Dear Family and Friends,
I am writing this while onboard a flight to Chad. No we are not returning yet… more on that below. We would appreciate your concerted prayers over the next week while I am out of country. I am returning to Chad for some meetings that will steer the ministries there for the coming years. Most of our field staff will be present along with our area director and TEAM’s general director. We will be spending time before the Lord, asking Him to show us His plans and direction for the coming years. We would ask that God make His plans clear to all and that there would be unity among us and His peace in our hearts. We will be evaluating our current ministries as well as looking at new areas and different means of ministry. It could result in radical change or in confirmation that we are doing exactly what the Lord desires at present. Pray that our own thoughts would not get in the way of the Spirit’s leading. I cannot emphasize enough the crutialness of these meetings and the importance of the input of the Holy Spirit. Your prayers on the behalf of all are vital.
On a personal note we would also ask for protection and peace while we are separated. We would also appreciate your prayers for our plans to make a trip west to visit friends and family and arrangements to meet with remaining supporters like you.
As to our plans to return to Chad, we have mentioned before we are in need of support to replace those that have recently gone to glory and the inflation that we all face. We were recently encouraged by some of you who have increased your support and for our home churches recent promotion to which some of you have responded. Our current monthly commitments are however only 75% of the basic level we need to leave. Though we would still like to leave late August, we anticipate having to delay our departure. If you know of any groups of believers that may be looking to take on the support of missionaries we would love the opportunity to share of our ministry with them. Your prayers are coveted in this matter as there are several ministries in Chad that are being managed on a very limited basis as well as missionaries that bear a heavy load in anticipation of our return to share the load.
We are confident of God’s continued call on our lives to serve Him in Chad and look forward with anticipation, His supply as he has proved over and over again in the past. As we wait on Him pray that the Lord will help each of us adjust to the coming separation of leaving of our children behind and venturing out as just 2 of us. We thank God for a good year for Jessica and are glad for her decision to attend bible college for a while as well as some short term missions experiences over the summer and coming year. We are also thankful for the Lords provision for Stephen and Daniel over the past year and for their anticipated graduations in the coming year or so. Again we covet your prayers for the meetings this next week as it is our desire to serve the Lord where and how He wishes and that he will make us effective in His harvest field. We thank each of you that prays and or supports us financially for your steadfastness over the past 12+ years and look forward with anticipation to what He has in store for us.