MAY 2026 UPDATE….
(Bible time, BCM North America Boys Camp, Camp Sankanac, PA)
A recent communication with a field ministry leader touched on the troubled times in which we live and then very quickly pivoted to the truth that we humans have always lived in troubled times. Greater or lesser depending on the year and location around this planet. But ultimately, our peace and safety has never been in a lack of trouble but the sovereignty, love, and mercy of our heavenly Father. A Bible verse that has become precious is the words of Jesus after warning His disciples of all the trials and persecution that lay ahead just before He went to the cross: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). That we can be aware of the great troubles that fill our world yet have absolute peace knowing the outcome is in God’s hand is indeed a joy.
(Siamese Soccer, Sports Time, BCM Peru Children’s Camp)
After a year that held a lot of travel for Marty especially (Bolivia, Cuba, Netherlands, and various stateside speaking travel), we are off the road for a few months. But this doesn’t mean sitting idle. We are so thankful for modern tech like Zoom and Teams to be able to serve together even across oceans. Marty spends many hours in advisory/planning meetings and leadership mentoring/member care. Jeanette maintains a full schedule of writing/editing/publication as well as continuing a ministry of Christian writer training/mentoring internationally. But we will be hitting the road again later this summer, heading to the east coast to celebrate with the BCM global family the mission’s 90th anniversary followed by our youngest son Steve’s wedding (more on both of those further down the road).
(BCM Brazil Summer Camp Team, Recife, Brazil)
For us it is a delight to witness what God is doing around the world through BCM as a new generation of leadership and new, young, vibrant generation of missionaries and volunteers is taking this ministry into the future. Since Marty became president of BCM in January 2006, BCM has continued to grow from that first children’s Bible club in Philadelphia, PA, in the fall of 1936 to encompass now over 825 missionaries from 40+ nationalities and 15,000+ volunteers along with training/ministry partnerships with national church denominations across Africa/Asia/Latin America/Pacifica, and parts of Europe that total over 100 million church membership. Especially exciting is to witness new national and regional leadership that were young, passionate, faithful missionaries when Marty became president, some second and even third generation BCM missionaries, and are now among those moving the mission into a new era, including Rabin Vaidhya, Nepal (new Asia director), Jonatan and Shantal Odicio, Peru (new director of leadership development, Latin America), Pauline Mwangi, Kenya (new ISMT director Africa), Tima Anohin (director Ukraine), and numerous others.
(Central Plaza, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where we served as missionaries)
As a mission, we are asking God’s people to pray with BCM in a special way during the three months leading up to our 90th anniversary in September 2026, titled BE-1 (i.e., be 1 of our goal for 9000 prayer partners for 90th anniversary). This will not involve an inbox filled with mail, just a single prayer request from a BCM ministry around the world each day for 90 days. If you are interested, simply join through the following link (or click on above photo). You can also receive regular updates, including the new newsletter format of the BCM World magazine (which Jeanette founded in 2007) by signing up at the following link (if you aren’t already subscribed):
(BCM Myanmar Children’s Camp)
Three more immediate requests we’d like to share. One exciting project Jeanette is just finishing is the biography of OMF (originally China Inland Mission founded by Hudson Taylor) missionary nurse Margaret Armitage to Thailand leprosy sufferers 1960-2000, a ministry that resulted in the eradication of leprosy and a church movement in that country (we will share book release when time comes). This coming week, BCM is hosting a “soul care” and leadership conference in Thailand for Myanmar pastors and children’s ministry leaders (who have gone through great trauma in these recent years of war and persecution there) as well as regional and international leaders. Marty’s brother Doug will be traveling with the team and speaking three times. Please pray for Doug’s safe travel (as well as all others traveling), speaking, and an outpouring of God’s care, blessing, and equipping for all in attendance.
(BCM Netherlands Children’s Camp, De Herikon, Netherlands)
Iran is on most of our minds at moment. Less well known is that Iran is considered to have one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world, above all through the underground church movement (it is legal for those born Armenian/Assyrian to practice Christianity but illegal to convert) with an estimated 800,000-one million Christians. As hostilities continue, please pray for the church in Iran, that they will be bold in sharing their faith, and that Muslim neighbors will be drawn to Christ through their testimony rather than pushed away by current events. Last fall, Jeanette shared the book she completed with Sama Salimi, daughter of underground church planter imprisoned for his faith, Hekmat Salimi, given sanctuary in the USA October 2023: A Modern Exodus. This is a great read for any Christian seeking to understand what is happening in Iran and how to pray for believers there.
(BCM North America Campfire Service, Big Sky Bible Camp, Montana)
A third prayer is for BCM’s summer camping season due to start next month around the planet. More than 25,000 children will be participating in a week of BCM children’s camp over the summer across North America, Latin America, Europe, the UK, India, and the Philippines. Pray for strength, guidance, and Holy Spirit anointing for staff and volunteers and that many children will place their faith in Jesus and/or grow spiritually through their camping experience.
Please pray as well for our health. We have both been dealing with some health issues (we are not as young as we once were!) resulting in ongoing medical tests and working with our health care team for optimum choices of treatment/prescriptions. Our prayer is that God will give us strength and anointing to continue serving God and God’s people as long as God makes that possible. Any additional questions, BCM news, signing up for e-magazine and other communication can always be found at our BCM website: www.bcmintl.org Further updates for prayer and ministry news can always be found at our BCM FaceBook page. Thank you again for your part in our ministry.
Blessings,
Dr. Martin and Jeanette Windle
BCM International
