Fall 2026 Publication
An Urgency To Obey
by Sandi Haner
While in Nepal, the Lord highlighted John 1:5: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.” I felt an urgency to share that verse everywhere: no matter how dark it gets, His Light always overcomes! I also felt compelled to declare Jesus’ words, “The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church!” We didn’t realize how dark it would become after our departure, but God knew. He simply asked me to be obedient and speak what He had placed on my heart.
Nepal was swept into shock after a section of glacier and mountain fell, sending twenty million cubic meters of ice, rock, debris, and water 124 miles down the Trishuli River. From the Tibet-Nepal border to Chitwan, the flood wiped out villages, churches, bridges, and power stations. We had stood in Chitwan for a church groundbreaking just one day before. By the time we heard the news, we were in Seoul, shocked and heartbroken.
But God! His Church shines brightly in Nepal. Thousands rushed to rescue and care for those who lost everything. A quarter of the ECC Bible college student body formed a relief team, and your generosity helped extend their reach. Let us pray that amid this darkness, many will be delivered into the Light of Jesus Christ.
Heart Encounters of the Holy Spirit
Almost twenty years ago, in Honduras, among the Tolupan tribe, Chief Julio asked Alan for help so his people would survive and not become extinct from feudal wars. One of his greatest concerns was the education of their children. Though he could not see the future, the God who sees and provides already had a plan in motion.
Years earlier, God had powerfully touched the heart of a young girl named Amanda Gilkeson Winn through mission trips to the Tolupan tribe. As she grew up, God led her into special education. In 2025, Amanda returned to the mountain where she had once met so deeply with God, hoping to encounter Him there again.
What she did not expect was how faithfully God had woven everything together. Conversations with local teachers opened the door for Amanda to lead a two-day educational development for more than thirty-five teachers. It was a beautiful reminder that God prepares people long before the need arises and brings His people together at the right time to care for others.
The growth among the children and teachers taking place because of this open door is a testimony to God’s faithfulness through willing hearts, generous support, and the work of His Spirit.
I had never seen the Lord move through elementary classroom materials before, until this trip. We brought simple learning tools into the schools: counting bears, connecting cubes, base ten blocks, clocks, and shapes. In the hands of loving teachers, these small things became powerful tools to help children better see, touch, and understand what they are learning.
My connection to Honduras began years ago when I first traveled there with Frontline Missions at twelve years old alongside Alan Winter. I returned each year until I was eighteen, and then life moved forward. But in July 2025, God opened the door for me to return to the Tolupan tribe once again.
During that trip, I met with local teachers to ask what their students needed most. While supplies were important, what they wanted even more was support in helping struggling learners and students with unique learning needs. Their love for their students was clear, and that conversation stayed with me because supporting such learners has also been the heart of my work since 2015.
Over the following months, people came together in beautiful ways to donate materials, give financially, pray, and help prepare for teacher training in the Tolupan Network #1 & #2 of Flower Mountain.
In March 2026, we spent two days working alongside teachers, sharing reading and math strategies, hands-on learning activities, and practical ways to help every child participate and grow.
What stood out most was the joy in the room. These faithful teachers laughed, learned together, played games, and experienced learning through a child’s eyes again. They immediately saw the value in simple, hands-on learning and were eager to keep growing for the sake of their students.
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