Missions Leadership Training

"Lena's passing had a profound effect on me. I have never had a friend whose very life so reflected the love of her Savior. I realized for the first time, that I needed to stop talking about being a missionary, and start being one again...start walking and living as Lena did." - Hans Erdman

The Missions Leadership Training program is dedicated to the memory and honor of our dear friend and sister in Christ, Lena Piskunova, who went home to be with the Lord on Dec. 30, 2007,  and to the spirit of missionary adventure.

In 1997 we led a team of missionaries from village to village on mountain bikes in northwestern Russia. That trip was called B.I.K.E.Russia (Bicycling Into Karelia for Evangelism in Russia), and it was one of the first modern, specifically planned, targeted "adventure" missional expeditions. You can read the story of BIKERussia HERE.

Missions Leadership Training (MLT) is an on-going, comprehensive training program for Christian missionaries, and particularly missionaries who will travel using the most common form of mechanized transportation in the world...the bicycle.

Areas of study that will be covered in MLT include: Introduction to Missions; Bible Study; World Religions and Cultures; Relationships, Friendships and Evangelism; Bicycle Touring; Bicycle Mechanics; Leadership Training; Land Navigation and "Topographical Missions" (Using Map, Compass, GPS and Google Earth ®); Survival-Come back alive; and Advanced Wilderness First Aid/Missions Medicine and Health. Hands-on training will include actual short missions trips, field "shake-down" sessions and a planned week-long trip to a to the Yankton and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations in South Dakota.

We are already preparing for the 2010 trip to the Yankton and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations. This year we are praying for a bigger team; at least four bicyclists, and for six team members who will help with light construction and maintenance on homes around the Yankton Reservation. In addition, we are praying for 100 school backpacks for the children, and all of the items that go into them. In 2010, we took 71 packs to the Rosebud Sioux Reservation! We will also need school supplies to go into the packs, including:

• Pencils
• Color pencils
• Washable markers
• Eraser
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• White glue
• Spiral bound notebook paper
• Pens
• Pocket folders
• Crayons
• Ruler
• Facial tissue

In 2011 the bicyclists have been tasked with two "prayer rides", one each across the Yankton and Lower Brule reservations. In addition, the bike team will carry tools to do light help projects along the way, and will be doing a special restoration project on the campus of the Indian School. (The Lower Brule ride may involve an overnight.)

We will also be helping out with the "Day in the Park" gathering on Saturday, July 23rd, so we will leave Minnesota on Friday, July 22nd. We'll be returning on Saturday, July 30th. Please pray about joining us as we once again Journey to another nation, within the borders of America.

We will be using challenging Bible study and missions training material from the ground-breaking television program, Travel the Road.

Using Dr. Larry Christenson's "Ride the River"  as our study guide,  we will continue the exploration what it takes to follow the call of the Triune God to take the Word of God to the nations of the world. Using the journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as a parable for finding and following the will of God in your life, "Ride the River" will move you to a new level of devotion and service to our Lord, wherever the adventure takes you. Each session will include a short video, teaching and discussion time and a time of prayer and intercession.

We will also make use of Pastor Bill Moberly (director of our partner, East European Missions Network) book, "Igniting a Passion for Missions", an excellent introduction to the "how" and "why" of missions from an evangelical Lutheran perspective.

E-mail us for more information or click here for a Mission Trip Application.

HOME