Gavin Carlson - Son
Jenna Carlson - Wife
Beckett Carlson - Son
Asher Carlson - Son
Levi Carlson - Son
The Portuguese speaking nations of Africa are home to some of the largest and fastest growing churches in Africa. The growth has greatly out-paced Biblically trained leadership needed to conserve help establish new believers in the faith and preserve established believers in that faith. The Assemblies of God in Angola with its 2.5 million members, is the second largest AG church in Africa, followed closely by Mozambique with nearly 2 million. The Bible college we began in Angola in 2012, since December, 2023, under complete Angolan leadership and we continue serving in a mentoring/consultant ministry. We have been asked to help in the same manner in Mozambique and will spend a part of February in that country.
85-95 percent of Thai people are Buddhist while maybe 5-10 percent are practicing Islam. Thai Christ followers make up only 1%. Missionaries in the area have started a prayer movement called Change The Map in hopes of gaining a more defined prayer audience that will make a significant impact on the number of converts in Southeast Asia.
Africa is the fastest urbanizing region in the world. The cities are exploding with growth. According to the United Nations Environment Programme “By the year 2050, 60% of Africa will be urbanized.” This poses many challenges for these cities, but also great opportunity for the Church. Urban Tribes is positioned to plant high-impact churches in these cities to reach generations of Africans for Jesus Christ. Currently, our internship program has twenty-two participants, representing four different nationalities across Africa. We believe they are the future church planters for Urban Tribes to reach these cities.
We serve around 15,000 students, the vast majority do not affiliate with Christianity. Students on campus are facing a mental health crisis, data from our campus shows that students diagnosed with Anxiety/Depression has nearly doubled since 2018, affecting nearly 50%. Students are struggling with sexual identity and purpose and nearly 50% of them binge drink. 1 in 5 students will be sexually assaulted on campus. When they meet Jesus, students become vibrant, active influencers. We believe that as the future leaders in every area of our society, they are the most important mission field in the world
Our mission field covers a vast area. The eleven countries that make up Southern Africa are home to 182 million people, 50% of which are under the age of 18. AGWM currently has approximately 80 missionaries in Southern Africa. Animism is rampant throughout Southern Africa. Animism is regularly mixed in with “Christianity;” creating a form of folk-Christianity that is leading unknowing people to hell. This creates a significant challenge for the advancement of the Gospel because people think they are “Christians” when they are not. Due to inadequate discipleship – many “Christians” continue to pray to their ancestors and visit witchdoctors. As a result, beneath a thin veneer labeled “Christianity”- spiritual darkness and the scourge of lostness remains pervasive throughout Southern Africa. Unreached groups of people are desperately underserved and continuing to wait for the hope of the Gospel to reach them.
The Walking Street in Angeles City has about 15,000 girls that are trafficked in bars working for barely any money. Many girls are here sent by their families or were tricked into believing they would be waitresses. Due to extreme poverty, they have no option but to stay and send money back to their parents.This street is for tourists - Wipe Every Tear sends mission teams out to do bar ministry and invite girls to a banquet and the Girls Getaway trip to experience freedom like never before! Wipe Every Tear secured their first safe home in 2012. Since then they have served 200+ women. They have had contact with about 25% of the Walking Street through meal distribution. I believe they now have 5 safe homes and have 90+ women in their care. The harvest is ripe and girls want to be set free!!
River Valley 500. We minister to the people of Thailand. We focus on Thai nationals who are discipling other people and then we help them. We also look for any lost or broken person that God brings into our life and we minister to them.
We will be in Valencia, Spain, the third largest city in Spain. Less than 1% of the population are born again believers, but I believe the time is now for Spain and there is a great harvest ready to be reaped.
Troy and Heidi Jo Darrin seek to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the people of Moldova. They team up with national pastors in church planting and construction efforts, partner with Convoy of Hope in community outreaches and minister in churches every week, preaching and encouraging the congregations. In addition, Heidi is involved in working against human trafficking—especially that of young women—through prevention awareness and the discipling of young women.