The Reach Conference

The Following article was written about the missions Conference we just had at my home church. I spent October and previous months organizing this conference. Thank you so much for your support and prayers...this was a huge success!

November 11, 2007

Reaching the World –The Ustick Baptist Reach Missions Conference

By Justin Mitson (Ustick Baptist Church - Missions Committee)

Boise, Idaho - How can we, the Body of Christ, EXPAND the reach of the Gospel through serving as senders? That was the key question of the first Reach Missions conference this week November 9-11 held at Ustick Baptist Church. International Mission organizations joined together with over 15 northwest missionaries right here in Boise to help discover how world missions can be advanced. These mission organizations gave their testimonies, project overviews and shared their experiences in large group settings and personal breakout workshop sessions. Representatives from Children’s Ministries in Haiti to Jewish outreach Missions in Israel were there to inspire, educate and equip, and share real world experiences to challenge others. The Ustick Baptist narthex had mission’s booths spilling out into the hallways packed with information and resources.

The goal of the conference was to involve Treasure Valley Christian Churches and inspire them to work together. Planning for this project began many months in advance. The conference was advertised on Christian radio on several stations (Air1, KTSY, KBGN, KBXL and KDZY). Ustick Baptist Members opened their homes to visiting missionaries and even volunteered for “take a missionary to dinner” night. During the adult workshop sessions, there were also programs for young adults and children, Passport to the World, to help advance the love for world missions for the next generation of missionaries. Those that attended had a wonderful time talking with others who shared a heart to reach the world. During the conference the Lord enabled networking and reunions between missionaries and powerful worship music at the start of each of the general sessions.

The Key note speaker was Mike Klontz, a Representative from New Tribes Missions in Spokane, Washington who spoke from his over twenty years of experience in Bolivia. His prayer for the conference was that God would raise up more laborers to help spread the gospel to the more than 3,000 groups throughout the world who have not yet heard the gospel message. “Not everyone is called to me a missionary, but everyone can help with the call to support missionaries before they head to the field, encourage them while they are there, and assist with their re-entry when they return.” One of the highpoints of the weekend was a concert of prayer where all of the attendees prayed for world missions and the specific needs of the missionaries and their organizations.

God was gloried through the Reach Missions Conference! We look forward to what lies in store for the future as missions involvement continues to grow throughout the Treasure Valley!

Oct.-Nov. Friends and Fellowship

My sister, Rachael, and I with LeRoy Miller and his daughter, Addy, at a BSU Bronco's game. They won.

Raking leaves with my boys, John, Caleb, and Levi.

My buddy Jeff Meyer got to come down and visit Boise for a couple days. We went up to Table Rock...has a great view of the city.

This cross is lit up every night over Boise...you can see it from almost anywhere in the valley. If only everyone in the valley knew Jesus, who it represents.

This is Boise, Idaho, my home. At least for the next 8 months. Then I'm leavin' the country.

Last hunting trip

I got to go back up to my home area of N. Idaho for a last hunt with my dad and cousin. It was a refreshing time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. This may be my last hunting trip with my dad before I leave for Brazil & then Africa.

Too late to shoot. Great view though.

My cousin, Nat, my Dad and I (Mom's on the phone)

Dad and I are glassin' the hillside...he makes a good rest...and a great father!

This is my massive Boone & Crocket buck!!! haha Maybe not a trophe, but meat in the freezer. Sharp-shooter - 270 yards
Packed him out piggy-back.

My good buddy Jeff Meyer got to come out with us one day. Jeff and I grew up together in the Silver Valley. We always wanted to hunt together. Good times.

Can you see me now?........... How about now?............Good camo, 'eh.

Another Wedding - Great Friends - Another Garter - Still Single?

So besides all this traveling, I've taken up a new hobby...being in weddings! One day after getting back from Mozambique, I got on another plane and few to Wisconsin. I got to be a groomsman in Michael & Sabrina's wedding! Thanks guys! I even caught the garter! (that makes like 10 for me now...hmmm, has it helped???...haha)

Michael and I met in Boise, Id where we both worked at as guards at a waterpark. We used to wear sunglasses and blow our whistles all day long.

Left to right: Josh (just a guy in a tux), Michael (groom's cousin), Michael (groom), Anthony (best man), Kyle(groom's brother).
Sabrina has good taste! "Pass the goldfishes please."

This is Fred Kusik with three of his sisters (left to right: Kelly, Molly, Maggie). They are Sabrina's cousins & they have 4 more siblings! When I took this, I thought of my own three sisters Nicole, Rachael, & Kelsea. Sure is a blessing to have great sisters!

Visiting Waukesha (New Tribes Bible Institute)

Just after the wedding I got to stay in Waukesha for a week and visit NTBI. I stayed with Eric Smith (roommates together again). Fun times! On the morning of Michael's wedding, the NTBI students had a free community carwash as an outreach.
I went and picked the groom up in Old Blue (Eric's car). They washed it up real nice!
Mary Ellis was my sister Rachael's roommate at Ecola Bible School. Now she's at NTBI and she just had her birthday. Kristine Lewis (on right) went to Interface in Papua New Guinea this summer. We helped Mary celebrate.


Went down to the lakefront by downtown Milwaukee, WI.
The city sure looks cool at night. We were out on a pier...there was a salmon run going on and fishermen were pulling some big ones out!

Lake Michigan and Downtown Milwaukee.
At the end of the week I went back out to the lakefront with Skeeter and Nate, friends from Idaho & Utah. These guys are goofy (we get along well).


Eric and I got to visit with Gabriel and Rachel Nunez. We went through the NTM training together. Guess where they met?

Meagan and I hanging out with Abel Richards and Jonny Freeman (staff kids)...these boys have grown like weeds since I saw them three years ago!!

Some of my NTBI dorm bro's and sisters got together with our dorm parents (Freemans & Weavers)...had a little reunion at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Meagan was my dorm sister at NTBI. She came up to visit us from Emmaus Bible College where she's getting her teaching degree. She wants to teach missionary kids overseas. Pray for more people like Meagan...there is a huge need for teachers overseas, even as short-term associates. If you want to know more about opportunities how you could serve overseas even for a year, visit www.ntm.org/go

She brought Nicole, her friend from Emmaus. Nice weekend gettaway.
Josh and Andrea Saari, friends from Idaho, are living in Madison, WI. My friend Joe and I got to have dinner with them.
A week after the wedding, I got to go see Kelly's Senior Violin Recital. She just graduated as a music major from Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Plays a mean violin. Go Kelly!
Maranatha has a beautiful campus. This is the hall where her concert was.
Got to hang out with R2-D2 in Milwaukee. He collects mail for the US Postal Service as a day job.

Arriving in Mozambique

So here's a look at our trip to Mozambique, September 1-18, 2007.

We flew through Johannesburg, South Africa....on our way up to Nampula, Mozambique, we made two stops. One in Maputo (capitol city) and another in Beira.
Here's Nampula from the air. Pretty small airport.

Pretty city, especially at sunset.

This one was a mystery. These flowers grow right out of the stone.
Having coffee with Pete and Stephen.

Check out this toaster!

Since our bags didn't arrive for 3 days, we had to wait to fly into the village. We had a great opportunity to get to know the missionary support team in Nampula. I drove around town with the guys on a supply run. We had to get plumbing and electrical supplies for the missionaries' house.

Here, we're checking on light bulbs for inside the house. "Hey Pete, do you think this one might take a little too much energy?"

Into the Tribe

We were able to go into the tribe on this Cessna Caravan. MAF South Africa (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) was running a once-a-month shuttle flight back to S. Africa and they dropped us off on the way.

This is Dave. He's been a pilot for 15 years here in Mozambique! He helped us a lot with our preparations to come and was a great help in getting us into the bush.

Coming in for a landing on a grassy strip.

The Missionaries met us with their trucks & we loaded everything up.

The airplane has made these remote areas a whole lot more accessible.

We were all happy to arrive.

The Hendersons' House

This is the family we stayed with.

Here is the Henderson's house.

Some leftover bricks from the making of their house...these can be used to build smaller buildings.
Here is the "hedge" that surrounds their property. Does a pretty good job of ushering people through the proper entrances.
Phil is showing us guys the well that was hand-dug as their water-supply.
Phil installed an antenna for his cell phone. Now he can check his email from the window, instead of having to climb to the top of the turmite mound to get reception.