NTM

We have had a busy and fruitful summer! 

After our return from Brazil, we spent a week at Mountain View Bible Camp with 26 11 to 16 year old boys.  Every morning, Patrick and I challenged the boys with missions lessons during missionary hour; and two evenings, Patrick gave a message during chapel time.  Four boys accepted Christ as their Savior during our week at camp.  Several others rededicated their lives to Christ.  It was especially exciting for us to see how our lessons built upon previous evening cabin devotions or upon the Bible teaching from earlier in the day.  God was at work planning each message and working in the hearts of the young men. 

Last week, we helped with our church’s Vacation Bible School.  Though neither of us had planned to teach, God had other ideas.  The 3rd and 4th grade teacher became very sick in the weeks leading up to VBS, so Jennifer was asked to fill in for her.  (That teacher actually passed away from this life and into Heaven the day VBS began.  You can pray for her family, the Sowers family, as many of them do not have a relationship with Jesus.)  Jennifer taught around 19 students each evening – two were our own Lauren and Rachel – and enjoyed being a classroom teacher again for a week.  The best part, though, is that 2 little girls gave their lives to Jesus the last night of VBS.  One of those girls is from a Mormon family, so please pray for little Beryl and that her Christian grandmother can disciple her and that her whole family will soon be won for Christ.  Also pray for Katie, the other little girl who accepted Jesus, that she would grow in faith and always have a heart that loves Jesus and hands that serve Him. 

We have also found out that 4 more people have accepted Christ through the ministry of our missionaries in Brazil.  Two of those people were seeds planted during our brief time there.  We are thanking God for allowing us to be a part of that ministry. 

We are still working to get our house ready to sell.  Please pray with us that God would prepare the specific people He wants to purchase this home.  We hope for a miraculously quick sale. 

God continues to provide for our every need.  Just a few weeks ago, two individuals gave generous gifts that will almost pay for two months of our mortgage.  Another gift arrived that will cover our health insurance.  God is faithful.  Two new families are beginning to give monthly support, so God continues to provide for those needs as well.  We have at least one church scheduled for later this month, and we’re contacting other pastors.  Please pray for God to open doors for us to speak in more churches so that we can share what God is doing around the world through New Tribes. 

Thank you for your faithful prayers.  We cannot function apart from the rest of the Body, and we sure appreciate you. 

Serving with you to expand the reach of the Gospel,

Patrick and Jennifer

We are home from Brazil and heading to Mountain View Bible Camp.

Patrick and Jenn had a wonderful time in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Along with 6 other people from our home church, we visited, encouraged, and ministered with a missionary family our church supports. God used our time to teach us, increase our faith, encourage us, and draw us closer to Him. We helped with a Bible Club every morning for a week; we shared our testimonies; we listened to testimonies of four Brazilian ladies; we painted and cleaned at the church and the missionaries’ homes; and Patrick even got to use his techno-geekiness to install a wireless router for one of the missionaries. All in all, it was a successful trip in that God was glorified.

While we were in South America, our children were with their grandparents having a ball. Many family members pitched in to care for our children, and we sure are thankful for their help. Not only did they keep everyone fed and clothed and clean, they really made some special memories for the children.

Patrick completed his work with SunGard on Friday. It was a little sad to say goodbye to his co-workers and the job where he has worked at least 40 hours a week for the past 8 years. However, we are completely at peace knowing this is God’s will for our family. We still do not have enough pledged monthly support to fulfill our financial obligations, but we are trusting God to provide. He has always been faithful.

Next, we’re off to spend a week at Mountain View Bible Camp with boys ages 11 to 16. Please pray for God to be honored in all we do and say and for the boys’ hearts to be open to missions. Please also pray for our family to have fun together while we’re there.

Thanks for your prayers.

PRAISES

* Safety for all of us as we were traveling and apart.

* One lady’s salvation and many other seeds planted or watered in Brazil.

* New monthly financial partners and God’s continued provision.

PRAYER REQUESTS

* Claudia, Jennifer’s new Brazilian friend — that her needs would be met and that she would continue to grow in her relationship with Jesus.

* For the teens as they hear about missions this week. For their hearts to be open.

* That we will honor God in all we do.

* That we can complete the cleaning and painting and sorting we must finish on our home in the 2 weeks following camp. And that God will already be preparing the buyers He wants so we can have a quick sale and be at US Headquarters very soon.

Once again, thank you for your prayers. We appreciate your partnership with us.

In His Grip,

Patrick and Jennifer

Summer 2007. It’s almost here.

When we were finishing up our application with New Tribes, the Lord laid Summer 2007 on our hearts as the goal for starting full-time with NTM. That date is almost here, and we have seen God do amazing things in the last 7 months.

We have had the opportunity to share with many individuals what God is doing in tribes around the world. In May, Jennifer was blessed to speak to more than 50 women in her local MOPS group about New Tribes and the opportunities we have to reach millions of people with the good news of Christ. We also have some exciting opportunites in the next 6 weeks to share our burden and passion with others.

After much prayer, we have decided Patrick will give his notice at work in the next week and his last day will be July 6. We are getting closer to the support we need to meet our financial obligations, but we aren’t there yet. We are trusting God to provide for what He has called us to do.

One confirmation of our decision for Patrick to stop working on July 6 was an invitation to spend a week at Bible camp with teenage boys the very next week, beginning July 8. We are excited about spending a week at Mountain View Bible Camp as the missionary family, teaching each day and speaking around the campfire.

Our desire is to move to US Headquarters in Florida in early August. We are working to get our home ready to sell, and we are trusting God to supply our needs.

Thank you for your prayers. We know you are praying for us, and it means so much to us.

PRAISES:

* God’s provision through new monthly partners and several one-time gifts.

* Our Suburban is still going like that Energizer Bunny. It just keeps going and going and going.

* Opportunities to speak in two churches in the next few weeks.

* Encouragement from friends and partners at the exact moments we’ve needed it.

* Our beautiful apartment waiting for us at US Headquarters. Four whole bedrooms and three whole bathrooms.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

* Wisdom for decisions related to the selling of our home and the logistics of moving and diligence to accomplish all we must do

* Wisdom concerning school for the children next year — to homeschool or to send them to the NTM school

* Safety as Patrick and Jennifer travel to Brazil for a mission trip with a group from our sending church and God’s grace as the children stay with grandparents

* God’s provision for the remainder of our needed monthly support

* A smooth transition for Patrick’s co-worker when Patrick leaves his current job and that Patrick can leave a good testimony for Christ

* Most of all, for God to be glorified in our lives

In His Grip,

Patrick and Jennifer