Global News & Updates

Nestled in Ecuador’s Amazon region, Misahualli is a vital river port with connections to Tena city in the Napo province. A four-hour drive from Ecuador’s capital, Quito, and with a population of 5400, Misahualli was also the site of a recent two-day Life Principles Conference. Hosted at the UNPES Baptist Camp, the conference attracted 37 individuals, mainly from Amazonian communities. We later had the privilege of visiting three local community churches.

Earlier this year, 62 pastors and leaders attended a Life Principles Conference in the county of Tierralta, located in the Cordoba province of Colombia.

In Touch ministry partner Pastor Nicolas Duarte took the initiative to organize the conference after playing a vital role in last year’s event. He and Pastor Astedien Diaz, as well as their wives, helped gather the leaders from surrounding areas. The dedication of the attendees was evident, as some of them traveled up to eight hours to reach the conference site.

Duarte supplied the participants with Messengers and Life Principles materials, demonstrating his commitment to equipping and empowering rural pastors with valuable tools for their ministry. The attendees expressed their gratitude for the teachings and went home better equipped to meet the spiritual needs of their communities.

“We thank God for the great opportunity to teach Dr. Stanley’s Life Principles to this group of field pastors in the mountains of Tierralta, Cordova,” Duarte says, “We are willing to continue this, God’s work, through the most needed rural territories in Colombia.”

You read that right. Kilns. As in the places where bricks are made. Brick buildings provide protection against Pakistan’s hot, dry climate. Yet conditions within those kilns are anything but cool and comfortable.

Laborers entrapped in cycles of debt work in extreme conditions to repay loans taken from kiln owners at exorbitant interest rates. Despite working 12-14-hour days, their meager wages make it impossible to escape poverty, no matter how many bricks they produce. Not to mention, rampant child labor and exploitation further perpetuates the cycle of poverty, robbing them of a brighter future.

Many of these people have little to no knowledge of Jesus Christ. While Christianity isn’t illegal in Pakistan, it’s not particularly welcomed or celebrated, and many are persecuted for their faith. That’s why we partner with ministries that focus on reaching kiln owners, performing acts of kindness for them and their workers. Because when the owners come to a saving knowledge of Christ, everyone benefits.

On a recent trip, a team from In Touch had the privilege of hearing the miraculous conversion stories of several new believers and saw many be baptized. They also visited the site where our ministry partners are building a discipleship center and equipped them with Messengers in the Urdu language to help new Christians grow in their relationship with Jesus. One ministry partner said, “We are so thankful for your partnership in making life-changing projects like this possible.”

We’re grateful to the Lord and partners like you for helping us take the gospel to every continent, using every technology available. Your prayers and partnership are a constant encouragement to us. May the Lord continue to lead us, together, as we seek new opportunities to share the gospel!

Believers living in predominantly Muslim communities often face rejection and hardship. For Aringa believers in the Yumbe District of Uganda, 90% of the people around them are Muslim.

And the other 10%? They believe in witchcraft.

One Aringa woman had been living a promiscuous lifestyle and as a result had six children with different fathers. But when one of her partners shared the gospel with her, she accepted God’s gift of love and salvation.

After her profession of faith, she still struggled with the consequences of her past and feared persecution. She moved far from the Yumbe District, away from the Muslim community and therefore her own children. But after receiving a Messenger device via In Touch ministry partner Calvary Road Ministries, she now expresses her faith more freely. Dr. Stanley’s messages along with encouragement from a Baptist church in Entebbe emboldened her to share her testimony.

Here is a portion of her story in her own words:

“My silence and disappearance disturbed my children so much and they asked the father of two of my children, a Christian by faith, to look for me. When he reached out to me in order to find why I’m isolating myself from my people and my own children, I told him I fear being persecuted for converting to Christianity.

The father of the kids then went to the Baptist Church leadership in Yumbe to narrate my ordeal. He obtained for me a Messenger with complete Bible text in English and Arabic. There is also Christian teaching (messages by Dr. Stanley) of great value to me in the Messenger. Since the time I received the Messenger and a Bible from your church and ministry, I have been able to locate a Baptist church in Entebbe.

I asked for another Messenger which I sent to my children. I strongly believe the Messenger is playing a great role in bridging the gap between me and my children. I am most grateful for having received the Messenger. I cannot thank God and your church enough. I live by the grace of God and far away from my children. May God in his abundance bless you greatly.”

An estimated 8,000 of the protestant churches in the Philippines are located in the city of Balagtas. But many of the pastors and church leaders there have been leading their congregations with little more than a willing spirit, and were in need of biblical teaching and guidance.

Pastor Alan Ambrocio, a Baptist leader in the area, wanted to provide ministry support for them, so he helped In Touch Ministries host a Life Principles conference in Balagtas.

We trained 44 pastors and 40 church leaders over two days. Each attendee received a Messenger and a Life Principles Tablet with Dr. Stanley’s foundational teachings and other biblical resources to help them lead their churches and communities.

One of the pastors, Dr. Ruben Flor, expressed his gratitude for the conference: “For a long time, we have been waiting for such teachings like the Life Principles. Our churches are in deep need of these refreshing fundamentals. Please come back to bless more pastors the way we have been blessed.”

As our local indigenous partners in Chad put it, we’ve now got a “big fish in the net!”

This “big fish” is a former Islamic leader from an Arabic tribe who had become dissatisfied with his religion. He struggled with the concept of Muhammad as a “Unique Creation” and longed to know more about the person of Jesus Christ. He began to search for someone who could tell him more about Him.

He met a member of World Mission who led him into a personal relationship with Jesus and gave him an In Touch Messenger full of Dr. Stanley’s messages and Scripture in both Arabic and French. Now, this man’s passion is to spread his newfound knowledge of Jesus with his community.

We rejoice over this man’s salvation and ask for your fervent prayers, as our partner from World Mission noted, “Please pray for him because he is going to face persecution due to his religious status. Pray that God will give us wisdom in helping him to grow in his faith. Pray that God will provide for his upkeeping.”

We recently had the privilege of hosting a Life Principles Conference in partnership with EMDC, a networking community with the goal of equipping the body of Christ to communicate the gospel in culturally-relevant ways, leading to transformed lives.

Fifteen pastors and missionaries attended the conference in Saint Lucia, Mexico. We gave each attendee a Messenger, a mini SD card, and a tablet to aid them in leading their congregations and spreading the gospel. Everyone was grateful for the opportunity to be enriched by such foundational biblical principles.

One of the participants, Pastor Javier Hidalgo, said, “I came to the conference asking, ‘What else could [I] be taught in my life after a long time being a pastor?’ I was wrong. It was a refreshing experience of foundations that I already knew but had forgotten to apply. Thank you, Dr. Stanley and In Touch Ministries.”

Many missionaries have helped to grow the Church in Chile. However, what were once large churches have fractured into smaller ones over the years due to a lack of strong leadership, and the pastors and church leaders of these newer, smaller churches have been in desperate need of training in order to lead their congregations.

That’s why we’re so grateful to have recently joined with one of these small churches in Santiago to host a Life Principles Conference. A total of 25 pastors and church leaders from the surrounding areas received training along with a Life Principles Bible, a Messenger, and a tablet.

Pastor Sergio Diaz conveyed his gratitude for the training when he said, “For a long time, we have been craving to explain and teach the truth of the Word. Thank you, Dr. Stanley, for reaching us with this refreshing conference.”

We recently had the privilege of visiting Chimaltenango, Guatemala, where 25 local pastors eagerly received biblical teachings, Life Principles tablets, and Messengers at a Life Principles Conference. They felt both refreshed and challenged to share what they learned with their congregations.

One pastor, Glendy de Suruy, expressed his appreciation and zeal for the Lord when he said, “I am so grateful for In Touch Ministries for sharing these resources with us. I am not worthy of such a gift. This will forever impact my life.”

Santa Fe de Ralito, Colombia, is the rural home of parliament leader Salvatore Mancuso and many other influential political leaders. We thank God that Christians have gained favor with these leaders due to their testimony for Christ, and over 800 small churches have been developed in the area.

We recently partnered with the Christian group “Friends of Ezra” ​​to share biblical teachings with 35 pastors at a Life Principles Conference in the city. We provided them with Messengers and Life Principles tablets so they could gain biblical knowledge and continue guiding their congregations.

Regarding the conference, Pastor Jairo Mesa said, “I thank God for renewing my strength in ministerial life … I pray that God will continue blessing other pastors as we have been blessed.”

While the small town of San Carlos, Colombia, is spiritually rich and central to a well-organized group of pastors, the community lacks financial resources and the access to formal education, and church leaders have struggled to understand important foundational truths.

Thankfully, with the help of Christian group “Friends of Ezra,” we were recently able to train 39 pastors and church leaders to better share the foundational principles of faith with their congregations at a Life Principles Conference in San Carlos. We also gave each participant a Messenger and a Life Principles tablet—both loaded with Scripture and Dr. Stanley’s teachings—to help them continue growing in knowledge and wisdom.

According to Pastor Einer Lopez, the conference helped the church leaders better understand God’s Word and put to rest many of their doubts.

One of our ministry partners and his team at World Mission shared the gospel with a group of 22 internally displaced persons (IDPs). These people live in a camp for those who have been forced to flee their homes and are therefore essentially refugees within their own country.

The team gave the IDPs Messengers full of Dr. Stanley’s sermons and scripture in the Burmese and Nepali languages. One day, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they spent 8 hours sharing the story of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. Among the 22 refugees who heard the gospel, 14 of them accepted Jesus as their Savior and 10 of them were baptized immediately after. Hallelujah! We praise the Lord for saving these precious souls!

Remember them in prayer as they seek to follow Jesus while facing political turmoil and various hardships.

What happens when you feel called to ministry but don’t have the tools or preparation to teach others? Our Life Principles Conference helped 70 pastors in Siguatepeque, Honduras receive valuable teachings and a tablet with Scripture and Dr. Stanley’s sermons so they can lead their members.

A group of 22 pastors from the surrounding cities of Tirana, Albania received two full days of teaching at our Life Principles Conference. After becoming more familiar with Dr. Stanley’s teachings, they were spurred on to continue sharing the good news with their congregations.

We’re equipping church leaders across Islam-dominant Macedonia to teach their congregations through the Life Principles Conference. After receiving teachings and a tablet at a conference in Ohrid, the 21 attendees felt grateful for the support they received. Angel Pavlovi, a church leader in Macedonia, said “this event was very encouraging and thoughtful.”

With the help of tools like the Torch and the Messenger, we’re reaching South Sudan with the gospel. See how the people of this young African nation are receiving the good news of Jesus Christ in their heart language of Juba Arabic.

Get the latest updates about the In Touch Messenger Lab and its impact so far this year. Click the downloadable PDF below to learn more about our global efforts.

We hosted a group of 8 pastors and leaders in the Atlanta metro area for the first time to share the Life Principles training. They were all international pastors from different parts of the world and we had the opportunity to invest in them, train them, and equip them to go back and train other pastors and leaders.

“As new missionaries,” said attendee Erica Campbell, “we are grateful for any resources that will better equip us to serve leaders and believers around the world.”

We had the opportunity to work with a great group of pastors in Meru, Kenya. Our team coordinator, Doris Marete, facilitated all the details and really made this conference a success!

Attendee Samuel Kithole of Kilifi, Kenya, said, “Thank you for teaching me the Life Principles! My intimate relationship with the Lord is closer because of it.”

We hosted Life Principles Conferences in Reynosa, Mexico, and McAllen, Texas, back in July 2021. We had over 45 pastors in both locations and God did amazing things throughout the conference.

Among the group of pastors in Reynosa Mexico, was Pastor Rafael Cantú, a seminarian who was to become a Catholic Priest. But recently, he received the call to preach the gospel in a small Spanish community. He was invited to attend the Life Principles Conference and was moved to go. He was hesitant, but decided to go anyway. He was looking for an opportunity to learn something because he was worn-out and discouraged.

He said, “The Life Principles Conference was a great experience where I had a fresh encounter with Christ, and the fact that we have to live as true Christians.”

We were able to travel to Harare, Zimbabwe, to hold a Life Principles Conference for three days. Twenty pastors from the surrounding area Epworth, Harare, attended.

One attendee, Buhe, said, “The Life Principles course was extremely valuable not only to me but to all the leaders present. I love that it touched on the integral parts of a leader’s life and challenged the way we live. The course reminded us that it’s not about what we say or preach but it’s about allowing the Lord to develop that Christ-like character in us. Most conferences teach us what to do, but this one taught us what to be!”