NTM

Alright, so here’s the plan.  We are flying to Paraguay in mid March.  Of course, there are a few things that need to take place in order for that to happen.  We need to begin the process of applying for our visas about 2½ months prior to leaving.  To apply for visas, we have to know the exact date that we are entering Paraguay; of course, that means that we have to have our tickets in hand.  In order for us to have our tickets in hand, we have to confirm with the field of Paraguay that we have adequate monthly support pledged and commit to a time that we can come down.  So you can see that in order for us to be able to leave in March, we have to have sufficient monthly support raised at least 2½ months before then.  That means that we need to have the monthly support raised by the end of December.  This is a huge prayer request as we are feeling the burden to bring the Gospel to a group of people that have been lost without it for so long.  Please pray that the visa process would go smoothly.  Please pray that God would raise the needed support. This ministry is a team effort.  Please pray about how you can be involved as well and consider joining “the team.”

Here are some other prayer requests.  We cannot ship anything by boat or air freight.  Everything we bring with us to Paraguay has to fit on the plane with us in whatever baggage we’re allowed to bring.  Please pray for wisdom as we go through our stuff and determine what is necessary to bring down, what might be able to be replaced down there, and what we might be better off not having there. Also, we so appreciate all of you that are sending monthly support, and we really do consider you as part of the team.  We could not even attempt to bring the Gospel to a tribe in Paraguay without you.  We realize that it is a sacrifice for you and that you are giving unto God.  We consider your support as provision from the Lord to fulfill the work that He has for us.  Please pray for us that we would be wise with the finances and tools that God has provided through you and other supporters.

Working on Linguistics

What does a day in the life of a linguistics student look like here in Tahlequah, Oklahoma? Well, I will give you a sample of one of the busier days. We wake up at 7 to go over and set up breakfast in the dining hall for the whole group of 37 people. We eat breakfast at 7:30 and then head back to finish getting ready for the day. At around 8:30 or so, four little ones come over to be babysat until 11. So, from 8:30 to 11 we watch eight children ages 7 and under. That gets a little crazy on a rainy day—of which there seem to be plenty here. At 11:45, I head over to the dining hall to make lunch for our four kids and Bryson and me, while Bryson prepares for our Cherokee session. Bryson and I eat lunch and then head off to our language helper’s house for a couple of hours. While Bryson and I are learning Cherokee, our kids go play with our neighbors’ kids. When we finally get back, it is about 4:00 and the kids are ready for some quiet time. They work on school or play games, while Bryson and I work on filing and practicing the Cherokee we learned. Dinner is at 5:30, then it’s time to clean up the kids and get ready for bed. Once the kids are in bed, more studying happens as we try to get a grasp on the Cherokee language. Exhausted reading this? We are too! So, if you think of it, you can pray for stamina and health during this crazy 7 weeks.

We are well aware of the fact that there are tribal people dying every day that have never once had the opportunity to hear the Gospel. That is one motivating factor for us to do what we are doing. We are headed to Paraguay, but as of yet, we do not know in which tribe we will be serving. But we do know that whatever location God has planned for us, it has the same situation of people dying without the Gospel. That is our motivation to get there as soon as possible. With our complete training in the states coming to an end in October, we have set the goal of going to the field in January of 2010. Please entreat the Lord with us to allow us to do this. As of now, it is a matter of raising the amount of support that is required by the field before we can go. Please pray with us for God to raise up partners who want to join us financially and prayerfully so that we can begin our Spanish study in January.

Mindy and I are feeling a little stressed at the load of work to be done right now, and our kids seem to be able to sense that.  We are also getting into the colder months and there is sickness going around campus.  Thankfully we have avoided it all for a while.  Please pray for the health and well-being of our family during these very busy days. This semester has been a bit busy, and it seems like at least one person in our family has been sick the whole time, but God has been faithful in drawing us to Him!

Our praises to the Lord!

• We had a very wonderful summer visiting friends and family.
• We were grateful to be able to share about the things that we have been learning and how God has been using us in and preparing us for ministry.
• We thank the Lord also for good health and safe travels throughout the summer.

Our requests we make known!

• Of course we want to do well in our classes and take it all in, but what’s more important is that we listen to the Holy Spirit and learn what it is that He has for us. Please pray that we are sensitive to His edifying and that we grow closer to Christ through His ministry and Word.  We thank God often for all that he has been teaching us.
• We are also weighing our options concerning a field to serve in. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we have set a goal for ourselves to know this semester. Please pray that the Lord would give us a heart for the field that we can best serve Him in.  God has answered our prayers and it seems that He is leading us to a field in South America…

As always, thank you so much for your prayers!

Well, the lesson God has certainly been teaching us this semester has been to increase our trust in Him. We never know what will happen or how the next moment will turn out. I have missed many classes due to kids’ illnesses – sometimes finding out just as we were walking out the door to head to class.

Elijah was diagnosed with mono, so that has been a stretching time, as well as the few things that have happened with Macayla. The same week Elijah was diagnosed with mono, Macayla stuck an air-soft BB up her nose. She got it so stuck that Bryson spent a whole morning running around to doctors to try to get the thing out. After much effort on behalf of the specialist, it came out. Just recently, Macayla fell out her second story bedroom window, landing on a very narrow gable roof. God kept His hand on her, and kept her safe while Bryson pulled her in through the window.

We are also learning to trust God with our little Hannah. She is at school all day long and struggles with being away from mommy and daddy for that long. She is having a very emotional time while adjusting to the new schedule.

We are definitely learning to trust God with our children’s health, safety, and general wellbeing.

You are so big. Your love is so big. Your desire is for all people groups to know You. But there are so many. Will you use me? How many may I reach? Could I please reach a tribe with Your gospel? Could I reach two? Oh, but God, I don’t know what I’m doing. Please teach me. Fill my head with this knowledge of culture and language and linguistics and worldviews and teaching your Holy Word. Please give me wisdom. Please prepare me, mold me, and form me to have the best impact possible on as many people as possible. And Lord, please teach me to rely on you for all that is necessary to make a dent on such a daunting task. I am small. But You are big.