For over 50 years Drive-In has ministered in North America,
including over 20 years in Mexico. However, in 1999, the Lord began opening new
doors of opportunity in other countries.
UKRAINE. After a year of contacts, visits and prayer, a 5th-wheel mobile unit fully equipped was shipped to Ukraine. It was
affectionately called "Church on Wheels". This same unit ministered throughout
the USA. The president of the Ukrainian Ministry shared with Drive-In president,
Terry Lytle, the projects and programs of evangelism in the Volyn. It was
decided to donate the mobile unit to Ukrainian Ministry (UM) in Ukraine. It was
completely overhauled, and the expenses were covered by the funds donated for
Ukrainian Ministry. The president, Felix Kaplun organized raising funds for
transporting the mobile unit to Ukraine.
Every year lots of evangelistic
meetings are held in towns and villages in Volyn. Groups of missionaries go to
the furthest places to present the Gospel to people. They usually travel in the
mobile unit with a big screen for film ministry, a stage for programs, and other
facilities. Often there were more people on the team than room in the unit.
Thanks to financial support of brothers and sisters of Calvary Baptist Church, a
minibus was purchased. Then, the Kaplun family donated a second one. It is a
great blessing for the mission group "Fimiam".
In 2001 Terry Lytle visited
Volyn again and purchased a 50- passenger bus for UM. It is indispensable for
summer camps and large evangelistic meetings. The priority of the bus is that
the seats are comfortable and there is a video set. Kids are excited about
sitting in the bus and watching the "Jesus" film.
These three units have
already been instrumental in bringing thousands of people to faith in Christ in
just a few short years. Pray with us for many thousands more to trust Christ
through this ministry in years to come.
NIGERIA. The next door to open to us was in Lagos, Nigeria,
West Africa. Lagos, a port city and the largest city in Nigeria is home to over
12,000,000 people, including the West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS). In
2001, Dr. Gary Maxey, president of WATS contacted Terry Lytle and a new mobile
ministry relationship began.
By March 2002, a truck had been purchased,
transformed into a mobile unit and put into service with the WATS evangelistic
team. Their plan was to schedule programs every other weekend. However, after
only a couple of months, there was such an overwhelming response that they
quickly redesigned their plan and began scheduling programs every 2-3
nights.
The response continued to be so great that they soon sent an urgent
request for a second unit. A second unit has now been purchased in Lagos and is
currently being prepared for ministry. The outside will be equipped for film
ministry, while the inside will be equipped as a medical exam clinic. We hope to
have this unit completed and in use before the end of this
year.
GUATEMALA. Next
came a contact from Dan Anderson, Chairman of the Evangelism Department and
Audio/Visual Department of the Guatemala Bible Seminary (GBS). He had seen a
video about the mobile unit in the Ukraine and immediately believed it was the
kind of evangelistic tool that would be very effective in Guatemala as well as
an excellent training tool for students at the Seminary. During communications
with Dan, and without knowing what we were planning with the second unit in
Nigeria, he asked if there was any way to make the inside useable for medical
and dental clinics. It seemed a new pattern was developing.
Wilfred Johnson,
President of GBS and Mike Jones, Director of International Ministries,
have been close friends for many years. Now a new ministry relationship was
developing.
A truck has now been purchased in Guatemala and plans are
underway to equip it, not only for film ministry on the outside but also for
medical and dental clinics on the inside. It will be used for ministry
throughout Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and southern
Mexico.
STILL TO
COME. Contacts have
been made and plans have begun for mobile units in India and Haiti.
India is
a country that has more and larger people groups without any Christian witness
than any other part of the world. Rev. V V Thomas and the Union Biblical
Seminary in Pune, India has requested that a mobile unit be placed at the
Seminary for ministry throughout southwest India.
In Haiti, Dr. Leo
Bertulien, a medical doctor in Plaine-Du-Nord, near Cap Haitian is our contact.
A mobile unit is being considered for this area as well.
Please pray for us
as we do all we can to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel" of Jesus
Christ.
