"I'll be back!"
Dan Owens
December 2005

Now there is a line that all of us who love science fiction movies will never forget as the Terminator did indeed come back with a vengeance. The residents of California have once again heard that line coming from Gov. Schwarzenegger's speeches playing off of his Hollywood role as the Terminator.

Jesus has told us all very clearly that he will be back as well. We do not know when that will be, but he did tell us to look for his return. This is the season when we think of the arrival of Jesus Christ to our planet as our Savior, but we should also think of his future return as King. Are we looking forward to his return? Jesus promised in modern day vernacular, I'll be back."

Over the past few years of ministry I have started using that line as well. I don’t mean for it to be funny, nor do I say it as a way to conveniently leave a festival city. I tell the pastors as we minister in their city, "I'll be back." As a ministry we want to return a few months after the festival to help with the follow up and to hold the pastors accountable for this most important ministry. We want to see disciples of Christ and new churches planted, and we offer help to the local churches to bring this about.

As you know, this past summer we ministered in Mbale, Uganda and we saw so many people come to Christ. We told them we would be back in 3 months. Praise the Lord some of our team returned to Mable recently just as was promised. Carl Dawson and board member Ernest Howie returned to meet with the pastors and new believers. They spent time teaching, visiting the new believers, distributing hundreds of Bibles and checking in on the new church plants. I think you will enjoy reading some of the testimonies they heard on the following pages.

You cannot imagine the impact their return visit made. Pastor Andrew Mutengu said, "It's the first time we have seen a ministry come to our land, and not only preach and then disappear, but a ministry that comes to preach and do the follow up work."

One long time missionary said, "In all of my years on the mission field, EMM is the first evangelistic organization I have seen who has a holistic approach to ministry. Furthermore this is the first time I have heard an evangelist say he will come back to help with the follow up."

We not only say it, we do it! Yes it costs more in time and money, but isn't salvation the beginning, not the end? Like newborn babies we want to help get them growing in the right way. Thank you so much for helping us this past year to evangelize, disciple and plant churches. I appreciate your partnership that allows us to say with confidence to the people we minister the Gospel to, "I'll be back."