Dates: Negotiable, with three weeks minimum

Short summary

The WEC team in Bulgaria is big on vision and passion. They work with the Turkish speaking minorities who were left when the Ottoman empire receded back to what is now Turkey. To quote their website “We believe that God's desire is to see the fire of spiritual renewal spread from the Rom, Millet and Bulgarian ethnic people movements to their Turkish neighbours in Bulgaria and out across the borders into the Balkans, Turkey, Central Asia and the world.” Testdrive participants would be a part of prayer, sowing the gospel, discipling and mentoring emerging local church planters, and seeing groups of people come together to follow Christ. General training would occur in Australia, and then a specific orientation to the ministry upon arrival in Bulgaria.

A story

In a village, a team of local church planters show the Jesus video in Turkish. Taner, an former Muslim teacher stands up after the film and passionately sings - his tune is a powerful old Turkish Muslim prayer song that talks about the Messiah. Everyone cries. Some want to follow the Messiah. Taner and the local believers continue to visit this Turkish village. But one day they are told never to return without being told why...

Dates: Negotiable, a minimum of three weeks

Short summary

This country has a millions of Christians so why go there to plant new churches? Good question. Because most of the Christians in this country are from one people group and live in cities in the east while large minority groups and other cities remain unreached. A WEC team in one of these unreached cities has seen a small but significant network of house churches spring up over the last few years. But still this fledging movement needs people to help share the seeds of the gospel so that the whole city, the nation and beyond can have the opportunity to hear and respond to Christ's claims.

A story

May, a 25-year-old lady, was living life to the full - healthy, a job in a clothes shop she enjoyed and a loving family. One day at the shop she had a nose bleed. It happened again the next day and the next so she went to hospital. She was diagnosed with leukemia and she deteriorated quickly. A Christian friend heard about her condition and together with three others they visited May in hospital. The visitors were shocked to see May's condition and fled the room in fear. They decided to pray and the fear was gone. Returning to May's room, they shared their faith and May believed in Jesus. The visitors baptised her there and then by sprinkling water on her. The visitors also met the family and shared with them what had happened and what Christ has done. Two days later, May returned home as there was nothing the doctors could do and the family couldn’t afford to keep paying the hospital bills. After another three days May died.

Dates: Negotiable with a minimum of three weeks

Short summary

Sometimes it takes perseverance. Sixty years of ministry and still over 2,500 villages where no one, not one single person, knows Jesus. But recently the WEC team there has started to see God move among this predominantly Buddhist people. Now more than 40 churches and groups are working toward planting churches among the unreached. Testdrive participants will be a part of church planting team in one of three provinces and/or Bangkok.

Dates: Anytime, from a weekend to 18 months

Short summary

A network of people are looking to begin multiplying groups of followers of Jesus among Muslim background peoples. A range of activities, such as prayer, letterbox drops, doorknocking and random acts of kindness leads to relationships that enable the team to share the Bible stories, walk with those who want to grow and gather people into communities of people who follow Jesus. Testdrive participants will receive orientation and training and be part of our network. They will need to be self-motivated and willing to work hard.

A Story

A Muslim background lady was approached as she sat in a coffee shop. “Do you like to read?” she was asked. She did and that day she received a copy of the New Testament in her heart language. For the next nine months she compared the New Testament with other scriptures and decided to follow Christ. Joining our network she was discipled and began two groups of people seeking to find out more about Jesus. She has since returned to her home country and has continued her ministry and started two more groups there.

Dates: Negotiable, but a maximum of three weeks

Short summary

A city with no groups of people who know and follow Christ. And yet there is light. A team has begun sharing the stories, walking with the few who are interested in following Christ. It has been up and down for the team over the last couple of years but they are looking, hoping, praying for groups of people in this city, and indeed the spiritually impoverished nation.

A story

Australian WEC church planter ‘Natalie’ says she was sharing with a couple when a remarkable event occurred.

“We stumbled onto the topic of Jesus wanting to enter our lives and hearts, but that he never forces us, he is standing at the door knocking,” says Natalie.

“Just after this the couple’s five-year old son called out ‘Who’s there?’ thinking he had heard someone ringing the doorbell.”

“His father, Jacob, went to the door, thinking he had heard something, too – but there was no one to be seen.”

“There are definite signs he is knocking!”