Get to Know Oliver Stone

Ministry Description

I will be headed to South Africa to take part in their ministry as an intern for the next two years. I will be helping out in many different ways assisting the staff and students coming through the property. Some of the areas I will get to assist in are their camp programs, local church outreach, and mission trips both national and international. My specific roles in these areas can vary from Bible teaching, planning and running games, to counselling young people that come through all the listed areas. I also will have the unique opportunity to put my skills in carpentry to use. With my experience using tools I will be training staff and other interns on how to use tools, as well as taking part in leading some of the upcoming maintenance projects on the property. All these things will contribute to the vision held, being: every young person next step with Jesus.

I am hungry to get out on the field and be serving in South Africa soon!

Learn more about the ministry in South Africa.

About Oliver

My Name is Oliver Stone. I was born and raised in Nova Scotia Canada. I am the second youngest of four siblings and two parents who love us all deeply. I have to give thanks to my family because my faith journey started from their influence. If it weren't for my parents sincerity and love towards God, the examples set by my older siblings, my life could be quite different. But thanks be to God who through them made me the person I am now, aware of my sin and set free by the blood of Jesus Christ.

At the age of ten I knew and believed that Jesus came to earth, died on a cross, rose again three days later, and offers forgiveness for my sin leading to eternal life with him in heaven. What I didn't grasp and take recognition of was the depth of his love behind his actions. Because I didn't recognize the depth of his love through his action on the cross I never let it affect my own actions in my daily living. I lived unaware of this issue for a very long time. It wouldn't be until five years prior to my decision to accept Jesus as my saviour that I would be confronted of the issue. When I was 15 years old I attended a Word of Life camp called The Island. One full week of biblical community where Jesus' love was spoken so highly of by so many my own age, my oldest sister being one of them. It was Wednesday, August 14th 2019, where I was faced with the question of was I, or was I not going to let the gospel impact my life surrendering all I am, all I have, and all I ever hope to be into the hands of Jesus. I said yes. One of my first steps in this decision was committing to attend the Word of Life Bible Institute.

My two years spent at the Word of Life Bible Institute transformed my life. I was provided with so many avenues to grow in my relationship with the Lord in class, with friends, and through my discipler. Not only was I provided with my own personal opportunity to grow, but also to help others take their first steps in a relationship with Christ serving in camps and as a dorm resident assistent. For the first time I was actively pursuing a life with Jesus with him not behind, not beside, but in font of my every move I made. The abundance of joy experienced through friendship, camp, school I knew was all thanks to him. I could not and still can't get enough of what he offers me as I follow him each and everyday. Looking back at my life before God brought me to a place of loving the relationship I share with Him I am heart broken. The empty pursuit in everything I did on top of the flat out loneliness apart from God was dreadful. It haunts me to know that there are others experiencing the same as I once did. But rather than dwell on the feelings God has given me a heart to go out and find those who are lonely and in desperate need of His love and share with them the love that holds me so gently. I believe that God has used my testimony to build me up and equip me to now go out and proclaim His wonders around the world. Which is why I am now headed off to South Africa!

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6-7

Contact Information

oliversudden18@icloud.com

Address:
Oliver Stone
Word of Life South Africa
PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870