STL: Project Eliminate

About STL

Speed the Light (STL) is the student-initiated, volunteer, charitable program that provides much-needed equipment to missionaries across the nation and in over 180 countries around the world. Speed the Light began in 1944 as a way for Student Ministries to give and help missionaries in their work. Since its beginning, STL has raised over $220 million for missionary equipment around the world. Today, Speed the Light is one of the most effective youth missions ministries in the church world. Many students have accepted a great responsibility to voluntarily sacrifice and raise funds to purchase needed equipment for missionaries around the world.

If missionaries are going to get to where the lost live, it will be because of Speed the Light. Every missionary at some point fly, drive, or float to their destination in transportation that has been provided for them by Speed the Light. Airplanes, cars, vans, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses, boats, horses, camels, donkeys, wheel barrows, etc., if it has wheels or hooves and can carry a missionary to a country, city, town, or village, Speed the Light has provided it.

STL in the Congo

As we prepare to go to the Congo one of our prayer burdens has been for a STL vehicle. The Lord has graciously answered our prayers through the students of the Spokane and Northern Idaho areas. These students have selected Michelle and I as there special missions project and have pledged to raise the funds need for our field vehicle.

Why this is so important.

Within the Republic of Congo there is only one main road in the entire country. This road is 332 miles long. It starts in the coastal city of Point-Noire and ends in the capital city Brazzaville. This road is the lifeline of the country. It’s used for trade, transportation and communication. This road is the essential glue that hold this country together. Without it life would be all the more difficult in an already extreme country. Another reason that make this road so critical is that more that 85% of the entire population lives along this road. How amazing is that… in a country with only 4 million people 3.4 million of them living along this road. This road is the key to spreading the good news about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Congolese Church has a goal to plant 400 new churches in the next 10 years! Most of these new churches will be along this road. Having reliable transportation will be an essential tool in spreading the gospel in the Republic of Congo Michelle and I cant wait to be apart of these church planting efforts and knowing we have this vehicle enables us to keep moving forward.