By Jerry | Published:
August 1, 2010
I was standing among heroes. Walking slowly among the crosses I was humbled by the sacrifice made by so many men and women for the cause of freedom. Those who died did so never knowing the enduring impact of their actions; yet they acted because they believed in the cause. They had faith and a belief that their contribution to the effort mattered. I was grateful to stand in that place and remember them.
Tunisia is home to one of 17 U.S. WWII military cemeteries and is the only one in all of Africa. This sacred soil was a gift of the Tunisian government to the U.S. for bringing freedom to this land, wrenching it from the hands of cruel men, dictators, who took rather than gave.
I was honored to walk among these fallen heroes
I was standing among heroes. I listened to men and women who had given up home and all it’s comforts, choosing to live away from the joys of being with family and friends because they believed in an eternal cause. They believe in a cause of eternal life and no sacrifice is too great to deliver the message of freedom. This was a reunion of Christian workers who have faith and a belief that their contribution to His effort to see people come to freedom mattered. I was grateful to stand in that place and be counted among them.
They were two experiences yet similar feelings. Tonight, I am grateful for those who stand with us in support and prayer to tell the story that changes lives. In the midst of struggle and even sorrow I can say it matters. To those who are coming to truth, to our heavenly Father and to me, your efforts matter. You are my heroes.
By Jerry | Published:
July 17, 2010
We’re headed out and we need you to pray! Gwen and I will be in N. Africa visiting with a group of workers who have a huge passion for people in their part of the world. Please pray for this gathering that it will be a time of refreshing, encouragement and connection. We are raising the bar to make stronger connections directly to those who are on the ground. IMM has partners in this part of the world and are working together to bring the story that changes lives to the untold. Sorry, but we won’t be able to send any pictures.
We have a big announcement, as I’m sure many of you have already seen on Gwen’s Facebook page. We are going to be grandparents! I have been waiting for this news for sometime. Congratulations to Bethanee and Daniel Esqueda!
I get asked if I’m ready to be a grandpa! The answer is an unequivocal, “YES”. I just read Proverbs 17: 6, “Children’s children are a crown to the aged.” While I’m not sure I’m excited about being grouped with “the aged”, I am looking forward to being “crowned”! Please keep Bethanee and Daniel in your prayers AND us. Living overseas just got more serious! This will really raise the bar in terms of our commitment to serve.
I’m really excited to let everyone know that IMM has a new look on our website. Go to imm.edu to see and interact with our team and projects. You can download our 31-day prayer guide too. (IMM prayer guide ) This is our effort to raise the bar in terms of our communication with you, our partners. (More about that later.)
Thank you to all of you that make it possible for Gwen and I to follow the Lord as messengers of His truth. We are honored to partner with you to take creative media to a borderless world.
By Jerry | Published:
June 15, 2010
“My people have a proverb…” I heard this phrase many times over the ten days that my African friend, Pastor Philemon Salam Saba, spent with us here at IMM recently. Over the past few days, I had learned to listen carefully to the words spoken by my new friend because of the years of wisdom behind them. “He who beats the drum does not know how far it goes.” Those words are still ringing in my ears weeks after hearing them for the first time.
Pastor Philemon Salam Saba is the lead pastor of a congregation of 2,000 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He came to IMM to help us record a French version of “Open the Bible: The Gospels”. Within six weeks of his coming we completed a version for the 115 million French-speaking people in 31 countries of Africa.
OTB DVD for French Africa
When I asked him why he was willing to invest his time to participate, he shared with me how important this project was for introducing people to Jesus through media and having these kinds of quality programs for the Bible schools and churches. As we talked about the importance of IMM in partnering with French speaking countries he shared this proverb. The meaning needs no explanation.
We give ourselves everyday to the task of “beating the drum” at IMM. We beat the drum with hearts of faith that the sounds will fall on open ears and hearts. You too are beating a drum with your life! You just don’t know how far that influence will be carried. Know this, your influence is reaching to the nations of French-speaking Africa because you are standing with us as faith partners. Thank you for your faithful part in telling the story that changes lives.
