Tom and Danielle Brendle Connecting YOU to Tribal Missions 
Tomorrow America will face a difficult decision. As I have prayed for the election, I praise the Lord that He alone is the ultimate authority and already knows the outcome of tomorrow’s vote and what it will mean.
We in the Brendle house have been facing a difficult decision of our own. Though our decision will not have quite the same consequences of a national election, it is large for our family and friends none the less.
As you all well know, our family has been facing health issues for some time now. Being here has been very difficult for us. In July, Danielle went to the doctor and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome as a result of having mononucleosis. Tom has been picking up a lot of pieces for the family as well as continuing our regular ministry, and he has worn himself out.
This ongoing struggle has brought us to the point where we need to make a change. After much prayer and consultation with our regional leadership, we have decided that we will be moving out of Siawi after the end of the school year. Levi and Jacob will finish school at the end of May, and then the Brendle family will be heading back to the United States. Please pray for us as we determine God’s will for our lives.
In making a decision like this, it would be easy for us to feel like we are failures or somehow not attaining God’s best. Praise the Lord that He has confirmed in our hearts that this is His will for our lives and for the Siawi church.
When we went home in January 2005 because Danielle was sick with mononucleosis, we jotted down a few things that we felt were still deficient in the Siawi church.
- One of the key areas lacking was discipleship. The Siawis needed to know how to take God’s Word and apply it to their everyday life. Praise God our core believers are faithfully reading God’s Word and trying to walk as a believer should.
- They needed to know how to compare God’s truth to their false beliefs and then walk in that truth. Praise God our core believers are starting to do that.
- They needed to know how to pass on the truth of God’s Word to their children so that they in turn will be able to pass it on to their children. Praise God that we are currently teaching a group of 16 men how to make lessons for themselves and do the work of a teacher.
As we look at all that God has done and is doing, we can’t help but praise Him.
As we look ahead, we would ask you to pray for the areas that are still lacking in the Siawi church.
- At this point there are no Siawi church elders appointed. Pray with us that God would make known the men He would have appointed to this position and the appropriate timing to appoint that leadership. Our desire would be to see elders appointed before we leave, but we are seeking God’s desire.
- Praise God that there are portions of the Siawi New Testament translated, but there is much remaining that needs to be translated. Pray that the Siawi believers would some day have a complete New Testament in their own language.
Please pray for our co-workers, the Swanson family, as our decision affects them in many ways. They will be faced with many decisions as they face the possibility of being the only missionaries working among the Siawi people.
Please pray for the Siawi people as we will need to tell them of our decision. This news will be very hard for them to hear.
Many of you have been standing with us for more than 10 years as we have ministered to the Siawi people. Thank you! Words can not express how grateful we are to have faithful prayer supporters and financial supporters.
