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TMM History: 1995
Jerome Mathe was the first. I met him
on the side of the road, having been pulled over in order to greet him.
He and his family had just arrived from Zaire. As the cars whizzed by, he
greeted me with a bear hug while his wife Lusia greeted my wife
with the traditional “Mama”. Two vastly different life experiences,
his and mine, but both of us found we were united in one purpose. He
had come for further training with the view of becoming the director of
Lake Kivu Christian Center upon his return to Goma.
This ministry was committed of the Lake Kivu Christian Center
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Jerome Mathe Family
Serving in Goma, Dem. Republic of Congo |
upon his return to Goma. This ministry
was committed to training national pastors and their
families in establishing churches that would serve the needs of their
communities. The Center served as an ‘oasis’ during the Rwandan crisis
for 800,000 refugees. It was decimated by marauding factions during the
revolution, the tools and equipment stolen, the books destroyed, the
buildings and trees burnt for fuel or so others would not benefit by
them. The center was rebuilt under Jerome’s leadership with support from
the west and continues to serve today with graduating classes each year
averaging 30 or more pastors from the Congo and surrounding nations.
Tenacious commitment and vision – “faithful men teaching others also …”
Jerome was the first – others have followed.
In India, Kazakhstan, Romania, Nigeria, and Uganda, training centers and
benevolent ministries have been developed to meet the critical spiritual
and physical needs of the people. Faithful individuals and congregations
alike are partnering with international graduates of TMM in establishing
these ministry centers, congregations like Grace Church of DuPage
(Chicago, IL) and First Baptist Church (Brewster, NY).
These kinds of ministry partnerships are not
always easy. There are setbacks. Accountability has difficult challenges
in these arrangements, emphasizing the need for trust. Trust that is
built on observed integrity that grows out of a shared commitment to the
Word of God. The international candidate’s time in training at TMM
affords the opportunities to observe their heart as well as their
abilities.
Jerome & Lusia were the
first – Mikael & Yulia Pankov and Steven & Eva Mugomba are
the most recent, graduating this month. Pray for them as they return to
Almaty and Kampala and to ministries awaiting their
leadership. They expressed gratitude for the model of TMM and the
training they received here. For twenty five years, your prayers and
financial giving to TMM make this influence around the world
possible. Thank you for your help in establishing churches that make a
real difference!
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Year by Year Look Back
1979
Incorporated Mission Ready
in December;
North Carolina land found and purchased.
1980
January moved into rented
house in town; cleared road by hand; Jim and Barb Teasdale and
others arrived from college to help build first building; trading in
timber for lumber; Dan Teasdale rides motorcycle six miles to school
bus; October 8 first missionary couple sent to Kenya; first
single candidate.
1981
Easement secured and new road
began; bunk house constructed; Paul Teasdale has accident in sawmill;
Mission Ready board calls Jim Teasdale back from college to cover
for Paul while he recovers; Wheaton College brings group to work on
development of roads; four single candidates including one from
Australia and Germany.
1982
45 Wheaton College students
arrive in May to begin clearing for and constructing barn; six churches
spend a week at Mission Ready helping with work projects and
experiencing missions training; the lake site begins to be logged in
preparation of constructing a future darn; first missionary family
sent to Kenya as Mission Ready missionaries; first staff house
completed; two candidate families and one single candidate.
1983
Workshop / Training Center construction begins;
clearing and site preparation for lake
continues; three candidate families and three single candidates
including one family from Kenya.
1984
Workshop / Training Center dedicated in August;
all road development completed; Jim and
Barb Teasdale join Mission Ready staff as Administrative Director; one
candidate family.
1985
11 college and church groups
spend time at Mission Ready helping with development of training base
and learning about Biblical missions; four single candidates including
one from Kenya and Canada.
1986
Another family sent as
missionaries to Kenya; two more staff homes completed; two more staff
homes completed; acquired radio tower to begin broadcast WMBW Moody
Christian radio throughout the surrounding counties; two candidate
families.
1987
Mission Ready changes name
to The Master's Mission; two candidate cabins are completed;
Nigerian Youth Camp included as missionary project in Nigeria; one
single candidate.
1988
Two new families join TMM as
missionaries; the remainder of the twelve candidate cabins are
completed; one single candidate.
1989
TMM sends first missionary family to Zaire;
three families approved as missionaries
with TMM; one candidate family and three single candidates, including
two singles from Germany.
1990
The Bob Peaster family joins
staff; three new families accepted as TMM missionaries; three
candidate families including one from Israel.
1991
Three new families accepted as
TMM missionaries; third staff house completed; two candidate families
and four single candidates from Germany and Kenya.
1992
Dam fully completed by the fall;
six candidate families and two single
candidates, including one family from India, two families from Russia,
and one single from Germany.
1993
Lake completely filled by March;
David Blackney joins TMM staff as
Candidate Secretary; Marty Ritter and Dan Teasdale families join TMM
staff‑, TMM Germany established to send interested missionary families for
training; three candidate families.
1994
Two families accepted as TMM
missionaries; the Jeff Cole family joins TMM staff; two new buildings, the
Women's Technical Center/Laundry and the Guest House are completed;
two candidate families and one single, including one family and one single
from Germany.
1995
Four candidate families and one
single candidate including families from Zaire, Kenya, and India and a
single from Israel.
1996
One family added as missionary;
the David Olson family joins TMM staff‑, two candidate families and
two single candidates from Israel.
1997
Two families added as missionaries; TMM sends first missionary to
Kazakhstan; one candidate family and one single candidate.
1998
TMM sends first missionary family to Mexico;
two candidate families, including a
family from Romania, and one single candidate.
1999
TMM sends first missionary family to Romania;
two families added as TMM missionaries; 6
candidate families and one single candidate.
2000
Two families added as missionaries; two families and two singles
graduate from training program; HaChotam Publishing is born in
Israel under the direction of TMM missionary Eitan Kashtan; Adam and
Lyndy White establish first TMM missionary station in Alaska; Sola
Scriptura Romania, a project of TMM, begun and mission station established
in Romania.
2001
Three families added as missionaries; five families graduate from
training program
2002
Three families added as missionaries; four families graduate from
training program; Clarene Meyer family join the staff at TMM from Grace
Church of DuPage, IL; TMM missionary Scott Kamps, becomes director of
The Stable, a youth outreach ministry in Robbinsville, NC;
2003
One missionary family added; two families and one single candidate
graduate from training program;
25th
ANNIVERSARY
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