Dear praying friends,
Summer monsoons are here in Flagstaff and the (almost) daily rain is a great blessing. The grasshopper plague in my neighborhood, however, is NOT so great. They have wiped out most of our flowers and eaten a lot of Sarah’s vegetable garden. But we’re fighting them back to the best of our ability, and by God’s mercy, Sarah is still harvesting some vegetables!
Thanks for your prayers for my family’s rest. It has been a good summer so far. We have enjoyed lots of time together this summer, with five day-trips to play in the water (Lake Mary, Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona twice, Clear Creek south of Winslow twice). We’ve done a lot of home projects and played a lot of games together.
Sarah and I are doing some hard “work” on our marriage this summer; would you continue to pray for us?
If you follow IBC on social media you’ve probably seen the increased activity on our Facebook and Instagram pages; this is due to IBC employing one of its students to keep those pages supplied with “content.” I am amazed at the technological skills of some of our Native students, and am thrilled we can put those skills to use for the work of the ministry. A few of the work teams that sustain and improve our campus facilities have been highlighted in those posts.
I have an urgent prayer request for you: Satan is once again doing his worst to keep new students from coming to IBC (I’ve re-attached the article on this from the Spring newsletter, below this update). Despite more time and money being invested in recruitment than ever before we only have THREE new full-time students accepted for Fall, two of whom have taken classes at IBC before. We DO have a lot of inquiries and prospects, however. Native churches and ministries are always asking for IBC graduates, but we must have new students in order for them to turn into graduates! Please pray for 10-15 new full-time students to join us on August 28th for New Student Orientation!
I’m SO thankful for you and your friendship to IBC!
Dr. Jason Koppen
President Indian Bible College
Prayer Need
Pray for Prospective Indian Bible College Students
To protect the privacy of the individuals mentioned in this article, names and identifying details have been altered.
God is opening up doors for the gospel all around the United States. Billy Graham once said of Indigenous peoples in America, “The greatest moments of Native history lie ahead of us if a great spiritual renewal and awakening should take place. The Native American has been a sleeping giant. He is awakening. The original Americans could become the evangelists who will help win America for Christ!”
The Enemy, Satan, knows the potential Native American Christians have for living and sharing the gospel. I think that’s why recruiting students to Indian Bible College can be challenging at times. Take Lena for example—Lena attended a conference and felt God’s calling in her life to learn and grow in His Word. She heard about IBC and started the application process. Lena was officially accepted and was only days away from moving onto campus when financial responsibility for her entire family was suddenly shifted to her. At 18 years old she was asked to provide financially for her mom, grandma, and siblings. Lena felt the pull of cultural responsibility to care for the family and abandoned her aspirations for pursuing a biblical education.
Ethan is another story—Ethan was four years sober and focused on making a difference in his community. After being accepted to IBC, he prepared to fly to Arizona to start the school year. The night before his arrival he stayed with some friends and discovered alcohol in the cabinets. The temptation was too great and Ethan fell off the wagon. He went missing for days— even his family didn’t know where he was. Ethan never made it to IBC as a student. The Enemy robbed his calling.
Lionel is another man who felt called to IBC with his wife and kids. He wanted to become a pastor in his home community. He had been in the application process for months and was about to be accepted as a student. Lionel shared with his church and community that he was going to Bible college, expecting affirmation and encouragement. Instead he faced intimidation, threats and discouragement. Some said, “Why are you leaving your community?” Others said, “Those Christians are the ones who brought abuse to our people.” After months of hearing this, Lionel withdrew his application and left the church.
Most recently, Lisa was excited to bring some prospective students to IBC for Preview Days. This was an opportunity for these high schoolers to learn more about IBC as they prayed about their next steps following graduation. The night before the event, Lisa’s brother, who lives with her, went on a drinking binge and began to threaten others in the house. Lisa was afraid not only for herself but for her brother as he threatened to take his own life. Lisa didn’t sleep that night. By the time an uncle managed to take the knife away from her brother and calm him down it was already morning. Lisa was unable to bring the high school students to IBC and was deeply disappointed with the lost opportunity.
The journey from prospective student to full-time student is not an easy one. The Devil is a roaring lion. Many prospects face threats, temptations, deaths in their families, and cultural pressures to fulfill. The staff at Indian Bible College is praying for a student body of 75, including full-time and part-time students, by 2025. Please join Daniel (Director of Admissions) and the Admissions Counselors (Aaron & Karen) in praying for prospective students. May God keep these potential students and their families safe.
Thank you for being an advocate for these men and women by joining us in prayer.
Daniel Esplin, Director of Admissions
IBC Admissions Team Daniel (Director of Admissions), Karen and Aaron (Admissions Counselors)
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