NTM

Please pray with us that:

God will provide a buyer for our house so we can return to Mexico.

We will be extremely sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading as to the use of our time while we wait for that to happen.

Doug will be able to do well in his online course and learn what he needs to for the Mexico community development ministry the Lord is leading us into.

We have been holding off sending out another prayer letter until we had the good news that all “our ducks were in a row", and we were on our way back to Mexico. Recently a couple saw the house and loved it! We started the whole complex process of accepting offers, etc. that is part of selling a house. We were super excited thinking that in the next few weeks we would be closing the house deal and heading back to Chihuahua. We really thought that the end of our "praying BIG" for a buyer was drawing to a close.

Then we’ve hit a bump in the road. This morning our realtor called to say that the buyers have some debts that must be paid before they can buy the house. They are expecting Christmas bonuses on December 8 with which they plan on paying those debts. Then they could close the deal in December. Their realtor plans to check with them on a weekly basis and report to our realtor just to keep us in the loop. Meanwhile, we will keep the house on the market in case the Lord has someone else in mind to buy the house.

So, we are still in GA, still in the need of some BIG praying. Please pray with us. Hopefully we’ll be writing next month to inform you that the deal is done!

In the meantime we are keeping busy. There are always things going on at church with which to be involved, and Doug has been substitute teaching. If that’s not enough, this week he started an online college course that will be extremely helpful in the community development endeavors he will be making when we return to Chihuahua. I have been enjoying my “grandmother’s role”. Speaking of that, our newest grandbaby will be born either this weekend or on Monday, Oct. 29. We can hardly wait to see her in person!

In our next letter I look forward to explaining about the new Community Development ministry the Lord is leading us into.

With all our love and appreciation,

Doug and Melody

We got back last night from our latest trip across country. This time we went out to Colorado and back with stops in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. A few weeks before that we made a huge trip to Texas, Missouri, back to Georgia, then on to North Carolina and Virginia and back! It seems like we’ve been gone forever!
Thank you so much for praying for us! Although we saw several severe accidents and had to drive through heavy rain at times, we had a safe trip. I’m sure that one of the reasons for that is your effectual prayer. Even though you didn’t particularly know we were traveling so much, we know you’ve been praying. Thanks!
We arrived home last night to discover that the air conditioning in our house was totally dead. I found out how spoiled I have become! We are just not accustomed to dealing with such humid heat! God gave us grace to sleep well, and we’ve made it through the day without the air. Praise the Lord! Doug worked all day with Zac and one of his friends from the fire department to get it fixed. Finally after one more part replacement, it’s working. That’s a huge praise as we need the a/c to be functioning well in order to sell the house.
Speaking of the house, it still hasn’t sold. Our wonderful real estate agent showed it a time or two while we were gone, but so far no takers. Pray it will sell soon! We are resting in the Lord that He is in control of the situation, but our hearts are in Mexico and we will be so happy to return.
Also, we’d appreciate your continued prayer for the Lord to raise up a few more supporters. I tell ‘ya. I’m getting tired of asking prayer for that! I’m really looking forward to the day I can say that we’ve got all we need, and we don’t have to talk about it any more!! Until then, please pray with us about it.
After we get the grass mowed and a couple more minor chores, Doug will be making more contacts. Pray God will guide us in those endeavors.
Following is a story from one of our missionaries in Mexico that will help you understand why our hearts are “south of the border”.
An elderly Tarahumara shaman in Mexico, who once placed a curse upon missionaries Tim Roberts and Ted Wingo, is now a believer. Friday morning Valentin and his wife, Cuka, placed their faith in Christ.

“My heart was happy today,” wrote Tim. “Well, happy doesn’t quite cover it. I was overjoyed … as I listened to two old shamans giggling like little children because of their newfound faith in Jesus Christ.”

The missionaries had been praying for the couple for 13 years.

“During those years there have been many mixed signals in our relationship with them,” wrote Tim. “Sometimes they were very friendly, and at other times not.”

There were times when Cuka hurried to go inside if she saw the missionaries coming. Ignoring them was the norm if she didn’t have time to hide. Over the years Cuka had been very vocal about her disapproving thoughts of the missionaries.

The couple began listening to God’s Word after seeing the change it made in their son, Nacho. Nacho befriended Tim and Ted and became a believer after hearing the Gospel in his own language.

Nacho now meets with Tim several times a week to study God’s Word and to check scripture in the Tarahumara language.

“It’s no small task to reduce the truths of God’s holy word into an indigenous language that’s bereft of terms or even concepts that correspond with scripture. As we’ve believed God to build His Church among the Western Tarahumara, He has been faithful. The light of understanding has begun to shine.”

Pray for Nacho and his parents to grow in their relationship with Christ and to make Him known to others.
Thank you, Dear Ones, for holding us up before the throne of Grace. We deeply appreciate you!
Blessings,

Thanks so much for your prayers! We got back today from that "marathon" trip to Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. It was an incredibly awesome trip. What a blessing to visit with old friends as well as current friends and family!

We traveled 2700 miles! It sure is a good thing we have an economical car! We’re also thankful for a dependable car. We had not one speck of trouble along the way. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow we hope to map out the rest of the summer. Pray that we will have wisdom and unity as we make plans for where to go and when. While you’re praying, ask the Lord for a buyer for our house. We are more than ready to head back to Mexico, but we we need to sell this house first! A realtor brought someone to look at it while we were gone and they are supposed to be working up an offer for us, but we haven’t heard anything yet. Pray they contact our realtor with an offer we can accept.

Thanks SO much for your prayers. It is SUCH a blessing having you on our team!

God bless,

Pray for safety on the road as we start a summer of travel here, there and everywhere!

Pray for our house to sell.

Pray for the Lord’s direction and wisdom in making plans for the rest of the summer travel and for the return-to-Mexico date.

Pray we will be a "sweet fragrance of Christ" to everyone we come in contact with.

We aren’t heading back to Mexico yet as the house still hasn’t sold, but we’re heading out this morning on the first of several little summer jaunts.

One of the purposes of this trip is to meet and make new contacts in Houston, TX at Melody’s 40th high school reunion (can you believe it’s the 40th?). From there we’ll head up to Missouri to visit our daughter and meet the special man in her life. We’ll visit other family and friends along the way. We should be gone around 2 weeks.

Please pray for safety on the road and that we will be a "sweet fragrance of Christ" to everyone we come in contact with.

God continues to hugely blessed us, and I know it is a direct result of your prayers on our behalf. Thank you SO much for praying!

While you’re at it, pray for our house to sell, as well as for the details for the rest of the summer travel to fall in place. We are looking to the Lord for "travel planning" wisdom. We need to get back to Mexico this summer, but there are several other trips we need to make before we do. Pray for God’s direction and timing for each of those trips.

Thank you so much!

Pray for wisdom for our departure date to return to Mexico

Pray for new supporters.

Pray for grace and strength to be able to finish getting the house ready to sell.

Pray for a buyer for our furlough house in GA.

Dear Family and Friends,

Thanks so VERY much for praying for the requests we sent you last month. Some of those requests are still the same, but others are new or a little different.

You are a huge part of what God is doing not only in our lives, but what He is doing in Mexico. Do you remember the story in 2 Chronicles 20 when enemies were going to go to war against Judah? King Jehoshaphat was afraid and didn’t know what to do, so he sought the Lord. The tribe of Judah gathered together with him, and they sought the Lord together. Praying together, the Lord answered them. Thank you for being our “tribe” and praying together with us!

Please continue to pray for wisdom for our departure date. We received encouraging word from our field leadership the other day that we will not have to resign from the mission like we thought if we aren’t ready financially to return to the field the beginning of June. They really want us to go back; they have a job for us to do, but they want us to have at least 60% of the recommended support before we go. Right now we stand at about 53%. So, we will be able to decide on a departure date once the support level is reached. However, we have NO idea when that will be, however! In the light of that, please pray that new supporters will commit to having a part in the ministry that God has for us in Mexico. We are very thankful that a Sunday school class and a couple from another church have committed to supporting us. As a result of that, we now only need $520 a month additional support. Praise the Lord!

Doug has been very busy working on the house getting it ready to list with a realtor. He has painted several rooms, power-washed the outside and accomplished several other needed jobs. There are only a couple other rooms to paint and maybe the kitchen floor to replace. Then we think it’ll be ready to list. Pray for grace and strength to accomplish these tasks. Pray also for a buyer. It would be great if we could find a buyer before we have to list it!

In many ways we feel like we are standing on the brink of some very exciting things about to happen. We’ve had a great furlough time spending time with our home church and family, but we’re anxious to get back. It is exciting for us to think about the things the Lord is “fixin” to do preparing the way for us to get back to the ministry He has for us in Mexico. Thank you SO much for your part in the ministry to Mexico!

May the Lord richly bless you today, tomorrow and in the days to come!

Doug and Melody

Oh, my goodness! We just noticed the calendar! Tomorrow will be March 9! Can you believe how FAST time is FLYING by? 

Speaking of time flying by, our furlough is very quickly coming to an end. We are due back in Mexico June 2. That leaves us just about 10-12 weeks before we’ll be heading "home". In the light of that, please take note and pray for the following items:

1. Pray for direction for departure date. We are due back in Mexico June 2, but we want to visit Doug’s folks and our kids scattered across the US one more time before crossing the border.

2. Transportation. We are so thankful for the consortium that faithfully made our $340 monthly van payments for 1 1/2 years. However as of January, they had to stop making those payments. Trust God with us for the extra income or support that is need to continue paying for the van.

3. Pray for the sale of our house in Tunnel Hill, GA

4. Pray for the $600 increase in monthly support needed before returning to Mexico in June. 

Now that we’re pretty much settled in a home, we would like to get busy sharing the ministry of New Tribes Mission in as many churches, Sunday schools, small groups, etc. as we can. Pray for God to open doors. Also, pray for grace and strength as we take those opportunities. Pray that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit each step of the way, and that we’ll be a blessing everywhere we go.