 739 fellow students. She worked hard and did exceptionally well to finish in the top 5 of her school.

Earlier in May, Monica’s prom provided a bit of fun amid her end-of-year exams.

Monica writes, “Thank you so much for your prayers for me, especially over the last few months as I made a decision about my future. I ultimately decided to go to Brandeis University, just outside of Boston, Massachusetts!

I’m looking forward to starting there at the end of August, but I appreciate your continued prayers. Pray for a smooth transition into university, wisdom as I pick my major, and God’s provision for the finances. Thank you!”

Left to Right: Monica’s college graduation, her prom and her school graducation.

Prayer Requests:

  1. Praise for God’s guidance related to Monica’s university choice.
  2. Pray for Kenneth, as he has an internship with a surveying group for the next three months. Thankfully it is here in Orlando, so he is with us for this time.
  3. Stefan will travel to Spain and Central Asia to encourage and train church planters. Pray for significant interactions and safety.

4 Lessons From Finland

In nearly 30 years of ministry, we have rarely seen this level of commitment to discipleship and spiritually building into the lives of others as we witnessed in Finland. 

A quick photo with Anni and Pyry. Marie is wearing a marino wool jersey knitted by Pyry’s sister for her.

Fifty Finns, mostly under the age of 30, gathered for the Easter weekend to learn skills to help others grow in their faith and multiply their lives into more people. They are the leaders of small church communities from around Finland. 

Although we were there to lead two workshops – which went very well because of your prayers – we felt like we were there to learn from them. Here are a few things we learnt:

1. “Tell me your Jesus story.”

Every conversation started with, “Tell me your Jesus story.” Immediately, each conversation went to a profound level of sharing and learning how God had intervened in each person’s life. It was also a celebration of God’s miraculous restoration of people – some coming out of very dark backgrounds.

2. Be fully present

We hardly saw any cell phones; we learned that before the weekend, they had decided to put their phones aside to be fully present with one another. It was so refreshing!

Marie leading her workshop – look at the beautiful ocean view in the background.

3. Ask good questions to grow.

The Finns take their meals seriously, we had five a day, but they consider two as snacks. At every meal, participants came up to us and asked questions. They wanted to grow in their faith and help others grow. They even made notes while you were answering.

4. Sauna and Splash

Sauna time is an essential part of Finnish discipleship. Deep conversations take place while sweat is pouring down your body. The retreat center had two saunas, and every night the men gathered in one and the women in the other. The fact that everyone is nude may contribute to the openness of the conversations. The sauna next to the sea also has the added benefit of cooling you down in frigid water when you get too hot. Monica received high praise for staying in the freezing water for 45 seconds! Her mother only got knee-deep.

We left Finland so encouraged! We know the Lord is raising people from every nation to bring the gospel, and witnessing these fifty people in action, we have great hope for a large harvest from Finland.

It was beautiful but freezing! Imagine how cold the sea felt.

Please pray for the following:

  1. Pyry and Anni Winter as they lead this movement in Finland.
  2. That the Finnish leaders manage their time well, having full-time jobs and leading their churches.
  3. Monica as she makes her final university decision. She has narrowed down her choices between two universities.

Finding Us In Finland

Retreat center close to Turku

Easter greetings from a beautiful and freezing Finland!

This Easter weekend, Stefan is returning to the gorgeous retreat center pictured above with Marie and Monica. 

Stefan wrote in our November 2021 newsletter, “A personal highlight was visiting a young pastor couple in Finland that we have been coaching over the past few years but have never gotten to visit. Stefan meets with the husband, Pyry, and Marie with the wife, Anniina. They are experimenting with a model of church planting that is attracting young Finns who are church-less, but looking for authentic faith. It is exciting to see young families finding Jesus and being obedient to His call to make disciples.”

They invited us to join them as speakers at their retreat this weekend.

They expect about 50 participants. Each participant will have the opportunity to choose 1 of 3 workshops on Friday and from another 1 of 3 on Saturday. Stefan is presenting his workshop on Friday, and Marie on Saturday. These participants are members of the 15 churches planted in the last few years. 

It will be the first time Marie will meet Anniina in person, so exciting.

Freezing in Finland

Prayer Requests:

  1. For each of the workshops that we will present during the Easter retreat. Pray for a good connection with our audience and that the lessons learned will accelerate the spiritual growth and fruitfulness of the participants.
  2. For safe travels while we are in Europe. Next week we will visit Marie’s sister and her family in England before our return.
  3. For Monica as she decides which university to attend. She was accepted at eight and will visit one offering her a good scholarship from 16-18 April in Chicago. She needs to make her final decision by 1 May.

What Is On The Braai?

South Africans always crave a good braai. This past weekend, Stefan experienced a great braai with a twist. 

After preaching at a church in Sant Cugat, Spain (close to Barcelona), the congregation invited him to a braai where they served Calçot, a green onion that is not round but long shaped. They grill the onion plants in the flames on the braai. They then remove the charred pieces and dip the delicious inner parts into an almond sauce. Scrumptious!

The Calçot (bottom right) is lined up to go on the fire.

But more encouraging than the delicious braai was seeing the growth and missional focus of the church. Non-Christians came to church, and the Youth eagerly studied the Bible together. The photo shows them looking up Scripture on their phones.

Another treat was visiting a church called “Imperfect,” which focuses on helping refugees find Jesus and teaching them employable skills. Stefan enjoyed a good meal prepared by refugees learning to be cooks and restaurant managers.

The entrance to the church and the restaurant training fascility.

The Lord is at work around the world, and His children are finding ways to serve their communities. Thank you for helping us be a part of His work.

Prayer Requests:

  1. Stefan is currently in Malta, meeting with partners working in North Africa and the Middle East. Pray for good connections and for strategic opportunities to partner.
  2. Pray for the churches in Europe that are shining the light of Jesus in difficult times.

5 Amazing Highlights

How have you felt entering 2023? Excited? Exhausted? Hopeful?

We started the year reflecting on God’s goodness in 2022 and anticipating His work in 2023. Our friends and coworkers, Josh and Holly Newell, who lead the Jesus Film Project, prepared a video of what God did in 2022 and we thought you would also find the five stories inspiring. Can you believe the film is now available in over 2,000 languages?

CLICK or on the image below to watch the video

2022 Jesus Film Project Highlights

Personal News

In May, Monica finishes Grade 12 and leaves for university. Soon we will be empty-nesters, so we are enjoying all the “lasts” with her. It is bitter-sweet and also very exciting. Pray for her as she waits to hear from the universities and scholarships where she applied.

Marie returned from Dallas last week, where she met with consultants helping her with some communications responsibilities.

In early February, Stefan will travel to meet with our church planters from North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia (NAMESTAN), as well as partnering organizations. You help to make all of this possible. Thank you!

Prayer Requests:

  1. Praise the Lord for the success our mission experienced in 2022.
  2. Pray for Monica to have wisdom and discernment regarding her future.
  3. Pray for Stefan’s meetings with church planters in NAMESTAN.
  4. Pray for Marie’s work to help our organization communicate better.