On a training trip to Quito, Ecuador, I heard one of our students share God’s work in her life as a result of our training in the Scriptures.
Her name is Amparo. She’s the wife of a pastor we work with in Quito who organizes training for his family of churches. When we asked Amparo how God has used our training in her life and ministry, her eyes perked up and she began to pour her heart for the next ten minutes about how God has transformed her life and the lives of those she has trained. Here is some of what she said:
…I have shared the training with the twenty women small group leaders I lead on Monday nights. We have gone through Jonah, 2 Timothy, and went through Philippians on our own using the principles we have learned. They have absolutely loved it. Some have said that they never understood the Bible before they began this training. Now they are all confident to share and lead their groups. They say, “When you study this way, you don’t forget what you study!”
Amparo, Renan (Amparo’s husband), and Juan (Amparo’s brother), among church leaders in Quito receiving training in the WordPartners training program.
These women present their expositions in front of each other, something they were very afraid to do at first. Some of the presenters went “off the line” in presenting their expositions [that is, adding to what Scripture clearly says or taking away from God’s Words in Scripture], but the question “Where does the Bible say that?” helps anchor these women in the Word. They even talk about the preaching from Sunday morning to see if the pastor is “staying on the line” or understanding the structure of a biblical passage accurately.
I also am teaching a group of young people in our church as well. My heart is heavy because I know it is our job to leave a legacy in the Scriptures with the next generation. I know that this generation doesn’t handle the Scriptures like we should, but we have the opportunity now to leave a mark on the next generation of preachers.
My heart is heavy because I know it is our job to leave a legacy in the Scriptures with the next generation.
…[WordPartners Training] is one of the best investments we can make as a church. We want to take advantage of the opportunity and pass the training on to others as well.
