NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

Looking Ahead

Well, our summer has been packed so far with no end in sight! We have been able to speak in several churches so far this summer. We have also spent time sorting through our ‘stuff’ trying to decide what will go to Africa, stay in storage for the future or get sold in a yard sale. That is quite the process, since it is very hard to know what we will need now or in the future!

Recharged

We also had the chance to head to the Enrichment Seminar at the MTC campus (where we lived in MO). This is a time of relaxation and refreshing that NTM puts on for its members. What a wonderful time! In the morning Michael and Nancy had the chance to sit under some wonderful teaching. Nancy had a morning to sit and listen to Gracia Burnham; it was awesome to see how God has brought good out of her time in captivity! (If you have not read her book, In The Presence Of Mine Enemies, DO SO!)

Our main speaker, Pastor Harry Walls, spent time encouraging us and challenging us in the area of the heart. The last two mornings he focused on Mark 6:45–52, when Jesus walked on water.

Thursday he taught us lessons about God from that passage like:

• “God sees you in your trouble.” (verse 48)
• “God will come help us in HIS time!” (verse 48)

Friday he focused on what we can learn about ourselves:

• “When we obey God it is not always easy!” (verses 45–46)
• “We should not conclude that since things are hard, we are out of God’s will!”

Quotes from some sessions with Executive Board member Mike Sullivan on prayer:

• “You can’t pray past your view of God.”
• “At the end of the day it is God’s reality!”

While we were hearing all these wonderful truths the kids were having a great time doing a VBS style program. In the afternoon we had time to play at playgrounds, swim, visit with old and new friends and eat wonderful food. “I don’t want to leave our Missouri house!” said Micah, as we were leaving.

Coming Up

We have speaking engagements lined up in July, we hope to get more for August and also spend some time in NH with Michael’s family. We are also having a VBS with our home church this week!

More Information

In our last update, we mentioned our needs as regarding being in West Africa this fall. We have since learned that we don’t need 80%! It looks like a level of around 60–65% will be enough for us to leave with. Of course we would like to be at as high a level as possible, but it is encouraging to us to see the opportunity opening up even more!

So here are the facts:

• This means that we only need about $1000 more a month before we can go, instead of $2000.
• We have had a couple more people become part of our support team, putting us now over 40%!
• We need to have at least 50% before we can commit to buying tickets.

So what about the other 20–40%? Doesn’t the fact that we CAN go over with 60% mean that we have way overestimated what we need? Well, the 60% covers what we estimate we will need for immediate needs such as food, housing, schooling, taxes, tithing, and insurance. What is left out encompasses long-term or one-time (or at least “less-often”) expenses such as plane tickets, moving costs, vehicle cost, Bible printings, village assistance projects, and replacing equipment as it wears out. Although it is more possible for us to trust God to provide these needs as they come up, they are still important (and predictable) enough for us to include them in our support needs estimate.

One last quote for the week to leave you with: “It is not about what you don’t have, it’s about what you do have and what you do with it!”

Prayer Requests

• Praise for a wonderfully refreshing time in MO!
• Praise for more opportunities to share our ministry with others.
• Praise for God’s continued direction — He really seems to be bringing things together for being in Africa this fall
• Praise that even if times seem hard, God is in CONTROL!
• Pray for more speaking engagements and ministry partners.
• Pray for wisdom in what to pack, when to buy tickets, etc.
• Pray for political stability in West Africa.
• Pray that God would work in the hearts of many kids in Coral, MI during our Vacation Bible School.