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Joel & Melissa Williams Serving in Sub Saharan Africa
Scott & Casey Tuminello Serving in Europe
Ryan & Michelle Tankersley Serving in Japan
Adam & Christa Serving in South Asia
Jared & Jennifer Serving in Asia Pacific Rim
T&R M&D M&K Dr. Clara Serving in closed countries
Will & Beth Serving in Europe
Jamie & Aarica Myers Airforce Chaplain
Mark & Ammie Phillips Serving in Madagascar
Roy & Jenna Serving at ILC
Ryan & Terra Lindsey Serving in Europe
David & Robin Serving in Asia Pacific Rim
Jess McWatters Serving in Germany
Randall & Luda Ford Serving in Jerusalem
Elisa serving with Barnabas International
Zack & Courtney Newsome serving in Mexico
August Focus: European Affinity
Daniel Bates couldn’t believe his eyes. But there it was, tucked between a pastel row of cafés and cobblestone alleys in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia—a friendly local game store. The International Mission Board missionary grabbed his wife, Heather, and derailed their shopping trip.
“If there’s a game shop, then there are gamers here,” Daniel said, energized by the discovery in their new city. He pulled Heather through the door and into a world alive with colorful miniature role play scenes and towers of board game boxes.
Finding a game shop in Slovenia wasn’t just fun, it was a gamechanger for the missionaries. They found their people.
The connection through board games was immediate. The owner invited Daniel to join a weekly game night in another town. The distance wasn’t an issue. Slovenia, after all, is roughly the size of New Jersey, and the gaming group drew people from every direction. They used a Discord channel to keep in touch during the week.
Discord was once mainly a gamers’ chat platform, but is now a gathering place for every possible niche. It became a digital living room where Daniel checked in throughout the week. It’s where friendships grew after game night ended.
As Daniel interacted in person and online, he became a part of the clan. They shared strategies and swapped stories. He found that many were hungry for authentic conversations and relationships. In this space, the missionary asked questions about religious beliefs and shared his own faith in Jesus Christ. One player even asked to meet one-on-one, giving Daniel the opportunity to share the full gospel.
Pray for Daniel and Heather as they work alongside Slovenian churches to build genuine relationships, both online and face-to-face. Through board games, Discord chats and everyday conversations, they’re finding new ways to share the gospel with those who might never encounter it otherwise.
Mission Trip Information: We were unable to make a trip to prayer walk at ILC this year. We will be going next year, probably in April. Please be in prayer about whether God would be calling you to go.
