The time has come to return to the 10/40 Window. The statistics are literally staggering. 

For example, as I write this update, there is approximately 8.09 billion people in the world. It’s estimated that 42% of the worlds population, or 3.45 billion people have never heard the name of Jesus. The 10/40 Window is often called “The Resistant Belt” and includes the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists

More than half of the world’s population and people groups live in the 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window is also infamous for having the greatest population of unreached people and unreached people groups. That means they have no access to the Gospel, that means they have no access to a Bible, there’s no Christian presence, no church or believer who could even share the Gospel with them. I believe Christ died for these people and they have the right to hear the Gospel at least once in their life in order to make a decision for Christ.

As I write this update, there has been 270,000 people born today, over 20.2 million people born this year. 126,000 deaths today, and over 9.5 million people have died this year. We’re just 2 months into 2025. That’s more than 1.1 million people dying each week, and the overwhelming majority of them don’t know Jesus. Again, nearly half of them have never had a chance to receive Him as their Savior before stepping into eternity to be forever separated from Him. 

As if that’s not bad enough, the statistics don’t stop there. More than 70% of the world’s evangelistic witness is focused on the world’s historically Christian countries. Most of the churches in the west retain over 90% of God’s resources for itself. That means that 90% of all giving in the west is directed towards staff salaries, buildings, and educational materials for people who are already in the Kingdom. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with paid staff, buildings to meet in or preparing a comfortable place for believers. My point is that there are so many people who need to hear about the salvation that is found in Christ alone and still haven’t heard. They are born, live their lives, they die and then go to hell without ever hearing that Christ died for their sins. It’s something that haunts me. And I believe it is something that breaks the Lord’s heart.

The unreached are unreached because they’re hard to reach. It takes time and money, and it’s a long term investment. Great returns aren’t seen instantly. Truth be told a great harvest among the unreached may not even be realized for decades.

I believe that God has given His church a command to go in to all the world to make disciples. It’s not a valid excuse to say, “But Lord, we didn’t go because they’re hard to reach.”

I want to be like David, who was a man after God’s heart, a man that was obedient, who would do all of God’s will. At the end of my life, I want to stand before the Lord and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…”

These are the things that stir me to do what I do. They are the things that God has placed upon my heart to direct me into His call for my life. 

God has opened an amazing door for me to oversee the teaching at our CBI’s (Calvary Bible Institutes) in the 10/40 Window. And He has given me the opportunity to go for extended periods of time to teach, disciple and encourage our guys on the ground. To encourage them to go where we could never go, to take the Gospel to those who have never ever heard. It’s a great privilege to have the opportunities that I currently have. But we need to make the most of them while we have them.

I have a great deal of travel planned for 2025. I have 4 extended trips planned this year. To start, I’ll be flying out March 3rd for a 2 1/2 month trip. Please keep this trip in your prayers as I will be leading a small team of pastors and faithful servants to the 10/40 window. Pray that God’s Spirit would move mightily on the hearts of the people who will be attending the Bible studies. Pray for our national pastors as we come alongside of them to further equip, encourage and strengthen them for the work ahead.

We will be holding a 2 day youth conference in the north. We will also hold another 3 day conference and graduation at one of our CBI’s, which happens to be in an area that we have not been able to visit in the past 6 years due to heavy persecution. I love doing conferences because the results are always wonderful. It’s a time of equipping our guys for the harvest that’s ahead.

We will be going to an area never visited before by SGWM staff. We’ll be going there to witness the work that’s going on there and to encourage our workers. 

After that, we will be headed to another area where a new work has started about a year ago. It’s a work that God has really been blessing and it’s a great joy for me to go there and spend time with our national worker there. It’s always a fruitful time of fellowship and growth, while seeing all that the Lord is doing.

Then we will be flying on to an area where SGWM has recently completed construction on a new facility that houses one of our CBI’s. We will be teaching block classes through one of the books of the Bible and doing a week long discipleship meeting with former graduates. We will be focusing on what it means to be a pastor.

Finally we will head out for a few weeks to spend time with a newly married couple. They are also engaged in a new-ish work. Our time there will be spent on discipleship, coming alongside them to encourage and strengthen them in the ministry God has called them too. This is a couple I dearly love and I expect it to be a time of great refreshing for all of us.

The over arching theme that God has placed on my heart for this trip is the importance of God’s Word and serving Him faithfully, in the way He would have us serve Him.

As I leave the 10/40 Window, I will stop over in Germany for a short stay. I will be visiting many people who were in our church, Calvary Chapel Ansbach, when we lived in Leutershausen. It will be a blessed time of reconnecting and catching up with them.

I’ve really been looking forward to this trip since I started planning it some 4-5 months ago. 

Again, I’d ask you to be praying for us as we go. Pray for God’s mercy, His grace, as well as His presence to lead and guide as we engage in this great work among the unreached, for His glory.

Please pray that God would bless each and everyday with a greater blessing than He blessed the day before.

As always, I’m incredibly humbled by your willingness to stand with us in this ministry through your prayers. Thank you for your friendship, love, prayers and support. We’re a team. Tina and I happen to be the spearhead and all of you are the shaft. Both are equally important to accomplish its purpose.

Thank you again for your prayers.

God bless,

Gary