(First off I apologize for the tardiness of this update, we moved and don’t have internet at our new place yet, and have been having technical difficulties. Thank you for your patience!)
A new home, new neighborhood, new friends, new schedule, new baby, and a new praying community, God is at work in the darkest places for our good and His glory. We just finished the busiest week we have had since being here. God opened a door for us to move across town away from our community into an incredible neighborhood with endless possibilities for Gospel outreach. Our primary purpose for moving was to come along side a local believer that gave his life to the Lord a little over a year ago. Our great commission desire in local ministry is not to establish an American church in the M.E., but to serve and disciple those whom God saves and see them become the driving force of local ministry. We are daily meeting new people and making connections throughout the city, and our new neighborhood. Please continue to pray that seed falls on good ground producing a large, healthy, and fruit bearing harvest. Moving into the new house will also free up several hundred dollars a month for us to be able to pour into local outreaches, communities, and believers.
A new baby: We are so thankful for everyday God knits the new little baby together inside of Monica. What an incredible gift from our good sovereign God, His timing is perfect! Monica is unfortunately as sick as can be. She spends most her time laying in bed and keeps little down. However, she does it all for the joy set before her and suffers through it with little, to no complaining. Please pray the second trimester comes with a new wave of grace. It is not easy to learn language and build relationship when you don’t feel well.
Beginning in May we as a community will be starting a new schedule to facilitate 35 different learning styles, the need for more time with language partners, personal study, family dynamics, and ministry training in the local language. We believe this will greatly help our community by quickening our language learning and help provide time to build significant local relationships. We will also split our growing community into two different meeting places. This will allow us to continue to raise up leaders in a small group setting, stay under the radar, and lay the foundations for two future church plants. God has blessed our community with many foreign and local laborers and we continually pray that people would come to see and know the treasure inside these pitiful clay vessels.
It is so exciting to be a part of God universal ever growing kingdom.
Please pray for:
~ Unity among the small but growing church here in this city (Eph 4:1-5).
~ An outpouring of the Holy Spirit for boldness to share the Gospel (Acts 4:31). ~ Monica and the new babies health (3 John 2).