Posts by Jordan Borchers
House Churches in the Dominican Republic
Late 80s, Dominican Republic – eighteen-year-old Felix Abreu sits, entranced by the words of his bible study teacher. It feels like he was being introduced to Jesus all over again. He could barely keep up. How is that this teacher has only been in an evangelical seminary for two years? Felix spent four years in…
Read MoreMinistering to One of America’s Most Dangerous Reservations
Wind River, Wyoming is a reservation with incredible people, plagued by two heartbreaking issues: post-colonialism and meth. It’s the fifth largest Native American reservation by population. Almost 27,000 people live on the reservation, and around 12,000 of them are from the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. The community has a horrific colonial history. In…
Read MoreGiving Language to the Voiceless
“Do you know anyone in this village who’s deaf?” It’s a question Jessie and her team ask regularly in rural areas of Honduras. The person at the door tells them about a deaf gentleman who lives with his parents and gives them directions to find his home. “Do you know his name?” Jessie also asks.…
Read MoreEaster: Reacting to the Resurrection
John 20:2. Mary goes to the tomb and sees that it’s empty. She runs to Simon Peter and the other disciple John, the disciple who Jesus loved, the disciple who never used his own name, and said “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid Him.” It’s incredible…
Read MoreGood Friday: God of the Third Day
There are many beautiful things about the Easter story that starts on this dark and sorrowful day we call Good Friday, and one of the best is that this is a three day story. Throughout the bible there are many stories that you can group together by how many days pass in the story.…
Read MorePalm Sunday: Look at God!
This Sunday is called Jesus’ triumphal entry. It’s described in all four gospel accounts. We look at it and we say, “Wow! Look at them waving the palm branches and yelling hosanna! They’re welcoming Him as the king!” Luke 19:41 says “As they came closer to Jerusalem he saw the city ahead and he began…
Read MoreChallenging Students of All Faiths
“I’m converting to Mormonism.” Bailey Palmer’s heart sinks into the ground. He could barely recognize Jeremy*. Jeremy came to Campus Ambassadors as a new Christian, ready to be discipled. He was curious and excited, diving deep into God’s word with Bailey every week. “Are tattoos a sin? What about marijuana?” he would ask. He wanted…
Read MoreMinistering to International Students
“In Christianity, can a boyfriend and girlfriend sleep together before they are married?” Ahmed’s eyes are sincere. He’s never met a Christian before and has many questions. Steven Jones shakes his head. “No. Christianity teaches sex is only for marriage.” Confusion paints Ahmed’s face. “But there are many Americans who live together or have children,…
Read MoreEducating Mexico’s Next Ministry Leaders
“Mama?” Ramon’s mother looks up from her sewing. She’s sitting on the step of their front door. “Yes, mijo.” “Who made everything?” Ramon was only in six years old, but he was already pondering life’s biggest questions. How did man come to be? Is there a creator? “God did,” his mother replies. She points to…
Read MoreMissionary Bob Lehman on Praying for Ukraine and God’s Sovereignty
Message from President Rick Miller on Ukraine and the Moseychuk’s
Urgent Prayer for Ukrainian Missionaries
We are asking for prayer for our Ukrainian missionaries, Alexander and Svetlana Moseychuk. At 4 a.m. this morning, Thursday February 24th, Russia invaded Ukraine. Alexander reports that Russian rockets have attacked many Ukrainian cities and airports. On the front lines, over fifty people have already died. Alexander’s church and home is in Bakhmut, around 12 miles away…
Read MoreBringing Jesus to the Native Honduran Mountain Communities
The light from the projector flickers on the enchanted villagers’ faces. They’re huddled close together, sitting outside on the grass or in chairs. Many of the communities in the Honduran mountains don’t have electricity, so an animated movie brings much excitement. On the screen is a Man with a complexion like theirs. They gasp when…
Read MoreCollege Ministry in Hermosillo, Mexico
“Highest paying jobs.” A young student in the University of Sonora Googles these words and presses enter on his keyboard. He didn’t even have to complete his thought – the phrase popped up immediately as he typed the words. A plethora of results appear on his screen. Anesthesiologist, general physician, OBGYN. All with salaries over…
Read MoreEquipping Refugees to be Missionaries in Their Homeland
Liberia, 1989 — Torli shoots up from his bed at four in the morning, wide awake and in a cold sweat. He hears fists pound heavily onto his door and windows. Barely breathing, he sits still in the darkness as his heart nearly beats out of his chest. “Open up! Come out!” voices bellow from…
Read MoreHome Away From Home
On a cool night in Oregon, Karmann lounges back in a hammock, feeling the waves of heat from the firepit nearby warming her body. Several of her roommates sit relaxed around her. They munch on popcorn, sip coffee, crack jokes, and have serious conversations about life’s deepest questions. Her eyes land on Anna, a young…
Read MoreGetting College Students in Church
A young woman sits bundled up in a car, watching orange and red painted trees speed by through the window. She’s a freshman at the University at Buffalo and around six hours away from home. She got connected with Campus Ambassadors and started attending Bible studies and on-campus worship. Now, she’s being given a ride…
Read MoreTo the Ends of the Earth – Missionary to the Amazon
Lush, green trees envelope a small riverboat crossing the brown Amazon. Fish jump from the river and splash back down, possibly Arowana. A river dolphin peaks its long beak out of the water and in the distance, Elmer can see a large bird that looks like a stork or heron walking. But Elmer Terrazas isn’t…
Read MoreFrom Joseph Smith to Jesus Christ
“I see you’re from Utah. Are you a Mormon?” Marv Cowan was checking into a motel in St. Louis when he was asked that question by the desk attendant, Bill. As a Christian missionary to the Latter-Day Saints (LDS), he was used to being the one who asked that question. “I used to be. I’m…
Read MoreA New Year’s Eve Note From Rick Miller
Happy New Year’s Eve! In case you missed our video yesterday, here’s a note from President Rick Miller. As the year comes to close, it’s a great time for us to pause and reflect about 2021. It’s been another hard challenging year for many people and many of us. And yet in the midst…
Read MoreThe Power of Indigenous Missionaries
Did you know indigenous missionaries have increased church planting by 300%? As you consider how you can support missionaries next year, think about indigenous missionaries — Cambodian missionaries in Cambodia, Guatemalan Missionaries in Guatemala, etc. These are missionaries who are from the country they’re ministering in. They know the language, culture, and care deeply for…
Read MoreHighlights from 2021
Director of campus ministries, Ryan Miller, goes over all the incredible stories we’ve shared about our missionaries. If you’ve missed any, check them out below! Edwin Colon — the Recovery House of Worship Luis Magandi — Guatemala Paul Ameen — apologist to Muslims Ben Joseph — international students Mottel Baleston — Messianic Jew Radha Manickam…
Read MoreThe Gift of Christmas
When we read the story of the Magi who visited Jesus after He was born, we learn three things about giving. Watch our director of campus ministries, Ryan Miller, share those three things and see how you can apply them this season! God bless you, Missions Door
Read MoreThe Student With Blue Hair
Chris’s phone pinged. It was Madelyn. She was trying to find him amongst the sea of college students. He laughed. It shouldn’t be too hard to pick out the only senior citizen in the plaza. His metal chair grated against the concrete as he pushed it back and stood to be more visible. After the…
Read MoreFleeing War and Meeting a Missionary
Hot bright flames pour out from a city bus, swallowed whole by molten-orange clouds of smoke. Steel drips like candlewax onto a floor of shattered glass. Clouds of gray climb to the sky, painting the vehicle an ash-black. It looks like a volcano, erupting and spewing lava right in the middle of an El Salvadorian…
Read MoreHelping Students Overcome Fear
Tyler Stibrich watched Conner sit down excitedly and spread out his notes. “Guys, this is gonna be awesome!” Conner exclaimed. “We’ll have the zombie team start here and the humans over there.” Pointing to the next page, he continued, “And I found these squirt guns that will work perfectly.” Their game board and snack bowls had been…
Read MoreHappy Thanksgiving from Missions Door!
Our director of campus ministries, Ryan Miller, has a special Thanksgiving message to share with you! We would love to hear directly from you what you’re most thankful for this year. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving this weekend! God bless you, Missions Door
Read MoreThere at the Right Moments
Elizabeth Cernoia sighed. Her student had cancelled. Now she was at campus hours early for no reason. It wouldn’t make sense to go all the way back home and come back to Fitchburg State just a few hours later, so she’d just need to kill some time. She had some reading she needed to get…
Read MoreSowing in Cambodia’s Killing Fields
Cambodia, 1973 – a young man wakes up in darkness. It’s three a.m. and he’s lying down on the hard floor of a semi-truck, enveloped by the pungent smell of raw fish. Radha Manickam is twenty years old and was kicked out of his father’s home a few months ago. He could put up with…
Read MoreSo That Israel May Be Saved
Deep melodic Hebrew rings clearly in the room, the words of the prophet Jeremiah reaching every ear. A white canopy stretches overhead like a cloud, and underneath it a young man lifts his foot to stomp on a piece of cloth, crumpled on the floor. The glass carefully wrapped inside shatters with a thrilling pop,…
Read MoreThe Scam That Led to Salvation
Ben Joseph was the son of a Hindu to Christian convert, born in Kerala, India. While he was raised going to church, he wasn’t interested in any spiritual matters. In the 70s, he began working for a businessman who assisted in sending people to the United States and Canada. The man promised Ben that he…
Read MoreThe Muslim Apologist Overwhelmed by Christian Love
Ahmed was born in 1969 in Alexandria, Egypt to a devout Muslim family. In college, he co-founded the Voice of America radio station fan club. After serving in the military, he began preparing to be a Muslim apologist. Because of his work with Voice of America, he was given a grant to come to Washington,…
Read MoreTo Reach Lost Boys Like Me
Luis Magandi and his family live in Melchor, Guatemala—a village on the Belizean border. They run a small pizza shop to help support their church-planting ministry. Last week, a young man named Estuardo walked into their shop hoping to find work. As they talked, Estuardo revealed to Luis that he had just left his home…
Read MoreThe Recovery House of Worship – a Church Started by Drug Addicts
Edwin Colon is the co-founder and pastor of the Recovery House of Worship in Brooklyn, New York. He describes his church as a refuge for the marginalized and his congregation being filled with murderers, prostitutes, and drug addicts. But Edwin tells his church regularly that he’s the worst sinner of them all. Edwin’s downward spiral…
Read MoreWonderful Time of the Year
Listen to the story! As I was driving to the church, the Andy Williams’ song came on the radio. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I looked down the poverty-stricken streets full of mud and shacks made of wood scraps and cardboard. “Do the people of Valle Verde feel it’s the most…
Read MoreA God-Inspired Love for Big Cities
For as long as he can remember, Mark Marchak has always loved big cities—the people, the diversity, the hustle and bustle. It was a passion for him to visit major cities, and he was especially drawn to New York City where he grew up as a third generation American from Russian immigrants. Living through the…
Read MoreHurricane Iota Mercilessly Follows Eta’s Path in Central America
Hurricane Eta slammed into Central America, with sustained winds of 140 mph. Near the center, it is estimated that the winds reached upward of 190 mph, making this one of the strongest storms on record in the Northern Atlantic. Just 13 days later, while families and communities are still overwhelmed with tremendous loss, Hurricane…
Read MoreThe Guatemala Story: How God used One Family to Impact a Nation for Christ & His Kingdom
How does God work in our world? Throughout history, God has called and empowered ordinary people to follow Him and impact the world with the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Guatemala story is no different. One family in Guatemala holds this testimony, as their obedient steps of faith opened the door…
Read MoreA Bridge between Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Along the highways and inside the towns, signs are posted to encourage people in the Navajo Nation to stay home. “STAY HOME, PROTECT YOUR FAMILY”, many of them say. Aggressive measures and curfews have taken place among the Navajo people to protect themselves from the virus. Even so, COVID-19 hit the nation’s rural people particularly…
Read MoreFollowing a Divine Path
The Lord has been carefully preparing him for the next step throughout his life. Now, at Missions Door, we are thrilled to announce John Benza as the newest member of our Strategic And Leadership Team (SALT). John comes from a background of quick acceleration in the business world as well as ministry. After faithfully following…
Read MoreDo Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly
Marv and Denise Robinson met while working at an office together, and when the Lord intertwined their hearts’ desire to work at a children’s ministry, their love for each other blossomed. Marv proposed on a busy bus in New York City, and in 1975, they were married. Appointed in 1980, Marv and Denise have just…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Among Campus Ministry
Learning to adapt has been the anthem in many of our lives over the past few months, and universities are certainly not immune. Fervent efforts by Campus Ambassadors, such as missionary Devynn Brankel, have gone toward adapting to the new normal under the shroud of COVID-19 and encouraging university students to continue pursuing the Lord…
Read MoreA New Reality
In a country already paralyzed by environmental devastation and economic turmoil, Haitians are just not ready for the despair that Covid-19 brings. It’s a troubling time for people and the church across the country. But with despair comes a stubborn thirst for hope, and wills that are ready to surrender to something bigger, something greater,…
Read MoreMentoring and Discipling Amid Crisis
While working in a soup kitchen one day in March, Lisa Brownlie overheard members of five families in line for food say they had lost their jobs that day. They are definitely not alone. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread and tighten its grip on the United States, economists surveyed by The Wall Street…
Read MoreMy Fruit Grows on Your Tree
Paul and Jean Biggers have a very pragmatic approach with their amazing ministry that’s been helping people find and follow Jesus for more than 20 years of service with Missions Door. “We intentionally make time and space to connect with people who do not know God, and in a non-threatening environment,” Paul says. An evening…
Read MoreBreaking the Silence with a Message of Hope
When Morgen Cash speaks of the men, women and children she ministers to, she refers to them as “our Beloveds.” She says it in a reverent tone with an earnestness so powerful it’s as though she’s wrapping her arms around each of them in an embrace of divine love and acceptance. She longs for them…
Read MoreShepherding ‘Hidden Christians’ in the US & Japan
As Phil Waters transitions into semi-retirement, he remains in awe of God’s power as he reflects on the success of a career dedicated in service to Christ and the Japanese population both here and abroad. After serving as missionaries in Japan for just under ten years, Phil and Sharyn Waters were appointed by Missions Door…
Read MoreAdvent—Expectantly Waiting for His Coming
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. . .Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:10,14 Advent is about waiting—an expectant waiting for His coming. Children can hardly wait to open the next window in the…
Read MoreReaching the Unreachable Children
When you love someone, you will do anything for them. Jesus Christ puts that in our hearts. That belief is very much a part of the spiritual DNA that drives Patricia Bunk. “I have always loved children who don’t have anything,” says Patti, who became a missionary with Missions Door in 2011 and three years…
Read MoreA Goal to Plant 100 Churches in 2020
Like a mighty army, moves the Church of God. Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided. All one body we — one in hope and doctrine, one in charity. Those words — the third verse of the beloved hymn Onward, Christian Soldiers — come immediately to mind as Rigoberto…
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