NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

February 2011
Dear Friends,
We are enjoying our beautiful weather here in central Florida! No snow for us, but we have been having a “Spring rain”! How we thank the Lord for His goodness and provision for us. The moisture is needed.
Last week we enjoyed an evening to visit with former co-workers and friends from Baker days, Randy and Laura Damschen. We had a sweet time of fellowship with them over dinner and a walk through Downtown Disney, and the Disney resorts. It was a fun outing, and good catch up time on our families and ministries. Our kids spent a lot of time playing together over the years!
Beka had a concussion last month, as she had a collision with a bathtub! Not sure why she passed out, but the tub won! She had to take it easy for a couple of weeks, but she is back playing soccer today! She had a good friend and paramedic, she met at a hospital, trust Christ as his savior this last week, He read through the “Stranger on the Road to Emmaus” book, and it answered many questions he has had for years. Puzzle pieces went together and he is a brother in the Lord! What a blessing.
In the Member Services Department, we are working together to provide a network of information and helps for our members. We desire to be there and helping from the time they finish the training until after they retire from the ministry. It seems like another “Soup to nuts” kind of job, but I guess that is the way the Lord is using us for now. Our part has us helping folks as they finish the training, and become members. Help missionaries as they return for Home Assignment, and also help provide encouragement and direction as they retire. All this as well as a lot of stuff in between! (Here are a couple of examples—how do I renew my driver’s license when I am in the jungle? How do I answer when I am called for Jury duty and I am in Papua New Guinea? Member Services helps take care of all of these “little things” and more!) Thank you for your prayers for us as we serve our members.
Debby and Brett’s new baby will be arriving next month! Chloe, as well as Mom and Dad, are excited to meet “Baby Lily”. March 19 is her due date. Linda will go and help out with big sister, and cooking after baby comes!
We have managed to get some projects done around the house, and hope to soon sell our trailer! It is a race car trailer, with a generator and wired for lights and outlets, so may go well down here in the land of the car races! It will be nice to reclaim a portion of our yard that it has taken up for almost 8 years!
Thank you for your participation in our ministry. We appreciate so much your sacrifices and contributions so that we can minister here at New Tribes Mission.
I will list some prayer requests below. Thanks much to those of you who have sent YOUR prayer requests to us. That means a lot to be able to be a support in prayer for you!
Thanks for your care for us! Have a wonderful February!!
In His Great Love,
George and Linda Heckman
Romans 8:31-39
Prayer and Praise:
1. We did receive a refund for most of the money from the “foiled cruise” in December.
2. Beka will be starting a part time EMT job in March.
3. Pray for Amy and Crystal in Mexico, wisdom in Language Study and relationships with others. Also, Amy has been sick with a cold/flu.
4. David to finish his senior year well, and to get his application in for Bible School.
5. The Mission leadership tem, as they have many decisions and hard things to deal with at times.
6. Wisdom and grace for the Member Services team, as we serve our members.
7. For George and Linda to have wisdom in their projects and work.
8. For the Youth Group to continue to grow in the Lord, and for a decisions regarding a good group activity.

January 19, 2011
Dear Friends!
Happy New Year!! We trust this year has started well for you! We continue to be busy about the Lord’s work. Our family is growing and it is so exciting to see our kids all serving the Lord! What a blessing that is to our hearts!
Amy was home 3 weeks for Christmas! That was great, but it went way too fast! Debby and Brett are expecting Chloe’s little sister, to arrive in mid March! That is exciting! The little one prevented us from our “quickie cruise” in December. Unknown to us, the cruise had a limit for pregnant ladies, if they are past 24 weeks, they can’t go. This was never mentioned and was not in any literature, so we were all but on the ship, and had to make a total change of plans. We opted for family time, and spent the weekend together, snorkeling and traveling some, and just hanging out together. We had a good time, and will eventually work out the details on that foiled cruise!
Beka has breaking news!!! She was hired yesterday to work part time for the Emergency Medical service that runs the ambulances in Volusia County. This experience gained will be a great help to her as she continues to learn new skills through her paramedic course. I have her latest prayer update, let me know if you would like to see it. She has quite a talen for a newsy letter!
Both Brett & Deb, and Beka hope to continue on with the NTM training in 2010. They are praying about whether to go the January or August Semester. David will graduate in June and he is planning on going to New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin in August 2011. Plenty of changes happening in the Heckman household!!! Tim is a Junior this year, and will graduate in 2012. He is looking for a job, now that soccer season is almost over.
The work in the Member Services office continues. We have a new group of graduates from the Missionary Training Center. This affords us an opportunity to serve them, as they get a new member booklet and begin their partnership development with churches and individuals and look forward to their move to the mission field. Several couples in this last group are staying on to do the Linguistics course, or the Missionary Technology Course there in Missouri. Pray for these, as they keep moving toward the goal of taking the Gospel to the unreached people groups around the world!
Please continue to pray for us as we work here, as we serving our members and disciple the young people in the youth group God has given us. We desire to be His tools for the Harvest of souls around the world!
Thank you so much for the part you have had in our ministry. We appreciate your prayers! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and caring! We certainly appreciate you and thank the Lord for you! Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can pray for you!
Serving Him through Serving Others,
George and Linda Heckman
New Tribes Mission US Home Office 1000 East 1st St. Sanford FL 32771 george_heckman@ntm.org linda_heckman@ntm.org

Her eis the latest update fromt he missionaires in MALAUMANDA. Thanks for praying and keep it up! To read the whole story check out www.ntm.org/john_hutteman.

“Praise the LORD, the Galatians teaching is done. We want to thank you again for continuing to pray for the growth of the church here in Malaumanda, especially during this time of teaching through Galatians. During this last week of teaching, as we taught through chapters 5 and 6, we really began to see evidence of the Holy Spirit working in individuals lives. (People giving personal testimony about what we were teaching, couples wanting help in their marriages and families, individuals in resolving conflicts; all evidence that God is at work in the hearts and lives of the Malaumandan church.) It has been encouraging to see so many men and women clearly understanding and beginning to apply new spiritual truths to their lives. Please continue to pray. Although we have finished teaching all the lessons, this is only the beginning as the Holy Spirit begins to apply Truth to their lives and conform them to the image of Christ. Pray they could continue to live yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Praises from the last week of teaching:
- No interruptions. We finished teaching without a single distraction.

- People continued to be faithful in coming to hear each lesson. The teaching was 14 days, morning and evening. Each time we met for almost two hours. That means the entire teaching was around 50-60 hours. Many people had only missed one or two sessions.(If they missed in the morning, they were sure to come that evening.) ”

Have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!! We have MUCH to be thankful for!!

George and Linda Heckman

Here is news from a Tribal Team YOU have been a part of:
Thank you for your support of our ministries. Which support, has in turn, had a part in this team reaching out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Malamanda people of Papua new Guinea.
This work in the Malaumanda Tribe of Papua New Guinea is staffed with three of our former students. Christina H. (the first newsletter excerpts are from her family’s newsletter) and Eric &Judith H., went through their missionary training in Baker City when we served there. We still support their works today through our ministry at the US Home Offices, in Member Services. Please remember to pray for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the missionaries (John & Christina, and Eric & Judith, as well as the Tribal believers and those who still need to understand and believe that Jesus paid for their sin).
Now, here are excerpts from their letters, first Christina’s:
“Dear Praying Friends,
It is hard to believe it is already the middle of October. I imagine that most of you are beginning to experience the changes of Fall; leaves have long turned, cooler temperatures have arrived and fewer hours of sunlight. All of these things let you know that there is a change of season occurring. Here too, we are seeing signs of a change; indications that we are entering a new season in the growth and maturity of the Malaumandan church….
There are several very encouraging things that God is doing here that we wanted to share with you and ask you to be praying specifically about:
Teaching Through The Book Of Galatians
In our last email, we mentioned that our co-worker Bob Kennell had successfully completed his time of formal language study and was beginning translation of Galatians. Praise the Lord! through His enabling Bob and Alene (a tribal man) were able to get a first draft roughed out and Bob has since been able to do comprehension checking on it. He has also been working on writing Galatians lessons. Lord willing we will begin teaching this epistle beginning this coming Sunday. We will be teaching twice an day (morning and afternoon), four days a week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday), for four weeks. Please pray that the lessons would be communicated clearly. Pray that the minds of the hearers, would be prepared to hear. Pray that there would be no distractions, the Devil would love nothing better than to see the church here in Malaumanda distracted from hearing God’s Word. (Emphasis mine.)……
Inter-church Leadership Conference
As soon as we finish Galatians, November 23-25, Bob and I will be heading to an inter-church leadership conference hosted by the Bagwido church . This is another language group where NTM missionaries are located. Lord willing, this conference will be a good opportunity for the different tribal churches to build a broader support basis through interconnectivity, and for the three Malaumandan men whom we will be taking with us, some very good teaching in the area of church leadership and discipleship. Pray for these men, Alene, Kambo, Yapata. Pray for other men to be raised up who desire to be faithful men; men who will follow Christ…..
Thank you again, for your continued prayers on behalf of ourselves and the Malamaundan church.
We continue in the Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
John, Christina, Josiah and Owen H.”
A NOTE FROM ERIC & JUDITH, presently on Home Assignment in Dallas, Oregon:
“Now, true to form, it sure seems that the enemy of our souls certainly doesn’t want these believers to grow in their understanding and focus on Christ. We mentioned in a previous update that many of the believers are staying out of the village panning for gold. While this continues to be the case a whole new distraction just recently ‘came to town’. Apparently a new gold exploration company is set to move back into the valley and will probably be based right there at the airstrip. There is supposed to be a twin engine plane and a helicopter arriving on Monday. We don’t know very many details yet as to their intent, but we do know from past experience that these sorts of things do create a significant distraction to the whole community; including the church. Please pray for Bob and John as they seek to teach and disciple in the midst of this rather unsettled situation. Pray also that the hearts of the believers would have a strong desire to hear this teaching.”
Thank you for your prayers and support for our ministry as we serve these folks serving overseas. Handling their paperwork and other issues at home, enables them to serve a little more undistracted on the mission field. We do so appreciate the part you have had in our ministry and thank the Lord for His provision through your faithfulness and generosity!

Many Blessings,
George and Linda Heckman
Serving at the NTM Home Offices in Sanford, Florida

Be sure to look over the NTM web page for the latest news on the Bena Bena and the other tribal groups hearing the Gospel for the first time in their own HEART language.

Thanks so much for partnering with us on our team to see the Gospel go out to these folks! Our labors here at the Home Office facilitate the missionaries on the field to be able to concentrate on their language study, and work so they can teach and share the GOOD NEWS!

I had a note from some missionaries going to INDONESIA last week that said, “Thanks again for being the missionary to the missionaries with your service on our behalf. It is such a blessing to have a great team at Sanford doing so much for us. ”

So now we thank YOU for allowing us to labor here on behalf of the many many missionaries in the NTM family serving around the world.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

George and Linda Heckman
Member Services NTM US

PRAYER REQUESTS-OCTOBER

Wisdom in our work, and in encouraging the missionaries we have contact with.

Pray For Amy and Crystal to have continued good success with language and culture study and in ministry in Chiuahua Mexico.
Praise the Lord Amy will get to come home for Christmas!

Wisdom with “Our Kids” from the MK’s and Friends Youth group. Today’s teens—tomorrows leaders!

For Beka as she continues her Paramedic studies, and continues to minister at Deltona Lakes Baptist Church.

For safety as we travel over the next couple of weeks- to North Florida this weekend, and then to South Florida and beyond the 18th through the 23. Also for the kids to do well at home; for David, as he will be running the home business.

For Brett and Debby as they seek God’s leading, and for a healthy baby due in March. Chloe is learning Potty training! Pray that she will trust the Lord as her Savior at a very young age.

George and Linda to have balance in ministry and business. Working ALL the time isn’t really our desire, but often is our reality. Praise the Lord for His provision through our wonderful friends, families, and our businesses.

Pray for Tim and David in their studies and in their ministries as they begin helping in other ministries. (David is leading music at 2 other fellowships during the week, as well as often at our youth group. Tim is helping out with the Children at a Sunday night church in Orange City, as well as faithfully inviting his friends to Youth Group.)

Pray for the leadership of the Mission as they seek God’s wisdom and direction for the future and in handling difficult issues from the past.

October 2010
Dear Friends,
Happy Fall! Our weather has taken on a brisk feel and it is so refreshing! Some of the few trees that have a color change here in Florida are starting to turn. It is pretty to see the seasonal changes.
Our work at New Tribes Mission is continually a blessing. We love to be able to serve our members. We work on several projects as well as carry on general correspondence and phone work in our daily tasks. Often we speak with donors and other who have unique questions. Linda is verifying member dates for all of our members and working on letters of Appreciation for our past members.
We were excited to hear that Amy will be able to take a few weeks of vacation time at Christmas and come home for the Holidays! YAY! We are blessed that she is doing so well in her studies, and ministry, and that we have the technology to see her and talk with her often through Skype, Facebook, and on the phone.
Monday our Youth group is had a time for a free bowling night at a local bowling alley. We are praying that the times of interaction with these kids will be a time that we can really connect with them, and be an example of the believer to them. Many of them are dealing with BIG problems, and we praise the Lord we have a BIGGER God!! We desire to point them to HIM.
Linda’s niece is getting married this weekend in Mexico Beach Florida. Beka is a bridesmaid, and Chloe may be a flower girl! The boys are ushering. We will certainly enjoy this family time. God has provided for us to be able to have a family time with George’s family the 18-23 of October as well. We will go on a 5 day cruise to Mexico to celebrate Mom and Dad’s 55th anniversary. We are looking forward to that special time.
Our business may gain a new affiliate in Idaho soon. We are excited to have a nice family renting our rental house. God is so faithful to us and we are encouraged to see the ways He is setting out for us to be used by Him.
Thank you so much for the blessing you have been in our lives and ministry. We appreciate your care and prayer support. Please continue. We can’t do this alone. We are so thankful for the part you have on our team. Please see the prayer requests on the separate attachment. Thanks a million!
In His Strength, George and Linda Heckman

A Few Musings from Linda

Ahh-Weddings!  What fun I had doing the flowers for a wedding this last month.  Our sweet friend from MKs & Friends who recently graduated from NTBI in Waukesha was married over the Labor Day weekend.  Her sweet mom asked me to do some of  the flowers for the wedding.  I had done the flowers for her mom’s wedding years ago when we were in the same class in NTM Missions training!  AHHH memories!

I had great fun doing the flowers.  Carnations, roses and Hydrangea’s (in silk).  But I was unable to attend the wedding as I had a conflict in my schedule. 

George and I attended the FLorida Bible College Bible conference in Kissimmee.  We saw classmates, and youth directors, and teachers from the days we had at Florida Bible College.  Lots of fun memories.  We also got to “touch base” with friends from our years in Colorado. 

God is good.  We enjoyed our time.  To cap it off, Brett and Debby and Chloe spent most of the weekend with us too!  They are looking for direction fomr the Lord, and their pastor suggested they come and meet folks at the gathering.  They had a good weekend and were encouraged.  We even celebrated Brett’s, George’s and Chloe’s birthdays on this weekend!  Great fun together.  We are glad that Debby is feeling a bit better now.  (Baby #2 is due in March.)

We’d love to hear form you!  You can contact us by email or on Facebook, or even a comment on this blog!  Wow, technology!!

Middle of September already!!!! WHAT!?!?
Labor Day Weekend: George and I attended the FBC Bible Conference in Kissimmee, FL . Brett and Debby & Chloe joined us and we had loads of fun and meeting new people and seeing old friends from years ago. Linda shared in song at the meeting Sunday Afternoon, and George had a seminar on Worldview Evangelism on the schedule.
Emergency Room! A week ago, Beka came home from Soccer and swimming and felt like perhaps she had ruptured her spleen. George and Tim took her to the ER and she had a CT scan done. She was fine, just was bruised. Later, talking to her Paramedic instructor, he said she could have indeed ruptured it and it had stopped bleeding by the time she got to the ER. Pray for her full recovery from Hepatitis, and for wisdom as she plays! She is really enjoying her Paramedic program, and was at the fire station 12 + hours today.
Amy & Crystal are doing well. They really love it there in Chihuahua. Their newest addition is a little gray kitten. Not sure of the name yet, but she is getting lots of love!
David has started school and is learning a lot in Statistics, and Economics, English, and Physics this year. He still keeps busy with Craig’s list trading, as well as leading music at 2 church services per week, as well as sometimes our “regular church” and Youth Group. He has done some teaching as well. It is a joy to see him walking with the Lord!
Tim is doing well at school so far. He is so faithful to invite kids out to Youth Group. He will be starting soccer soon. He is beginning to learn guitar, too.
Brett, Debby and Chloe are keeping busy. They have a “Picture” of the new baby on their Facebook site if you are interested in ultrasound pictures! (BrettDebbyChapman is their Facebook name). If you are not into Ultrasound pictures, there are some cute ones of Chloe who just turned 2!!!
The Last Weekend in August & 2nd Weekend in September; We had an Open House at our rental house in Deltona. I think we finally have a renter lined up to move in the first part of October.
George and I are keeping busy on different projects at the Member Services office along with our other activites. All listed above are the “extracurricular activities!” Our Mission is going through some rough waters these days. We are praying much for a good resolution, and for the Gospel to continue going out to those who need to hear, regardless of the storms of life. We work to help our members to be the best they can be for the Lord. We hear weekly of new tribal groups that are hearing of the Savior’s provision for their salvation. How exciting to have new members being added to the Family of God through sound Bible teaching. You can see more detailed stories about these groups on the NTM website. www.ntm.org. You can see some other details about our ministries as well on our website. It is www.ntm.org/george_heckman .
THANK YOU!!! We couldn’t do it without you! I can’t imagine trying to go on a long camping trip with-out supplies. In the same way. I can’t imagine trying to serve here and be involved in our ministries without your prayers and support.
Thanks again! Please let us know how we can be praying for you!
Sincerely in Christ,
George and Linda Heckman
NTM US HOME OFFICES 1000 E. 1st Street, Sanford, FL 32771
Home address: 2651 Hibiscus Court, Deltona, FL 32738

June/July 2010
Dear Friends,
Greetings from (very) warm Deltona, Florida! In this last week we have had temperatures over 100 and the heat index is way up there! The afternoon/evening showers are a welcome relief from the humidity, and also a spectacular lightening show!
Since we went to Beka’s graduation, we have been running “full tilt”. She did graduate at the top of her class, and she even set a school record for the most credit hours taken. What a gal! We are very proud of her. She is working this summer and getting ready for her Paramedic course this Fall. Her entrance test was Monday, and they only take the top 24 students-usually about 200 take the test. She turned in her test results and was told that no one ever gets that high of a score, so she was IN!!! She was very excited. Thanks for your prayers for her, as she would like to take this course to use in a tribal setting when she completes the NTM Missionary training. THANKS!
Our Youth kids decided they would like to continue meeting over the summer, and we are teaching through the Chronological Bible lessons, as we have many kids coming who are not familiar with that teaching approach. Pray for these that is they are not trusting Christ for salvation, they will gain an understanding of how much Christ has done for them so they can have eternal life by trusting in Him alone to save them.
This summer in the Member Services Department, we have folks taking vacation through the summer months. We plan on two weeks in July to go to Michigan to work through some estate issues, and work at the Michigan property that is now the family property. Please pray we have much wisdom in the settling of the estate. Linda’s sister is the executor, and there are a few “bumps in the road”, so to speak.
We are enjoying the work and relationships God has give us. It is a pleasure to have Beka home again for a while. Amy is doing well in Mexico. The boys are having a good summer. We get to see Brett, Debby and Little Chloe often. We are so thankful for God’s manifold blessings.
God is faithful to us, and He will provide for all of our needs. We can continue to trust Him for everything. He demonstrated His trustworthiness to us this last week, through a gift from an unexpected (to us) source. What a huge blessing! Thank YOU so much for the part you have on our team. Your prayers and support enable us to continue in ministry here.
Please join us in prayer for the many new families and singles who have become members of NTM this last month. We had 35 folks finish training, and we have processed their documents to make sure all is in order, and they become members of NTM-US. There were several other couples from our training centers going on in Missionary service as well, but not with NTM.
Thank you, again, for your care and support for our ministries. What a privilege we have to partner with you. Happy Summer! Stay cool! 
George and Linda Heckman, and family
NTM US Home Offices, Personnel Department, Member Services