NTM

We would really appreciate your prayers for us as the next two weeks find us with 3 opportunities to share about what the Lord is doing in tribal missions.

The 19th and 26th we will be at First Baptist of Tekonsha, speaking in their morning services. Please pray that what we share will be encouraging, challenging and relevant to the folks there. We will also be joining them for a rafting/camping trip the weekend of the 31st. So safety, wisdom, etc. would be great prayer items for that time.

Sunday - Tuesday, the 19th – 21st, we will be in Cambridge City, Indiana. On the evening of the 20th, Shirley’s cousin and her husband will host a meeting where we will be sharing about my recent trip to PNG and sharing about NTM.

How we thank the Lord for times like these when we can speak about God’s desire for all to know Him, and how He is raising up laborers to accomplish speading the Gospel to those who have never heard.

Thank you for praying for us! Please let us know how we can pray for you… rex_schaffner@ntm.org

Much love in Christ!

Having all things that pertain to life and godliness…how much more can we ask for? And yet, being with 500 of our coworkers for a week of fellowship, relaxation, praying together, hearing about what God is doing around the world…that can be pretty enriching. Add to that hearing from AWANA president Jack Eggar, a pastor from Colorado and several of our own NTM leaders about our vision for the future  and what we are trusting God for and you have a pretty packed week spiritually. We are pretty excited about being here and look forward to what God will do in our midst.

We would appreciate your prayers for our whole group to be encouraged and refreshed. Thank you for praying.

Ron Blue (DTS),Steve and Sharon Sanford (NTM), Bob and Stephanie Caudle (Cadence) and Shirley and I were the speakers at the Skiff Lake Missions Confference this past weekend.

It turned out to be one of the most encouraging weekends of our lives. We spoke 8 different times and were so encouraged by the response. I was privileged to report on many different aspects of my recent trip to PNG, which included visits to two of the tribes Skiff has invested in for about 20 years.

How exciting to be able to tell of God’s wonderful works in these tribes, to the saints who have been supporting and praying for the missionaries all these years! What an incredible opportunity to go and come back and tell.

We have never received so many encouraging comments. Thank You Lord!

Thanks to those of you who prayed for us too!

Wow! What a whirlwind trip…20,000 miles or so in a variety of ways. From the largest of airplanes (400+ seats) to the smallest (6); up and down a mountain road (if you can call it that) many times in a covered cantor (truck with bench seats for 20 in the back); hours in a little skiff boat with hundreds of kilograms of supplies; hours and hours of hiking in the bush to get to a remote village in West New Britain PNG; and then do it all again in reverse to get home to the US. Praise the Lord, the team touched down in L.A. Sunday at 1PM. Most should be home by now with their families. I arrived in Detroit to Shirley’s open arms at 6AM Monday, after a great time in LA with Megan and AJ watching the Super Bowl.

     It always seems surrealistic, these trips…what contrast…to go from the least important (in the world’s eyes…tribal people and their hearing the message of life)…to the greatest (in the world’s eyes…the SUPER BOWL!) in a matter of hours. Millions and multiple 10’s of millions of $$$ spent on advertising and entertainment, while in 1,000’s of villages around the world, people are waiting to hear the message of the Gospel; waiting until someone who is willing to go has enough financial support to get there. Just seems strange doesn’t it?

     If the church could get as excited about missions (it’s real reason for being on this planet) as the world does about entertainment, people night just get to hear the message that will keep them from hell a bit quicker. We were so reminded of this wherever we went this past month…so many people without the Gospel in their language. John 3.16 in their language looks like this… “                                                                                            “.

     Some of the students on the team seem convinced now after all they saw and heard, that they want to be a part of taking God’s Word to those without it. Please pray that they would continue to trust God for all they need in their lives as some of them step out in faith, and begin training for missions. They are all back now, but they are not the same ones I met in L.A. on December 31. God has done amazing things in their (and my) lives. I can only begin to tell you how encouraging this trip has been to my heart too. Prayer and praise have filled my days as I heard the students respond to the teaching and express their hearts in so many ways. What an incredible privilege to invest in them like this. Thank You Lord! And thanks to those of you who wrote and encouraged me with comments about the emails. Thank you for praying for Shirley and me and for the team! You have had an important part in this trip and these lives too! Thanks so much for taking us before the throne of grace!

Oh yea…there is a new name for a creek near one village…here is a picture of it and the reason for it…the shorts were khaki before the jump…the small puddle in the lower left part of the picture is where I sat after a standing long jump; I should have made it, but my feet sunk about a foot and then I could only go one direction…backward…and sat down…Daniel tried twice to pull me out, but the mud sucked me back in…third time was a charm. The village now refers to this body of water as Rex Creek…what a time of laughter we had! 
     Well, thank you again for your time and interest in what God is doing around the world and in Jackson…we have 21 freshman at NTBI who are just beginning to discover what NTM is about. We appreciate your prayers…Shirley has several meetings with the women throughout the week. She is scheduled to be part of a women’s retreat in April here in Jackson. We are scheduled to be in FL for a missions conference later this month. Lots going on and we are thankful for the opportunities the Lord brings our way. Please let us know if we can be of service in your church/area, and please let us know how we can pray for you as well.

Yours for the tribes,
Rex and Shirley

Isaiah 26.3,4

Our 26 Seniors will be walking the stage on December 13 and into the next phase of life, wherever that may take them. Most of them intend to go to NTM’s MTC for additional training for tribal church planting. PTL!

Many will be going home for a while to get plugged into their home churches. Some will be looking for work. Others will be attending college. Whatever they do, our hearts are so grateful for the time they have been here. We know they leave very different than when they arrived two years ago. How we pray they will continue to look to the Lord for direction and will  live their lives sold out to making Him known.

Thank you for praying for us and for them. God has done great things and they are marvelous in our sight.

Rex and Shirley

Praise the Lord with us, we had a good trip to the MTC in MO. It was a great time with co-workers and former students, some who have just started the MTC program, others who about finished and ready to get to the field.

Please pray for Tom and Beth, Ric and Sharon and Dave and Darlene who are all headed to Cambodia. Lord willing they could be there within a year or two.

We would appreciate your prayers for us – Shirley for strength and wisdom as she meets with many ladies and the other deans throughout the week. Having been gone for three our of the last four weeks means quite a bit of catching up. Thanks for praying.

I have started in a new position (Director of Community Relations) in a new department at NTBI. My new responsibilities include being the contact for Pastors and churches, and coordinating youth group/church/college group meetings…all with the goal of increasing enrollment. Thank you for praying for wisdom and direction as we develop this new position.

October 1-4 finds us in Roach, MO at the NTM Missionary Training Center (MTC). We are here representing NTBI and learning about Development, and how the MTC expansion project is coming along. NTM is expanding the facilities in order to train more missionaries each year.

God has done an amazing thing here so far. In the past 3 years, 10 four-plexes have been built and a completely new sewer system has been added to our property of 300 acres. Over $3 million has been provided through God’s people. AMAZING!

As we enter phase two of the expansion, plans have been unveiled for a very needed 40,000 SF academic and administration building. Approximately $1 million has been donated so far toward the project. If you would like more information, please click here.

Your prayers for NTM and for Shirley and me are greatly appreciated. We travel back to MI Oct 5 and get back into our ministries. Thank you for your interest and prayers.

For the tribes,

Rex and Shirley     Isa 26.3,4