Curtis and Lesley Sewell Connecting you with tribal missions Happy New Year from Indonesia
Selamat Tahun Baru dari Indonesia! Happy New Year from Indonesia!
The New Year for us does not bring snow or cold weather, but instead the season of rain! After several weeks off from school and studying, we are back in the swing of things now. Curtis and Lesley are finishing up our formal language study in the next few months, and we are beginning to look at the next chapter: moving to another island to serve. In May, we will be packing up, processing new visas, and heading to the island of Papua, just above Australia. We will do some language study there in the first months, and then hopefully join a ministry team there.
For now, Micah and Josiah are happy again in their routines of 2nd grade and playgroup, and Curtis and Lesley are studying language both in school and in the neighborhood, and with a tutor. By May, we should be language proficient enough to move to the next island, Lord willing. We are excited to see how the Lord will teach us and use us in these last months on Java.
Prayer requests:
-diligence in study and finishing well in formal study
-success in 2nd grade with Josiah, especially in math, and with dwindling down his time with a helper near-by to assist.
-opportunities to share Christ through our lives with those we are getting close with, our neighbors, house helpers, acquaintances of the other faith.
-wisdom as we make many big decisions regarding the future.
- Staff for the international school in Papua, where Josiah will attend next year. They need many staff, but especially 3rd grade and 4th grade teachers.
-Contentment in our roles and places here during this time.
-wisdom about how long and where to spend out of country for our new visa processing.
-wisdom regarding follow-up for Lesley’s knee injury. Probably seeing a doctor in Singapore in the near future.
Praises:
-Our language proficiency is improving each month, steadily.
-our relationships with our next door neighbors has become very close, please pray for even more trust and connection, so the Gospel might be able to be shared too.
-things are starting to fall into place regarding our future ministry on the next island.
Our Newsletter
sewelltribefall2011.pdf Here is our newest newsletter:
Who wants rice?
Last week, we visited a rice field or sawa for our cultural excursion. Here in Indonesia, they say “if you have not eaten rice, you have not eaten.” So, rice is one of the most important crops to grow here. We got to see the process firsthand and even get in the action! Here is a picture of our time there.
Posted by email
We have been in Indonesia for two months now! we are loving it here, and its beginning to feel like home. Here are some cultural excursions we have done recently: milking a cow at a dairy farm close by, visiting a town on the slope of the mountain nearby and seeing gardens with carrots, cabbage, onions, potatoes, etc. We have been to the local post office, a place where they make fried-type chips here called “krupuk”, the open market, etc. we are learning new words and new things about the culture every day. Thank you for your prayers and support, for those who are allowing us to be here to serve and live.
Posted by email
We are headed out! Monday we board the plane to Indonesia! Thank you for all of you who are supporting us financially and by prayer! We cannot be sent out without you! Please pray for us this week, for plane rides, changes, health, transitions for the boys. Thank you so much!
Happy Birthday Micah!
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- The “cake”
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- Yummy
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- “Cooking”
Micah just turned two this past Tuesday. Since most two year olds like cookies, Lesley decided to make him a very large cookie “cake”. As you can see from the pictures, he really enjoyed it (ofcoarse, he had some vanilla icecream to go with it!). These days, he is following around Josiah in whatever he can. He often wants to be wherever his brother is and do whatever he is doing… even when Josiah doesn’t necessarily invite him. Happy Birthday Micah!
November Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
We hope this finds you well this fall season as cooler weather begins to roll in. Every year around this time, we often think about the harvest for many farmers. They now get to see the benefits of all their work, effort and time that was put into tending their crops, but their work is not finished! Their harvest has to be brought in and the work continues. We are so thankful to be sent to the great harvest field of Indonesia. We were commended by our home church Christian Family Chapel in September to be sent there and join the work to reach the unreached!
We just returned from a needed trip to the Indonesian Embassy in Houston, TX to take care of some Visa paperwork. We will be headed back there again to finish our application process possibly in April. There was some confusion on our arrival date and so our new targeted date of arrival was moved. We now have 8 full months left to raise our support, get rid of things we don’t need and start packing! Even though this is much longer than we would like, we know God’s timing is always perfect. Will you pray with us that we would be good stewards of this time we have here and be diligent at our support raising.
We are now officially in the “school routine” with Josiah now in Kindergarten. He wakes up in the morning and it only takes him about 5 seconds to walk to school located at… the dining room table. After doing some preschool homeschooling last year, we decided to give Kindergarten a shot. For the most part, it has been going pretty well. If all goes well, we would like to continue to homeschool him when we are in Indonesia as well. Anytime Josiah is at the table doing school, Micah wants to be right there too!
Thank you for your prayers and support.
For Him,
The Sewells
Fall Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
Did you know that there are still over 2,200 people groups without the Bible or access to learning about Jesus that they wake up each morning without hope? They live in fear from sun up to sun down, practicing rituals, spells and manipulating spirits instead. There is no Jesus to hear about (Rms.10:14) or read about, they are living in spiritual darkness. This is why we are “compelled by the love of Christ” (2Cor. 5:14) to bring the light of the Gospel to these areas of such darkness, “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We are thankful for this God-given opportunity to be a small part of reaching those still without hope.
Life here in FL has been busy. Josiah and Micah keep us on our toes and we are realizing how flighting childhood really is. At four, Josiah is homeschooling with a Pre-K program with Lesley, and Micah is now 6 ½ months old. He is looking around and grabbing anything he can get his hands on. We are so blessed to have two beautiful boys to raise and love! Aside from mothering, Lesley is involved with a Mom’s group and a women’s Bible study at church. She has really enjoyed both these groups. When not helping with the boys at home or working on support-raising, Curtis has been working part-time to supplement our income.
How is life for you? Let us know how we can be praying for you and your family. Thank you to many of you for your love and support! We praise the Lord for your faithfulness!
In His Care, The Sewells
How you can help:
-Host a dessert or dinner
-Refer us to a friend or someone you know who would be interested in our ministry
-Support through prayer, financially or encouragement
If you need more info on any of this, please let us know.
Prayer Requests:
-For our support to increase
-Opportunities to share about our ministry
-Diligence in this task of support-raising
-Our commending process at our church
-Wisdom in raising our boys
22% – Current support level (Monthly)
Lizards, Slides & Tasty Fingers in July
Who would ever know that you can have so much fun with lizards! Josiah has made a few friends (or friend) in our backyard this month. The pictures tell a lot about his new friend.
Even in the heat of the summer, he has enjoyed going to our local park for continual rides down the slides.
Micah has just recently discovered how tasty his hands and fingers can be! They seem to keep him entertained for a while at times. No teeth are starting to show yet, but the drooling has begun! Time to pull out those bibs.