News & Reports

Praise God for His work and grace during the recent Prison Journey to the Heart! The Journey team, consisting of almost 70 volunteers, conducted Journeys with more than 200 inmates in 6 different prisons. God moved mightily, touching participants’ hearts with the truth of His Word.

Saturday was our designated day for the fathers and sons to spend some time having fun together. In the morning, Captain Williams offered a PT test for the Physical Fitness Excellence Award. Just before lunch, we played five or six rounds of a game called Human Stratego. The remainder of Saturday was free time, when campers could go canoeing or fishing, play volleyball, shoot bow and arrows, or join in on the missions project of assembling the Scriptures of John and Romans.

Several days later, it was proposed that we extend this exciting prayer initiative to others. We sent emails to families across the world to see who might want to join us in this prayer challenge. We also began to write and prepare emails in anticipation for the beginning of the year! Excitement built as people started registering for this 21-Day Prayer Challenge.

Sound Foundations is a unique opportunity that offers high-level, quality music training with deep discipleship and community. The music instruction is given by instructors who are passionate about the Lord and desire to pass on their music skills and knowledge to the next generation.

Imagine traveling to one of the largest unreached countries in the world to serve as a missionary. Although you are hesitant about the daunting and dangerous task ahead, you step out in faith in answer to God’s call. For twenty-three years you serve in this foreign country, pressing forward while experiencing both joys and challenges. Suddenly, one day you are arrested, falsely accused of being a spy, and thrown into prison!

With the start of a new year, the IBLP Publications staff encounter the daunting task of inventory. Taking inventory involves writing down the quantity of every box, plus hand counting each book, music CD, DVD, card set, and calendar—everything on the numerous shelves in our mail room. If you have ever attended an event on-campus or browsed through our online store, you know there are a lot of resources! Our yearly inventory usually is a big, multiday project.

The highly anticipated Family Day had arrived. There was excitement among the leaders because this final 2024 Australian Family Day held extra surprises. Along with the usual program of a Bible story, songs, and a lesson on the command of Christ to "Go to Offenders," we had a musical planned, as well as one other surprise.

A prayer-loving father and son got in their car in the middle of the night in northeast Georgia. They began the approximately sixteen-hour drive to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. What important business caused them to drive through the night and most of the following day, persevering through strong winds and a snowstorm?

In October, a team of volunteers experienced the joy of conducting a Journey to the Heart in four prisons. God moved in a mighty way! It was thrilling to see Him working in the lives of approximately 200 inmates who attended those Journeys. God’s Word is not bound, and the Spirit of God applied the Word in a powerful way in the hearts of these incarcerated men and women.

Recently widowed and attempting to navigate single parenthood, Cheryl arrived in Big Sandy for Family Camp, without meaningful connections or established friendships.

On a chilly day in the middle of August, dozens of families gathered in Australia for a fantastic Scripture Memory Bee. Outside, rain threatened all day. But indoors, young and old alike presented from memory Bible verses to the audience. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the time. Even the children quietly listened as they watched each person go on stage and recite. Not all recitations were perfect, but listeners’ hearts were stirred. They were encouraged to see how much each presenter had invested in, loved, and wanted to share God’s Word. One mother recited more than 100 verses in English, even though English is her second language! What a powerful demonstration of putting the right importance on God’s Word. She loves God’s Word, and encourages her children to memorize it also. Her six-year-old quoted more than 150 verses while her twelve-year-old quoted 250+ scriptures! But the day didn’t end there! One of the families organized games for everyone to participate in. Children loved this time to play games with their parents! This especially helped kinesthetic children learn Scripture. It made the whole day all the better. Games included “Pictionary Guess the Verse.” Individuals would draw pictures to get their team to guess […]

In August, young people gathered at a retreat center in Southeast Asia to take part in a Journey to the Heart. The goal of a Journey is to seek God, and to allow Him to deal with anything that might be hindering a person’s walk with Him. At the beginning of the week, the young people were exhorted about the importance of saturating their lives in the Word of God. They were also challenged to say “yes” to Him in each area that He touched on. God moved in a mighty way by touching the attendees’ hearts and working in their lives! The retreat center where the Journey was held was in the hills. The location provided an ideal setting to be away from the busyness of life and unplug and wholly seek the Lord. As the participants sought the Lord, they also enjoyed the beauty of His creation around them, such as the colorful butterflies, verdant trees and shrubs, and a scenic view overlooking the bustling town below. A long millipede and a huge beetle with giant pincers were two of the many diverse insects spotted during the Journey. The setting also provided the opportunity for a group excursion […]

What is forgiveness, and why is it so difficult to do or ask for? Diving into the topics of bitterness and forgiveness can be sensitive to approach. However, if we’re willing to deal with the past hurts in our lives, God can take them and use them as powerful testimonies for His glory! What a delight it was to watch God work in the hearts and lives of the young ladies who attended the August Journey to the Heart! The Lord touched on various areas in their lives, especially after reading through the chapter in the Journey workbook on the “Forgiving Heart.” Afterward, one young lady remarked, “I just didn’t know how to forgive.” Later that day, they viewed Eric Ludy’s message “The Power to Forgive.” Multiple Journey participants, with many tears, chose to forgive their offenders. As they met with God, dealt with their hurts, and forgave their offenders, they experienced true freedom in their spirits through forgiveness!  “I just didn’t know how to forgive.” The Journey staff are filled with thankfulness to God as we reflect on the lives that were changed because these young ladies chose to surrender to the Lord! One participant stated that being on […]

For many people, prison is a recurring cycle, or worse, the end of the line. Not so for many inmates who find spiritual freedom in faith-based dorms. Dana Clah was one who found such freedom with the help of the Lord, IBLP staff and volunteers, and the materials that helped her understand how to follow Christ and His commands. Dana writes, “IBLP was there for me when I needed to hear God the most.” Dana was already a believer, but she needed to learn how to let God live His life through her instead of her trying to do so in her own strength. While she was incarcerated, she lived in an IBLP faith-based dorm. Dana shares that “I could hear God speaking to my spirit and renewing my strength. I could let go of guilt and shame of the things I got involved in.” She continues that “I now spend my first fruits in the [morning] with God [and] listen to the Bible CDs at night.” Breaking the Cycle: How Dana’s Ministry Is Making a Difference After graduating from the faith-based program and being released from prison, Dana wanted to give life-changing opportunities to others facing similar situations. She […]

Early on Memorial Day morning, May 27, 2024, the Bongard Family ALERT Cadets lined up in town for the holiday parade. The veterans already assembled seemed slightly bothered with these newbies joining their parade. However, when Cpl. Matthew Bongard called his brothers to fall in, the vets started to change their minds about these young fellows.

The IBLP Taiwan Office was founded almost thirty years ago when we held weeklong seminars with thousands of in-person attendees. Although there have been many changes, the Lord has continued to bless with new opportunities. Now, we are holding weekly online courses, which allow us to connect with Chinese people from all around the globe.

“I am realizing just how much power prayer has!” A young man who attended the Journey to the Heart held July 1–8, in Big Sandy, Texas, shared how God had used the Journey to impact his prayer life.

On the long holiday weekend of Matariki, we held our “Encouraging Families” family conference in Cheltenham, New Zealand. Temperatures were in the 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit, as we are now in the winter season. The families who attended were all from the lower North Island and traveled about 2–3 hours to reach the conference center.

An “awesome time” as described by one participant occurred in early May for a group of eighteen sons and eight fathers! The first Father and Son Home Repair Camp was held at the International ALERT Academy (IAA) in Big Sandy, Texas. Our camp motto was “Pressing On.”

Pastor Gil Bates delivered a message of exhortation from Proverbs 17:6 in a morning Men’s Session at the Family Conference. His message presented the men three questions to ask themselves regarding their priorities, as well as three action statements related to what wives and children desire most from their husbands/fathers.