Author: Trish Duggan
Some have likened Karamoja to the “Wild West” or referred to it as the “Ugandan Wilderness.” In this region there is a great need for the light of the Gospel to shine forth in the area’s culture and in the hearts of its people. Situated in the middle of it all is the OPC Karamoja Mission Station. The OPC Mission
by Rich Bout, URCNA Missions Coordinator Many of us do not know where to start with the idea of bringing the gospel to a place we have never been. Cross-Cultural Missions Training (CCMT) is a one-month program that takes young men and women aged 18+ through two weeks of Bible teaching and cultural and language immersion followed by two weeks of service in
Emily Bowman, who served in Karamoja, Uganda for one month, shares about her experience on the field: I’d like to say it was life-changing. The experience was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Living among a culture of people on the mission compound and the surrounding area was so completely different yet such an amazing experience. I am so thankful
“There is no way to even start to understand life here without being here. Living here, seeing how the mission operates—it’s been enjoyable and eye-opening,” says Jed Homan, Missionary Associate at the OP Uganda Mission. Jed is beginning his third month of work in Nakaale, Karamoja, Uganda and reports that it has been satisfying to be able to make progress
by Allison Hill, Short Term Missions Administrative Assistant “Gospel-sharing starts right where you are, and it goes out from there. Evangelism isn’t reserved for far-away mission trips—evangelism should be a part of the Christian’s daily life,” says Tyler Detrick, pastor of Light of the Nations OPC in Dayton, Ohio. This convicting statement is not mere sentiment for Pastor Detrick but
by Allison Hill, OPC Short Term Missions Administrative Assistant As each summer day comes to its end in Wildwood, New Jersey, the sun fades and is almost seamlessly replaced by twinkling fluorescent bulbs all along the boardwalk. Running the length of Wildwood beach, the boardwalk attracts vacationers with two-and-a-half miles of enticingly aromatic food, boisterous music, carnival games, and intriguing
Dave shares his experience serving at the Chapel, including the opportunities he has had with the youth from his church and with teens on the boardwalk. “The teaching at the Chapel is definitely Gospel-centered. It’s speaking the truth to others, and the need to speak it in love. Not argumentative, not from a place above them because we’re sinners just
This year was Claire Vanderwey’s second time serving at the Boardwalk Chapel and she was thrilled to have personally shared the gospel with multiple people on the boardwalk. Claire says, “I have had quite a few conversations where people are just so interested. They really wanted to hear, asked really good questions, were genuinely interested, and left with a Bible
Two brothers, Justin and Luke, have spent many summers serving at the Chapel and are confident their faith has been strengthened because of it. They share their favorite things about the chapel, and why they keep coming back. Justin: “My favorite thing about the Chapel is that our efforts to evangelize are steeped in prayer. It helps the kids see
By Anne-Marie Coulombe, Reformed Christian Church of Beauce (ERCB) Coordinator Cue the slow-motion scene with music by Vangelis, “Chariots of Fire.” Moses crosses the red sea and Pharaoh’s army is swallowed up after him. The skit captivates the attention of the children after being told the story of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites in delivering them from the Egyptians. Later
Sunday afternoon a lite rain passed over our house. A few minutes later, our son Kaelan called out, “There is a rainbow!” What a nice way to end our English for Kids Bible camp about Noah and the rainbow. When we went outside to look, there were in fact two rainbows! There is story behind the two rainbows. During our second summer
Every year since 2003 Olivia Durham particularly anticipates one single week in July. Though her anticipation is hedged with excitement, it is preceded by hundreds of hours of preparation. Olivia, member of Covenant OPC in Barre, Vermont, leads “English For Kids” (often referred to as E4K), a week-long children’s camp in Quebec, Canada. The camp, organized in partnership with The Reformed Christian Church
No doubt you’ve noticed the near-depleted list of short-term mission opportunities the past two years due to COVID restrictions. But praise the Lord, things seem to be changing and we’re encouraged! According to the travel site, Kayak, as of November 24, 2021, the borders of five countries are now open, with no restrictions. 166 countries’ borders are open, with limited
by David NakhlaAdministrator of the Committee on Diaconal MinistriesAs we come to the end of hurricane season and into Thanksgiving season, it’s our privilege this year to give thanks to the Lord for his kind response to those pleas for mercy lifted up at the beginning of what was predicted to be an active hurricane season. 2021 was in fact
by Emma Nakhla member of Calvary OPC, Glenside, PA The flashy, noisy boardwalk of Wildwood, New Jersey is far from physically dark, but it desperately needs to see the light of the gospel, and the Boardwalk Chapel provides this in such a unique and important way. The Boardwalk Chapel has just wrapped up another fruitful summer! Over 175 Chapel volunteers representing
by Trish Duggan OPC Short-Term Missions and Disaster Response Communications Coordinator Summer conjures up thoughts of longer, warmer, less stressful days. On paper it can appear to be a less productive time, but the somewhat slower pace allows for the Committee on Diaconal Ministries to concentrate on some crucial, behind the scenes work, as their duties continue to expand. David Nakhla, in addition to his duties
The first ever Boardwalk Chapel Street Preaching Conference has come to a close. Over 4 days, up to 25 people have been trained in street preaching and evangelism and have gone out onto the Boardwalk. People seeking to grow in evangelism traveled from as far as Alabama and Georgia, and from closer to home: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. The faithful preaching of
By Trish Duggan The quick answer is, of course, yes, if at all possible. With all the government mandates across the world, we’ve all slowly become accustomed to “sheltering in place”, not seeing friends, not having an opportunity to fellowship and we’ve spent more time inside watching tv or on our devices. And we know that if we aren’t actively
by Tom Pfeil 2020 Evangelism Coordinator, The Boardwalk Chapel, Wildwood, NJ It is important to understand that what makes the evangelism joys so sweet is the repetitive rejection that we experience often while witnessing. Often in preaching, I will hear preachers speak of instances when “God moved.” The Bible teaches us that God the Holy Spirit is always proactive when
This year has been… unprecedented? Has anyone said that before? The large difficulties and uncertainties have magnified the small ones and made the whole year feel like one big disaster.
by Trish Duggan, Communication Coordinator, OPC Short-Term Missions and Disaster Response (From our April, 2020 STORM Report) Our usual April issue of conveying the plans and excitement for short-term mission trips are in many ways, not the same this year; it just can’t be. Although some teams are still prayerfully planning summer work, some have made the very tough decision
How Can You Pray for Our Missionaries? As some of our fields anticipate not being able to welcome teams and friends this summer as they normally do, would you commit to pray for each of our missionaries? Feel free to use the schedule below, if you find it helpful: Week of April 22: for the Boardwalk Chapel as they prepare for
No doubt there are many wondering today what the coming summer holds, even though it’s just a few short months away. Will I graduate? Can I take my family vacation? Will I still be in school given all the time lost? Will I still have a job? Can I even leave my home? And some readers of the STORM Report might be wondering, will I
OPC Missionary Ben Hopp writes: After almost two years in the planning, we were finally able to host a construction team to complete the Kaliko Roofing Project. Unrest in the past required this team to be canceled twice. We are thankful that the Lord provided a safe window for the team, coming mainly from Wisconsin OP churches, to complete the project.
Update as of March 19, 2020 English Camp in the Czech Republic The team is full! Team coordinator, Sherry Wagner reports, “They are now in the throes of lesson planning. This is a major undertaking since our camp will minister to about 120 Czechs. We will provide morning English lessons, afternoon activities and evening programs during the week of camp.
Thanks to the Coronavirus, we’re all facing many unknowns. How thankful we can be for Christ’s perfect knowledge of the future! We are not sure what the OPC short-term mission trip landscape will be in 2020, but we continue to work with mission fields on plans. If your summer is now a big question mark, too, hang with us! We