Dear praying friends,

September 2004 marks the twenty-first anniversary of my arrival in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was then known as Zaire.A lot has changed since then; in fact the whole world is a different place now, with all the positive and negative aspects of globalization!In spite of all the changes, I am still committed to the Scripture verse I claimed in 1983, as the basis for my ministry (my own paraphrase):

That which you have learned, in the presence of many witnesses, teach to others, who will in their turn pass the word along to even more people! (II Tim.

2:2)

Thanks to the faithful support of the American Baptist family, I have been able to carry out my ministry in theological and pastoral education, at the Bible Institute in Kimpese, then at seminaries in Kinshasa, now once again in Kimpese.In addition, doors have opened for me to lead seminars for young people on Responsible Living Skills, including the True Love Waits program.This year, on Congolese Independence Day, June 30, another avenue of ministry opened with Radio Bangu, a community radio station in Kimpese, which welcomes Christian programming.I'm doing a twice-weekly program called "Youth: A Jewel and a Treasure," encouraging young people to recognize their infinite value as being created in the image of God; and to live in a manner worthy of that standing!At every step, my desire is that my teachings be transmitted to others, who will in their turn pass them along.

You may have heard that International Ministries is experiencing a serious challenge at this time, in terms of how to continue to support nearly 150 missionaries serving around the globe.In recent years, the board has responded in faith to a wide variety of opportunities to bear witness to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ; but unfortunately this expansion has not been accompanied by increased giving from our churches.

That's why International Ministries is committed to providing additional opportunities for churches to get involved with particular missionaries and partner churches, through the Missionary Partnership Teams (MPTs).Through this initiative, IM is embracing the desire of local churches to form personal relationships with missionaries, making that relationship the foundation for the way American Baptists provide spiritual, emotional and financial support for their missionaries.Contact the World Mission Support person in your Region for more information on how this relates to the World Mission Offering this year! Our challenge this year is to increase the World Mission Offering by 36%.

• Please pray and ask God what He would have you do in the face of this challenge.

Wendy Bernhard