VISION XVII in final preparations for Poland 2009

Welcome to the official blog of VISION XVII!





Our first entry is an abbreviated version of the "press release" in which we announced our trip. We'll try to update this blog as often as possible during the trip, so come back often, and "pray without ceasing!"

The VISION XVII Music and Drama Team of San Diego Christian College will embark Wednesday, May 13 on a three-week ministry in the beautiful land of Poland. With a history marked by tragedies of war and oppression, Poland is now blossoming as one of the important countries of Europe. However, it is also considered the second least evangelized country in Europe with a very small percentage of evangelical believers and many cities with no strong biblical witness.

VISION’s ministry will include evangelistic programs in public schools, orphanages, civic cultural centers, outdoor venues, and churches. They will interact with Polish high school and university students, sharing Christ with nonbelievers and encouraging believers.

This isn’t the first time a VISION team has visited Poland. Previous teams ministered there two years in a row – 2002 and 2003. God used those two trips to move the heart of one young lady on the team at that time, named Katie Yates, and He has since called her back to Poland for full-time service. It will be the privilege of this year’s team to work closely with Katie and her organization, Pioneers, in the area around Szczecinek in the northwestern area of the country.

In addition, VISION will work again in central and southern Poland with a group of Polish pastors and workers related to the Poland Evangelical Mission, a U. S. based organization founded and directed by Dr. Kyle Wilson, father of the VISION team’s faculty adviser, Mr. Larry Wilson. PEM raises funds for investment in church building, pastoral support, camping ministry, and seminary training for a new generation of Polish pastors.

Under the co-direction of SDCC Senior Luke Valenti and Junior Amanda Graham, this is the 17th VISION team to be formed. The group was founded in 1992 by Larry Wilson as part of the vision of Dr. Gary Coombs, who was then and is still Missions Pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church. Past teams have ministered on five continents, including such countries as Brazil, South Korea, Spain, China, Malawi, Romania, Turkey, and Portugal. Over 125 CHC/SDCC students have served on the team throughout its history. Several of them, including Katie Yates, now serve in full-time missions around the world, including some whom the Lord called back to the same land they visited while with VISION.

As has been the case with past teams, VISION will be singing much of their music in the language of the people – in this case, Polish. They’ll be learning such complex phrases as “zawsze byłeś i już będziesz Panem wszystkiego” (“You have always been and always will be Lord of all.”) The effort put into such learning reaps returns in goodwill and acceptance on the part of the people of that land, breaking down barriers to the gospel and broadening our own students’ horizons of ministry.

The universal language of drama, mostly mime with musical background, is also a significant part of VISION’s ministry. Their powerful sketches, supplementing their Christ-honoring music and testimony, have been used of God many times to lead people to Himself where the spoken word has not penetrated.

The team covets the prayer support of the SDCC community as they make final preparations for this trip. Anyone desiring more information may contact Larry Wilson at lwilson@sdcc.edu or 619-441-2200, ext. 1143.