There has been much transition over this last month and a new normal that is beginning to be established. The families and individuals that have decided to leave are gone and those of us who are staying have began to meet and pray together. There has been a lot of change, but I can truly say I’ve never felt so excited about what God is doing in our city. We recently met together with our team for a time of prayer and foundation building. It was incredible! I will share with you some of what came out of that meeting.
As we talked about his next season and what a new normal would look like we came up with three primary things that would dictate how we would spend our time this next year.
Language: Language will continue to be our primary focus in preparation for effective ministry.
Unity: There are few local believers (11) in our city and yet among them there are many divisions. We want to serve each of them and also call them to set aside offences and build upon one solid Biblical foundation so that we may together represent Christ throughout this city.
Discipleship: We will continue to meet with our neighbors, friends throughout the city, and language partners to share the Gospel with them and shine the light of Jesus. A church will start when individuals and families believe the Gospel, repent of their sins, and give up their lives for the sake of His Name.
We have been meeting at a local believer’s house once a week for a meal, worship, prayer, and sharing from God’s Word. We sing and often pray in the local tongue and it has been such a joy to gather. Please continue to pray for us, and for those whom the Lord has called to Himself. Last week one of our team members shared that a friend of theirs turned from Islam and is now following Jesus! They have begun to have Bible studies with him and are continuing to disciple him. Please keep him in your prayers.
In a few days we will, Lord willing, board a plane for the States and be back for a little less than two months (November 19th – January 14th). It will be a busy yet joyful time and we could not be more excited to see friends and family. We will be in GA, FL, KS, WA, AR, MO, CT, and PA. We don’t see this as a vacation but rather a time to serve Christ’s body and build relationships with various churches. We believe the Lord is establishing bridges between the Middle East and the States through His church for the sake of His Great Name. We hope that it will, in the future, serve the local believers here with wisdom, resources, prayer, and relationships that will strengthen their faith and endurance. We are so humbled to be a part of His Kingdom and a part of His Church.