Posts Tagged ‘Church planting’
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Thirty years ago
1 Thessalonians 5:24 – Faithful is He who calls you who also will do it!
Some of you remember that this is what we looked like thirty years ago – the rest of you are probably laughing! 
Who would have guessed then that we’d be looking back from this vantage point having experienced so much in life!? God is faithful – that’s for sure!
Thirty years ago on Super Bowl Sunday we boarded a plane in Chicago for Manila, Philippines. Maybe you can imagine how much reminiscing we’ve been doing, as our daughter and her family have now begun their own “adventure” on the other side of the world! (they arrived safely Feb 3rd)
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Tags: adventure, Asia, Church planting, faithful, faithfulness, Higaunon, history, Kids, Lance, Laura, life, New Tribes Mission, NTM, Old Testament, Ostman, Philippines, Super Bowl, TB, translation, travel, tuberculosis
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Act 13:3 “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Dear prayer and financial partners,
The above verse was part of the text used during daughter and son-in-law’s commissioning service last week. What a privilege to be here for that and know that there are lots of people praying for them.
Saying goodbye is never easy and this time is no exception. We have had 3 wonderful months with our daughter and her family and it is now time to say goodbye. They are scheduled to leave two weeks from today for Asia. Please pray for them as they will have a lot of adjustments over the next few months. Praise the Lord with us for how He has lead them and how He will continue to work in and through their lives.
We have really enjoyed our time here and especially appreciate First Baptist church of Memphis, NY, allowing us to use an office during our stay here. This has allowed Lance to get a lot of work done with very little interruption. He has finished Joshua and is now starting on Judges.
Thank you for praying for us over these past few months and especially now as we say goodbye.
Our schedule:
As most of you know, we never tire over sharing what God has done and continues to do amongst the Higaunon people. Victory Bible Church in southern New Jersey has invited us to share this ministry with them this coming Sunday. From there we will be making a few stops on our way back to Florida.
We will be in Florida only until middle of March, when we’ll depart for the Philippines. This will be a 3 month visit to do checking on the scripture translation Lance has been working on. Ron and Michelle are looking for a native speaker to work with us full time to check over his work. Please pray we’ll have the right person for the job.
Finally, we are praying that God will allow us to visit our daughter and family in their new location before we return to the US. Please pray with us for the finances, timing and all that will be entailed in that. To us it seems impossible but we know if God is in this He will do it! If any of you are interested in helping us with our upcoming trips along with some equipment we would like to take with us, please let us know and we can share with you more details.
Thank you all for your part in this ministry. May God bless you in this New Year!
Secure in Christ’s love,
Lance & Laura
Tags: Church planting, goodbye, Higaunon, New Tribes Mission, NTM, Old Testament, scripture, scripture translation, translation
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
Sansuwa teaching
As we type this, Romans 8:28 is fresh on our minds!
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Thank you for praying for Lance this week. He and our son-in-law had a great three days in Indianapolis at the North American Missions Conference. They met many people and enjoyed hearing how God is at work around the world.
In our last update, we asked for prayer for the tuberculosis crisis in the village. The first few days following that update, we anticipated word of Sansuwà’s home going. He had told his family to prepare themselves for the very strong probability of him dying. However, God had other plans and on top of that, something else happened…
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Tags: Ansihagan, Church planting, Higaunon, Lance & Laura, NAMC, Ostman, Romans 8:28, Ron & Michelle Jennings, Sansuwa, TB, tuberculosis, Yandang
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Monday, September 19th, 2011
Greetings once again from the Ostmans!
We trust this finds you doing well and encouraged in the Lord. As we sit here and type this, we realize anew just how much we take things for granted.
We don’t know about you, but we didn’t wake up this morning concerned about contracting some horrifying disease. An email this morning from Ron & Michelle mentions a strain of TB that is resistant to the common drugs used in treating patients. Several people in the village are on a treatment plan but for some, it doesn’t appear to be working. Two of the church leaders pictured here are sick with TB along with others in the village. The one on the right is in the hospital. Please pray!
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Tags: Church planting, Deuteronomy, Internet, laborers, Numbers, Partnership, Pray, prayer, Ron & Michelle Jennings, Satellite, TB, translation, tuberculosis
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Monday, July 18th, 2011
Bayhon is son of Salvador, the witch doctor who invited us into the village.
Word came to us the other day that Bayhon has passed away from the cancer he was battling. We mentioned in our last update that we didn’t think he was saved. Since hearing of his death, more news has come which gives us some reason to hope.
Since the church has basically been “on its own” since the 90′s, we don’t hear about many of the things that take place amongst them unless someone specifically comes and tells us. The other day, Sona shared with Ron that Julie will be doing the burial for Bayhon. (Julie is one of the church leaders amongst the Cebuano population in a neighboring village) Questions were asked and according to what was said, Julie has been teaching Bayhon through the scriptures and he made a profession of faith before he died. It’s hard to know for sure if Bayhon was sincere in his profession of faith but, there is reason to HOPE that we’ll see him again one day. Praise the Lord with us!
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Tags: Bayhon Ansihagan, cancer, Church planting, funeral, Higaunon, mature church model, Pastor Julie
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Monday, June 13th, 2011
Us with Sona and Yanit saying "goodbye"
We’re home…
They say home is where the heart is and our hearts are where we are so I guess that means we are home! We are grateful for our church here in Florida that has provided a wonderful place where we can live and work on the Old Testament translation for the Higaunon. We are also thankful for all of you who have been praying for us.
We did have some bumps on the way here… but that was all good.
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Tags: Aloma Baptist Church, birthday, bumps, Church, Church planting, Enrichment, Family, Higaunon, home, Old Testament, Pray, prayer requests, scripture translation, translation, travel, volunteer
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
Returns and Rejoicings
I had a wonderful time with Nicole, Olivia, Jacob and Owen. Being there with them for those weeks met the desires of my “mother’s and grandmother’s heart.” Thanks again for praying for us both, especially during the time I was away, through my sickness, and for my return to the Philippines.
Our son-in-law Justin returned from his trip to Asia before I left their home. He came back excited about the work that is going on and which they hope to join by early next year, the Lord willing. Justin & Nicole continue to do pre-field ministry and their support level is now at 72%! This is cause for rejoicing. Please join us in prayer for the remainder of their support, for the contacts and meetings to see more partners in their ministry. We rejoice in those who have already joined their “team.”
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Tags: Church planting, flight, grandchildren, grandma, grandmother's heart, Higaunon, Laura, Mature church, Mindanao, mother's heart, nana, Ostman, Philippines, Proverbs, translation, weather, wx
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Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Sunday, January 16th, 2011
Pogong teaching
Pogong and his family
Thank you so much for praying for Lance’s work on the Psalms. He’s really been enjoying recording each chapter with Pogong, his translation helper. However, last week and this week he’s had to lay that aside as Pogong is away on a ministry trip.
Pogong has lived with his family in a village for a number of years where He has been teaching God’s Word to about 100 people. Last year he started living here more often then there handing over the responsibility to the people there. As Pogong and his wife phase out of that village, they will visit from time to time to check on the church’s progress. Their heart’s desire is to move to another village that needs the gospel. (more…)
Tags: church growth, Church planting, Higaunon, mature church model, outreach, Proverbs, Psalms, translation
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Lance and Laura Ostman Helping to equip the Higaunon People of North Central Mindanao 
