Blog

"There is no one insignificant in the purpose of God" -- Alistair Begg. Do you believe that? Isn't it remarkable how God orchestrates our life's circumstances to magnify his purposes? My wife, Kathy, and I have tried to be willing instruments of God's purposes over the course of our years as believers. It's usually as simple as saying yes to a request to serve his field missionaries, but sometimes we miss out. 

Soon after we moved to Carmel in 2003, Kathy and one of our daughters said 'yes' to entertaining children of missionaries who had convened at CMF (Christian Missionary Fellowship International) based here in Indianapolis. They met Sophie, a young mom who would eventually become a dear friend in Christ. Jesse and Sophie Bentley had met as college students at Georgia Tech. Sophie, from Belgium, was not a Christian but said yes to a good friend who invited her to Christian Campus Fellowship, where she read the Bible for the first time with her friends. She was baptized in Christ a year later.

CMF was launching the first Globalscope ministry just as Jesse and Sophie were graduating, and they began to sense God's call to go and serve and be a part of what God was doing around the world. On many university campuses or worldwide across the globe, Christian ministries are difficult, if not impossible, to find. Students, many international, are without a place where they can explore life and faith in an authentic way at this key time in their lives. Globalscope is a way to meet the need for Christian communities on international campuses where even the most skeptical students can belong. Their mission is to transform the world's university students through authentic and relevant campus ministry, and it is unique in that Christians, atheists, agnostics, and anyone in between can find community together. Everyone is welcome and is free to ask challenging questions about life and faith while experiencing Christian community. 

After marrying, Jesse worked as a mechanical engineer for three years but kept dreaming of creating a space for college students to know Jesus, just like Sophie and he had experienced personally. So, Sophie and Jesse said yes in 2002 by enlisting in CMF and quitting their jobs to move to Johnson City, TN to attend Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan University for two years. Here they were embraced by their home church -- Boone's Creek Christian Church. It was also here that, through a friend who was also attending seminary, they connected with Venture's own Jim and Joellen Gullett. This led to the Bentleys being supported as missionaries by Venture (then Hazel Dell Christian Church). 

The Bentleys began their tenure in 2004, with a goal of planting and growing a campus ministry in Salamanca, Spain through CMF's Globalscope. They called it En Vivo (Spanish for "live"). Over 10 years, they were blessed with a thriving ministry where former students were returning as staff and, eventually, leaders. During that time frame, Kathy and I again said yes when asked if we could house the Bentleys and their growing family (children Juliette, Liam, and Alina) while they were in the states for respite and training. We always talked about visiting them someday and lending a hand. In 2015, Jesse and Sophie launched a second Globalscope ministry in Valencia, Spain, which is the third largest city in Spain and home to two large universities with nearly 100,000 students. Their goal, God's goal, was to continue to build a Christ-centered community where God's love and grace are modeled for the students in everyday life. 

Ten years later, Kathy and I finally said yes to visiting them in Spain in October 2025. But God had another plan. Instead, we gathered in Salamanca in June 2025 for En Vivo's 20th Anniversary! What an opportunity to represent our church's support, your support, of their incredible ministry. It was a weekend full of shared stories of the good works God has begun through En Vivo. There were powerful personal testimonies about how the culture of En Vivo cracked the worldly veneer of the most resistant souls. Current and former Ev Vivo students, staffers, exchange students, and so many friends from through the years and from across the world, made the trip to Salamanca to celebrate. Jesse said, "As I looked around the room during our banquet, I saw smiles, feasting, thanksgiving, generosity, laughter, prayer, friends, family, tears, embraces, joy and celebration. My heart rejoiced as I saw so many people I have known and love reconnect after all these years. Many were a part of En Vivo at different moments and were finally able to meet one another for the very first time. It was a small glimpse of the Kingdom of God, of people from different tongues and nations around the table, sharing a meal that is all about Jesus and what he has done for us."

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that Kathy and I were there to learn how everything connected for his purpose. But best of all, Sophie and Jesse shared their God-sized vision for En Vivo's next phase -- to raise $20,000 for every year of En Vivo's 20-year existence. They call it "20-for-20", which is about launching new ministries, supporting national workers, purchasing property, and meeting present needs in Salamanca, Valencia, and around Spain as they have plans to plant ministries in three new cities in Spain by 2035. Kathy and I had a small part in seeing two, seemingly "insignificant" Christ followers doing significant things for God and all we did was say yes!

Share