What is Discipleship?

How important is discipleship to you? Do you know what discipleship is? Have you wanted to be discipled?

For me I never knew what it meant to be discipled. It was not something I remember ever being talked about with any importance or significance at home, at school, with family and friends or in any of the churches I have attended. I thought it had something to do with helping me be a better Christian and I remember praying to God for Him to bring someone into my life who would disciple me. I prayed that prayer for years without knowing what discipleship really was. 

I started getting connected in the churches I attended hoping to meet someone who could disciple me. I met many Godly men and asked a couple of them if they would disciple me. None of them knew how to disciple someone and they commented that they too had never been discipled. To this day no one has ever discipled me. 

When we went to Africa we found some good material to use to teach about God and thought that in using it we were discipling youth. We know now that material was okay but it was not discipleship. We did what we thought was right and we saw incredible results. The results were from the true discipleship that was taking place.

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus taught what true discipleship is. 18) Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19) Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus said to go and teach the nations. What were the disciples to teach? They were to teach what Jesus taught them. Jesus was modeling discipleship to them everyday through the daily teachings and fellowship. Jesus spent quality time with them and modeled everything to His disciples. The disciples then did what they were taught.

The amazing thing is that Jesus did not use seminars, training programs or curriculum. There were no large church buildings or fancy sound systems. There was nothing flashy about what or how Jesus taught. Jesus lived a life of discipleship.

So when we were in Namibia, living and working with the youth, everyday was the discipleship. It was taking time to walk with them, teach them, talk to them, listen to them and model for them how to live as a Christian. The successes we saw were because we were doing what Jesus did.

Even in what we did we were still not doing exactly what Jesus says we are supposed to do. We are to teach our disciples how to make disciples and help them in making disciples. When we have disciples who are making disciples then we are fulfilling the Great Commission.

We are learning at Keystone Project how to disciple others through life on life and then teaching them how to disciple someone else. The training is not spectacular but it is eye opening. Christian leaders, pastors and teachers have come from all over the world to attend this training on discipleship and are leaving with renewed vision and hearts on fire for carrying out and fulfilling the Great Commission.

With an even great passion we are focusing on working with those we have already discipled in Namibia. We will continue to mentor and teach them and help them make disciples. We will also work with those who have gone through the Keystone Project training all around the world. We will not stop until every person on earth has had the opportunity to hear the gospel and accept Christ.

We invite you and challenge you to begin to make disciples who will go make disciples. If you do not know how to make a disciple we would love to share with you and show you how.

Always on mission,

Anthony and Catherine Duran

One Day at A Time

I am sitting here in the predawn hours on Saturday the 8th after arriving from Namibia, Africa on the 6th. My internal body clock had me up at 3am and I am wide awake so I am writing this update for all our friends and family.

This year has been anything but slow or boring. We began the year getting ready to go back to Namibia to continue the discipleship training and to see about handing over the Garden Café to someone who could continue what was started three years ago.

The day we were leaving for Africa Catherine was diagnosed with breast cancer. To be honest, that rocked our world and we are still adjusting to that reality with the help of our Savior, family and friends. The support and encouragement has been so incredible and we are so blessed to be surrounded by so many who love and care for us.

We are consulting with a team of doctors as to how to proceed and should have a plan by the end of this month. It is painfully slow in setting a plan as to how to treat the cancer but we trust that God is directing us to all the right doctors and that in the end the correct plan and treatment will be decided. We will continue to share information as we get it.

With regards to the ministry work God has called us to, let us give you an update. With the news of the cancer we have had to adjust our plans. We had thought we would have five years to get everything ready to hand over to Namibians to continue the work that God called us to establish. God had other plans though and His plans are always better than ours.

God has raised up a group of four young Namibians who are amazing. They have a heart for the youth also and all through our talks with them they asked how they could help keep the ministry part going. We are looking forward to working with them in the future to continue the discipleship training. It is with joy we report that the youth of Namibia will continue to have the opportunity and resources to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of those around them. We have signed a sales agreement with them and are moving forward with transferring the ownership of the Garden Café to them. They will continue to employ the current staff,  take what we started, add their own ideas and take it to a whole new level. We are so excited at what God is doing in and through this group of young people. In future blogs we will share more about this team and their desires.

We are also blessed to have two local Namibians who will take over the YDM program and continue the discipleship and skills development training. Dieter is a man who had had a heart for the people for many years and he approached us to see what he could do to help keep the program going. We have also found a young woman who is a qualified teacher, Ndemufayo, and she too has a heart for the youth. Together they will run the program and we will work with them to train and coach them so that they can continue to offer the successful YDM program.

We have been working around the clock these past two months and we are overwhelmed at the people God is bringing across our path to help. We were not even aware of the impact we had made in the community until it was rumored that the ministry may have to close. Professionals and former students from all around the community shared with us how the Garden Café has made a difference in their lives and in the community. Their stories moved us to tears on more than one occasion and we thanked God for letting us see how the seeds we planted have grown and multiplied.

On a side note, we are seeing God moving in the churches of Okahandja and seeing pastors taking up the call to discipleship more seriously. We thank God for allowing us to be a small part of this movement toward Biblical discipleship and trust that we can continue to encourage and support our ministry partners on the ground.

Keystone Project continues to be our ministry covering and their prayers and support have been overwhelming to us. God has confirmed that we are to remain on staff and take each day as it comes right now. Their spiritual covering is an answer to prayer for us. We are so blessed to be a part of such an incredible team and ask that you pray that God will continue to guide, protect and strengthen those who are a part of the Keystone team. We are looking at this new path ahead and asking God to reveal our next assignment. We will boldly share His life changing message with everyone He brings across our path. We look forward to seeing lives radically changed by the power of His name. Here in Utah, and also wherever the Lord sends us next.

Catherine with 2 former students

Dieter & Tony discussing discipleship training

We know this is a long update and that there are a lot of questions. Please feel free to contact me and I will answer questions as best as I can. Catherine has a long road ahead and I will do my best to ensure she has everything she needs to travel this road. This may mean shielding her from having to answer all the questions but know that this is to give her the space and time to focus on healing. We love and cherish each and everyone of you. Words cannot say it adequately but we thank you so very much for standing with us.