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Allen and Deedee Iobst
#0360087
Serving with the NAMESTAN Europe Network
THE BIG PICTURE:
An estimated 13 million North Africans live, work, and study in Europe; which is more people than in several North African nations. It is strategic to reach this diaspora with the gospel, here in Europe where they have the freedom to accept it; and in their own heart languages, so that they can understand it. To reach them, we have ministries to North African students, to travelers, and to community members in Europe.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s key leaders. We are trusting God that many will also become tomorrow’s multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ. Our SLM (Campus Ministry) Staff and disciples are reaching North Africans studying in Spain. Additionally, our social media outreach has seen 19 people indicate decisions for Christ since last December.
Our most accessible audience, traditionally, have been people waiting to board ferries between Europe and North Africa. In partnership with other Christian organizations and churches, we bring short-term mission teams from all over the world to offer these travelers the gift of a New Testament, a film on the life of Jesus, Josh McDowell apologetic books, and an evangelistic book for children. We also bring evangelism teams who can answer travelers’ questions about Jesus in their own language. Over the years, we have given away 12 1/2 million of these items. Hundreds of travelers have responded to hearing the gospel personally with decisions to trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
By training local European church members to pray for and share their faith with their North African neighbors and friends, we are mobilizing local Christians to help reach this audience with the gospel, within their own communities. This past year our team trained 70 Spanish church members; now that the seminars have become webinars, many more people are taking part.
We praise the Lord for what He is doing among the North African diaspora in Europe, and we thank you for your faithful prayers and support, which enable us to serve with this ministry!
OUR SPECIFIC WORK
When we have the opportunity, we help recruit, train, and lead visiting distribution teams at ports in France or Spain. Year-round, though, both of our jobs focus on the behind-the-scenes operations which make all of our ministry’s field work possible.
We have been serving with Cru for about 30 years, and with this specific ministry since the year 2000, when we moved from Orlando to Algeciras, Spain. Last October we relocated to France, where we are continuing with our same responsibilities.
Allen is our team’s Operations Leader and Financial Manager. Allen also handles logistics for visiting mission teams, helping with their travel and hospitality arrangements, as well as taking care of the ordering, shipment, and storage arrangements for the materials we distribute. Whenever possible, he also trains and leads teams who come to volunteer at one of the ports.
Deedee is our teams’s Prayer Igniter as well as being our Crisis Manager. Deedee is happy to devote her writing skill, experience, and passion for prayer to her work as prayer coordinator.As the Crisis Manager, she has helped our team develop a range of specific contingency plans. With these plans in place, our team can move forward and continue to reach our audience with the gospel, even in the face of difficult situations or emergencies.
THANK YOU for being a part of our ministry of bringing the gospel to the diaspora of North Africans in Europe!
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