Merry Christmas!

“Are You Still Here?”

You’ve seen that heading before, haven’t you? We applied for our visas 7 months ago. We still have no word on them.

We’d like to share a little of what we have been doing since the last newsletter. Don has been helping out with the youth at Faith Family Ministries on Wednesdays. He had a lock-in for some of the boys. Ask him if he stayed awake the whole time! He also had the privilege of baptizing another friend’s daughter. He’s about to start a new job at Brock.
Jody helps in AWANA occasionally, and continues homeschooling the boys. She still translates at the hospital, and has had some opportunities to witness in the neighborhood.
Maggie continues her schooling online through Taylor University. She helps with Kidmo on Sunday mornings, and has a part time job.
Emily is working at NHK, and has decided she will not be going with us on the mission field. She wants to see what God has in store for her here, and to continue her education. She works in the church nursery on Sunday mornings.
Jacob participates in youth and especially enjoys small group and helping out Pastor Stephen when he can. He is learning guitar.
Curt is also in youth and small group. He is playing basketball at the YMCA and is learning to play drums.
Treyton is growing in leaps and bounds! He loves his AWANA at church, and is taking tumbling at the Y. All 3 boys love sledding!


PRAISES

• Praise God for encouragement through His word.
• He’s provided a great house for us to stay in!
• He provided Don with a job with more hours. (more hours=more income)
• He put it on someone’s heart to send a check for the ministry in the amount of $1,500! Anonymously!
• He gives the kids strength and helps them make decisions.

PRAYERS

• Please pray for guidance.
• Pray for opportunities to minister while we wait.
• Pray for strength.
• Pray for God’s continued provision.

NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!

God has been stretching our faith and refining us. It seems as if we have been waiting for ever to get to Brazil! We are honestly seeking God’s guidance daily. Did we mistake the call to missions for the call to Brazil? Is the door to Brazil closed, and if so, which door will He open? Should we wait longer? If we wait, will he continue to miraculously provide for us? Should we look into other areas in which we can minister? There’s a fine line between stepping out in faith, and getting ahead of God, between waiting on the Lord, and getting stuck in a rut. Making these kinds of life changing decisions is very uncomfortable! Having faith requires admitting that we are not in control. We don’t know what our future holds. But do any of us?

Because we don’t know what the future will bring, we must remember that 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “…now is the day of salvation.” This is important for believers and non-believers. Romans 10:13-15 says, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’”
Now is the day of salvation if you don’t know Jesus. Now is the day of salvation if you’re called to share the gospel. Now is the day of salvation if God is calling you to help send someone out to share the gospel.
We may not have tomorrow. Now is the day of salvation. After all, that is why Jesus came to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life, and took our sins upon Himself, dying on the cross in our place. He rose again, so that now could be the day of salvation to all who believe.
Please pray for God to show us all our role in His great plan!Revelations 7:9-10 says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Please pray for God to show us all our role in His great plan!

Temporary

We've been feeling like this waiting is unbearable. Look what was in my email today, the daily devotion I get from FFM.

Today’s Turning Point

Evidence of Hope

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17

If you have ever had to practice football twice a day in 100 degree heat, endure nine weeks of military basic training, or live with nausea for six weeks of chemotherapy, you were likely told, "Hang in there. You can do anything for a short period of time." The difference between "temporary" and "permanent" can seem like the difference between life and death.

The apostle Paul knew the difference between the two. There were many occasions in his Christian life where he felt terrible, but he never lost heart (2 Corinthians 4:16). In fact, his favorite phrase was "but not": Hard-pressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (verses 8-9). Paul knew that every difficulty was temporary. Even if it lasted his whole life, he still saw it as temporary compared to the hope of eternity. If he ever lost hope, it was only for the moment. His permanent perspective was eternal hope in the goodness and purpose of God.

Have you learned to separate the temporary from the permanent in your life? That distinction is evidence that hope is alive and well.

The future is as bright as the promises of God.

Adoniram Judson


Recommended Reading

2 Corinthians 4:7-18