NTM

1.  Seek Alternate Route!  (Selling our Home?)

It’s been said that the third time is a charm…Let’s pray it’s true.  Actually the 4th now.  We are very close to closing the sale of our home with a new buyer.  We settled on a price right after the last buyer fell through in Novembner.  All inspections have passed.  Of course this means we will be moving again rigth before Christmas.  That will make 5 moves for our family in a year and a half.  Even though it is a crazy time to move we are excited and ready.  This shouldbe the last move before heading to PNG.

Pray for Ben as these transitions are more difficult for Him. Pray that we would find our security in the Lord despite these changes.  Pray for God’s timing with the selling process.

2.  Reduced Speed Next 2 Mo’s (A New Baby Girl)

We have been blessed with the gift of a healthy baby girl.  Her name is Chloe Anne Ruse and she was born on September 8 at 12:52am weighing in at 8lbs. 4oz and measuring 20 inches long.  We won’t be traveling as much until mommy and the baby are on a healthy schedule!  Check out our new picture album to see her! 

3.  Lane Merge Ahead  (Shift in our Work)

We are preparing to share for a week long mission’s conference at our sending church in October.  We also present at churches in November and in February.  Pray for more opportunities to share about our ministry with churches and individuals.

We have begun our first wave of paperwork for serving in Papua New Guinea.  This included obtaining our passports which we now have thanks to the gift of a certain individual and working towards our PNG Visa’s.  

Katie has to begin homeschooling Ben and Ellaina as soon as she is able.  Pray for energy and passion as she takes on this new responsibility.

I Love The Outdoors!

I have always wanted to go on a fishing trip to Canada and go on a Hunt for a Big Whitetail or Elk.  I haven’t gotten the big hunting trip yet, but I was recently able to go on my first fishing trip to Canada.  It was Great!

I woke up at 4:00am on Saturday morning and climbed into the vehicle with Katie’s Dad, Brother, and Friend.  The boat towed behind as we passed over the Macinaw bridge and then crossed the border into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie.  We continued our drive past Chapleu and into the great North. 

The scenary was beautiful.  We boated along many miles of lakeshore catching walleye, pike, and smallmouth.  Even though I am not a big fish eater I loved the fresh walleye.  I was a rookie on this trip, but held my weight well when it came to catching fish.  I was the runner up in the pike and walleye category and pulled many fish into the boat.  I also performed plenty of rookie bloopers. 

When we weren’t fishing we were hiding from the mosquitoes & black flies inside the cabin eating tons of food and snacks.  Laughing and having fun just as guys.  I was also able to see two moose along the shorline, a large beaver, and a martin.  I heard my father-in-law’s interesting loone call (and they even responded) and also got too close to the overly friendly chipmunks!

This was a fun and refreshing time spent with people I love and enjoying God and His creation.  In the words of my Father-In-Law:

“It doesn’t get much better than this boys”

<img class=”alignleft size-medium wp-image-104″ style=”margin-right: 10px;margin-bottom: 5px” src=”http://www.ntm.org/wp/jon_ruse/files/2009/02/2839_53812.jpg” alt=”Amazing View
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How can we begin to understand the greatness of who God is?

Katie and I have been amazed as we learn (about water, electricity, solar/ wind/ water power, motors, batteries, lights, frequencies, wells, outhouses, transformers, inverters, etc) that man has only tapped the surface of what God has made. 

While we can create ways to use this energy, power, and water somewhat safely it will never be as pure or perfect as God’s original. 

*Any time we change from one power/ energy form to another we will lose about 20%! 

*The best filters for water are ground and UV rays (sunlight) and man cannot create anything nearly as efficient! 

This is a small picture of what we have been learning in "Missionary Technology".  Everything you need to know about things you didn’t know you needed to know to survive in a remote 3rd world location.

God has provided NTM with key people and connections to put us on the cutting edge of technology for advancing tribal missions.  How AWESOME!

There are many hands on opportunities to apply what we’ve learned.  We zapped batteries back to life, soldered and wired different connections, made a halogen lamp and a LED nightlight from scratch and so much more.

Missionaries in PNG have experienced frequent loss of equipment due to lightning. They are preparing us with the right equipment and knowledge to prevent this from happening to our electronics in the dorm.  We are so thankful that God has taught man how to use technology to further His Kingdom!

WOW! We are learning that missionaries in tribal locations have to be prepared and trained for ANYTHING!  We learned all about general wellness, how to diagnose and treat diseases, give shots, take blood pressure , and use an otoscope.

       As dorm parents, we will not have to use all this information very often because there is a doctor at the missionary center in PNG.  However, you never know in a third world country. It was all very interesting and we had fun with it!

Our First Shot Records!

Jon was such a good sport to let me poke his arm! Was he too tough for this shot, or was Katie just that good?!

I, on the other hand, was a wimp and I am very thankful for a man named Kurt who took my place!  Jon finds the right spot.      

    He measures precisely!      

Jon has to flick any bubbles left to make sure he has an accurate dosage.     

                Aim!

We are thankful for Gail Hemphill (a nurse recently moved back from PNG) who helped us not to hurt each other when giving a shot! We were also very impressed with our class instructor who is a nurse at the local ER, has traveled all over the world helping medically with NTM, and lived in a tribe in Africa.