By E & N. K

Two years ago, we stepped into the ZB apprenticeship not entirely sure what lay ahead – only that we obeyed the Lord’s leading to be trained and tested in preparation to be sent for cross-cultural gospel ministry. 

Now, as June draws our apprenticeship to a close, we wanted to share what these two years have held and what the Lord is leading us into next.

What These Two Years Have Held

Over the course of our apprenticeship, the Lord has been gracious in giving us the depth and breadth of discipleship opportunities in His word: leading and teaching the Bible together in AGs across both ZB and Emmanuel BP, raising core partners and emerging leaders, and reading the Bible with individuals (believers and seekers alike). 

In between the joys of preaching at EBPC, and giving evangelistic/ YF/ CD talks, we have been fuelled by gospel-shaped in-house training, Bible handling sessions and pastoral supervision, along with serving on the church camp committee.

In our cross-cultural preparation, we have received training in cross-cultural engagement, evangelism and disciple-making, trauma-informed care, security awareness, and exposure to history and theology of other faiths.

But amidst ministry involvement, we have each recently walked through our own season of physical affliction – E recovering from knee surgery and N managing a hyperthyroid condition. In these moments, we found ourselves leaning more deeply onto the truly afflicted Righteous One Himself:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
(Psalm 34:19-20)

Our faithful Lord uses physical suffering as a way of making the gospel of Christ’s cross more precious to us.

What We Are Walking Into Next

We are deeply grateful to our church family for supporting and sending us as cross-cultural mission candidates in preparation for long-term ministry in (God-willing) the Middle East, a gospel-poor region in need of the love of Christ and the life-giving word of God. 

Our desire is not only to proclaim the gospel to unreached peoples but to make disciples who make disciples, so that the Arab church might be strengthened for gospel witness within and beyond her own communities. To prepare for this, we are convinced that we need to be deeply rooted in God’s word to be equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17). 

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14–17)

From July 2026, we will begin our studies full-time at the Evangelical Theological College of Asia (ETCAsia) – E in the three-year Masters of Divinity programme and N in the one-year Graduate Diploma – to deepen our theological foundations, be better equipped to teach and preach the Word faithfully, and grow in gospel clarity and godliness, so that we may be sustained for long haul ministry in less resourced, religiously complex contexts.

As we step into this next season, we hope not only to grow in theological depth, but also to continue in missiological preparedness through cross-cultural ministry opportunities wherever the Lord may lead. 

A Word of Thanks

We would not be here without the love and prayers of our church family. Thank you for walking with us through the last two years, for your faithfulness in praying alongside us, and for your generosity in continuing to support us!

We look forward to catching up with many of you as our apprenticeship draws to a close, and to staying connected as we head into this next season of equipping.

How to Pray for Us

• That our time at ETCAsia will grow in us a bigger view of God and shape our hearts, that the Spirit may produce in us the fear of the LORD and a deeper love for Christ that will sustain us through whatever lies ahead.
• For God’s continued gracious healing and strength in our bodies as we take on the demands of study.
• That we would build deep spiritual friendships with college batchmates, and encourage and sharpen one another in ministry.
• For wisdom, discernment and love for the people of West Asia as the Lord prepares our hearts to be sent.
• That through this season of equipping, we would come to know Christ more and make Him known.