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I got the chance to talk and visit with our NTM missionaries, Ken and Michelle Klepper and Jennie Butler. In the course of the last 3 years the face of North Texas Missions has morphed significantly and in other ways it has remained constant.
The Kleppers are now well established in Governor’s Harbor, almost as if they had started there from the very beginning (which in many ways was their starting point from their years of coming to Eleuthera on teams).
It was fun to hear all about their ministry opportunities and how those endeavors are being supported by their local church. Then there are always those never-ending challenges with living on an island, the plumbing, the electricity, the termites, oh my!!!
The thing I found most significant in talking with Ken was how his past relationships with Bahamians have current and future implications for ministry. As this fact is true in all settings in life, it ought to be more intentional on the mission field and I believe that God is and has built strong networks for the Kleppers. It was fantastic to see how they’ve integrated their lives into the community. I got to be an observer (and briefly assistant coach) for Ken’s weekly soccer club in Governor’s Harbor. No doubt those hours on the soccer field will one day turn into more important relationships and the network that God is designing for His message and His church.
Jennie too has been further deepening her integration into the Bahamian culture as she got married this past August. Currently she is following God’s leading for ministry opportunities in her community and has identified many of the difficulties of working in a non-Christian environment. It is these specific settings where the church is designed to be that refuge and support, and I’m confident that her relationships with other believers will continue to bear that out.
I give God thanks for the grounding He has provided for our two remaining missionary families. No doubt the future will hold many ups and downs, and we trust that even though the work has shifted locations over the years the main goal of making disciples through God’s power and enablement continues.