"God Stories"

One of ACCTS' ministries is the Academy Exploration Program (AEP), an initiative to take junior officers and cadets on mission trips so that they can begin to view their military career as a calling from God, and develop a vision for ministry to international military personnel.

In early June, ACCTS staff member Dick Barnes traveled to Moldova with two Marine Corps second lieutenants newly graduated from the US Naval Academy.  Together, they spoke at civilian and military churches, met with Moldovan military Christians, distributed food and clothing in needy neighborhoods, and shared their testimonies.  One lieutenant reported, "The trip was an amazing opportunity to see God's power at work in a different country and an encouragement to deepen my faith for the better of others. [It] allowed me to see front line mission work in action through personal interaction with several missionaries, pastors, and Christian leaders... One of the most encouraging comments we received was that our presence brought credibility to the gospel, and that ministry was very alive throughout the world." The other agreed, "The whole trip was very rewarding and eye-opening to me. Not only was it my first time in another country where English was not commonly spoken, but I was almost completely out of place being a foreigner and black.  The people there were amazing, and seemed really happy that a foreigner came to their country to learn about their culture."

This trip also helped accelerate the ACCTS project to distribute digital Bibles in Russian and Romanian with both Orthodox and Evangelical prayers to Moldovan Military Christians.  God used many of His servants to make this trip happen - the couple in Jamaica who inspired these young officers to make a mission trip; the AMCF regional Vice President who connected them with the ACCTS Home Office; Dick Barnes, who met with them, organized the trip, and mentored them as they traveled; and the Moldovan MCF president who made the arrangements in Moldova.