Ministry Newsletter

Dear Friends:

The apostle Paul said he was so overwhelmed by the difficulties he experienced in Ephesus that he “despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8). I’ve never had to face stress like that—but I will admit that there have been some tough days recently. I’ve never been more grateful for the prayers of friends and intercessors. Thank you for standing with us in this work.

Below you can see my disciple Eric Nzohabonayo, who is from the nation of Birundi. I’ve been mentoring him long distance for six years, and then he joined me on my recent trip to Uganda. Since he came home he is very passionate about discipleship. In the photo below you can see that he’s using my book “Let’s Go Deeper” to disciple people from his church.

Eric has also caught the vision of The Mordecai Project, and he is planning to start a project for disadvantaged women in the capital city of Bujumbura. He has already identified a number of women who want to be trained in tailoring. He plans to open a women’s center soon, and he and his wife plan to disciple the women as well. I love seeing my younger disciples picking up the mantle and carrying on with this work. Please pray for Eric, and pray that we can raise the $10,000 needed to launch the project.

Below you can see that we are well on our way to completing the women’s empowerment center in Pakistan. Our directors continue with monthly outreaches to the women, providing food, discipleship and vocational training. Once the building is completed we will have a tailoring school, and the women will also be learning how to make tote bags and other items they can sell.

In early March I traveled to Norris City, Illinois, to minister at The Roads Church. Below you can see me with Pastor Chad Everett and his wife, Dawn. I was able to speak at two of the four congregations this church has planted. I love Chad’s vision to multiply churches in the rural towns of southern Illinois. This church has been a huge blessing to The Mordecai Project because they give monthly from their missions budget.

Last month I also taught for three days at Randy Clark’s Global School of Supernatural Ministry. For the past 16 years I have been teaching a course at GSSM on Biblical Foundations for Women in Ministry. This course is not only for women. It is helping men understand how we can fulfill the Great Commission faster by training and deploying women to serve in all levels of ministry. I am grateful for Randy Clark and his team for their commitment to biblical equality.

Also in March I went to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to do a weekend conference at a Russian-speaking congregation called Emmanuel Church. In case you didn’t know, there are almost 30 Slavic churches in the Greenville/Spartanburg area. Emmanuel has grown fast under the leadership of Pastor Dmitry Sarioglo, who came to this country from Moldova. You can see me below with his wife and family. I did a men’s retreat, a leadership event and a special Sunday service celebrating the church’s 19th anniversary. I am so grateful that I meet such amazing people.

I was so blessed to have a disciple with me on the Spartanburg trip. You can see me below with Deven Perez, who I met six years ago when he was a student at Emmanuel College in Georgia. Deven was a student in the Christian ministry program at Emmanuel, and now he serves as a youth pastor in the eastern region of South Carolina. It has been an honor to see Deven grow in his relationship with God and in his calling.

Also in March I went to northern New Jersey to lead a men’s retreat at Life Mission Worship Center, a church I have visited twice before. Pastor Abe Rolon and his wife, Flor, are doing an amazing job reaching young adults in the New Brunswick area. You can see from the photo below that most of the men at the retreat were in their 20s and 30s. I love investing in that age group because they are so eager to learn and grow. The Lord did a deep work in the men, and there was intense repentance and emotional healing.

Below you can see me with five teenagers who also came to the retreat in New Jersey. Four of these young men grew up without fathers, and many of the other guys at the event were also fatherless, or had fathers who were distant or abusive. On the last night of the retreat we had a special blessing ceremony, sort of like a bar mitzvah. I spoke a father’s blessing over the teens, and then I asked other older men to lay hands on the guys and bless them. Tears flowed and many of the men were deeply touched by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is turning the heart of the fathers to the sons!

My most recent trip was to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where I led a women’s event that was sponsored by Comunidad Cristiana, a thriving church in the capital city. During that event I preached from Numbers 27 about the daughters of Zelophehad, who received the father’s inheritance even though old traditions denied that blessing. Many women were healed and empowered. And on Sunday, the altars were full after I preached about how important it is for us to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit blazing in our hearts. Several people gave their hearts to Jesus for the first time that morning as well.

During the women’s retreat in Honduras, I preached a message about deliverance from fear. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully, and women testified that they were set free from fears and traumas they had suffered even from childhood. In Latin America, the devil has used sexual abuse and male-dominant attitudes to push women down. But today, an army of bold women is arising, and they are taking the gospel to their communities and beyond. I am so blessed to play a small role in mobilizing that army.

I have told you all before about my disciple Rodolfo Bermudez, who I have known since 2016. He is originally from Mexico, but last year he traveled with me to Honduras, and he met Isaac and Peggy Vilorio, the pastors of Comunidad Cristiana. Last year they asked Rodolfo if he would be open to moving to Tegucigalpa to serve as their youth pastor. He moved there in January with his wife, Cinthia, and their baby daughter. I was so happy to spend time with them while I was in Tegucigalpa. There is nothing more thrilling than to see a spiritual son step into his calling! Below you can see Rodolfo with Pastor Isaac and Pastora Peggy.

This year I’m writing my ninth book, and I’m almost halfway finished. It is called “A Life Poured Out: Twenty-two Leadership Lessons from the Apostle Paul.” What you see below is not an official cover; it’s just a mock-up I made to motivate me to finish. I’ve been digging deep in the Scriptures to learn more about the apostle Paul and his fascinating journey, and I look forward to sharing this message with you soon. Please pray for me as I dig, study and write. I feel I’m becoming a better leader as I examine Paul’s example more closely.

Here is my schedule for April:

April 6-9 Holy Spirit Conference at LifeChange Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

April 11-13 Weekend of ministry at Overflow City Church, Silver Spring, Maryland

April 21-15 Week of teaching at Slavic Missionary Bible School, Jacksonville, Fla.

Thank you again for your investment of prayer and finances. The needs are great. Please pray that God will raise up generous donors to help us raise $500,000 to complete our current projects. When I pray about our finances, I keep seeing a bank vault full of money that has been sitting there a long time, in reserve. I know funds have been set aside to provide this need. Please agree with us for the supernatural provision! I am also praying for the funds to rent or buy a small office building in LaGrange that will house a training facility for our missions interns.

To give to our overseas work, just hit the “Donate” button below and follow the prompts. To give by check, mail it to The Mordecai Project, P.O. Box 2781, LaGrange, GA 30241.