NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

Our sons are about hunting, cars, motorcycles, action movies, and computers. They love to terrorize the women in their lives with dead jack rabbits, show off to them when hiking in the mountains, and aggressively beat them in the game “Aggravation”.

It is so refreshing to have daughters in our family. Life is a little calmer with chick flicks, dressing up, makeup, fixing hair, shopping, playing friendly games, and attending tea parties.

Speaking of tea parties, we did just that on September 28 when I took Wendy and Nancy to the Chantilly Tea Room  to celebrate their birthdays.  After raising three sons, Phil and I are enjoying these two daughters the Lord has brought into our lives, and looking forward to having Amanda join our family in June.  Then I will no longer be part of the minority in this family.  Yahoo!

For years our newsletters have borne the title, "News from the Arizona Desert." I’m sure that speaking of the desert brings up images such as barren, dry, lifeless, brown, snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, and other such unlovely thoughts. One dictionary defines a desert as "a barren or desolate area, especially a dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation.”

Most of the year, we live in just such a place. Although we live in the High Desert at 4,000 feet elevation in a valley surrounded by mountains, this definition pretty much describes our surroundings. We see sparse vegetation, all of which has thorns or spikes on it. The soil is not sandy but is full of rocks. It is so hard that it takes all day running a tiller to turn the soil enough to try to plant a little garden. On our walks in the desert, we see snakes, tarantulas, jack rabbits, and other sundry insects that spend their days under ground and come out in the cool of the morning or evening. There is a 30-50 degree difference between daytime and night time temperatures.

All that changes once a year during monsoon season, which runs through July and August. The rain comes down in torrents, many of the dips in the roads become flooded and completely impassable, and the plants actually start to turn green. For a couple of months, the desert blooms bringing forth life that has been dormant for the past 10 months. It doesn’t come close to what many of you experience most of the year in your wetter climates, but to us the desert teeming with life is a wonderful change.

What makes the difference between barrenness and life, and transforms a seemingly lifeless waste into something beautiful? It is the presence of water! And what makes the difference in our lives between barrenness and fruitfulness? It is the time we spend with our Lord who says in John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” Just as nothing in the physical world can live and grow without water, neither can life flourish in the spiritual realm without the living water that only Christ can give. According to Psalms 1: 3, he who delights in the Lord and meditates on his Word “… will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season. And its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”

Travis is now officially a student at Moody Bible Institute, two years after his initial application. After working this summer in Sierra Vista at two different fast food places, he moved home to pack for school on August 12. His friend Amanda flew here to meet our family on August 13 and then made the trip to Chicago with us on the 18th. She was able to visit the Moody campus with us and see where Travis would be attending school before taking a train to Michigan.

We were glad for the opportunity to take Travis to school, see the campus, meet his roommate and attend parents’ orientation where we learned more about MBI. We enjoyed our first trip to Chicago and look forward to returning for a  visit. Travis auditioned and was accepted into a drama team that ministers to young people in Chicago as well as travels to several Midwestern states. He is very excited about using his acting talent for the Lord in this type of ministry. At this point in time, his major is Mass Communication, and his dream is to write and produce Christian videos and movies that will minister to the both believers and unbelievers. Travis was happy that Moody accepted 24 of his transfer credits from last year at New Tribes Bible Institute and Cochise College.

We left Chicago, during rush hour, driving 10 miles an hour in pouring rain, headed for Monroe, Wisconsin to visit my brother Ron. It was great to spend a day together before heading back to McNeal to the work waiting for us here. Our new semester started on August 13 with six new student couples. We’ll tell you more about that next time.

To see more photos of MBI check out our photo album.

For quite a few years now, Ellen has been the Bible teacher for Valley Bible Church’s VBS program which uses materials from Group Publishing Company. In the past we have gone on a Bug Safari, on a Scuba Undersea Adventure, to Lava Lava Island, on a Serengeti Trek, and to a Mexican Fiesta. This year we went to Avalance Ranch where the theme was horses, cattle, buffalo, and western adventures.

What amazes us about our VBS at Valley Bible Church is the size of the program considering we only have an average attendance of 50 people in our church. This year our VBS consisted of about 80 children ages toddler to 6th grade, 20 junior high and high school helpers, and at least 20-30 adult helpers. Most of these kids come from unchurched families, and yet even their parents want to help in any way they can.

On Tuesdays during the school year, children from the local elementary school are dropped off by the bus at the church for Kids’ Klub. For many of these children, Kids’ Klub and VBS are their only exposure to the Word of God. Even though they don’t come to church, they keep coming back year after year to these programs, and when they are too old to attend, they want to come back as helpers. We thank the Lord for the opportunity to share the truth of God’s Word with these children who otherwise have no opportunity to hear the message of salvation.

On Monday Ellen taught the story of Rahab, teaching the kids that God is real. Tuesday we crossed the Jordan River with the Israelites and learned that God is with us. Wednesday we watched the walls of Jericho fall down and heard that God is strong. Thursday we experienced the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and learned that God is awesome. That day at least 6 of the children claimed to accept Christ as their Savior. Friday we watched as Naaman was healed of his leprosy and learned that God is in control.

Following our Friday night program, one of our adult helpers told Ellen that she had never before heard the story of Naaman being healed of leprosy. Was that really in the Bible? Ellen was able to take her to the story in the Old Testament and share with her that God used this disease and healing to bring Naaman to the knowledge of the one true God. This mother is a young believer who is in the middle of a divorce, and Ellen was privileged to share with her how God could bring wonderful changes in her life and the lives of her children, just like he did for Naaman and Rahab. We thank the Lord for the opportunity He gave to participate in VBS this year and to see God working in the lives of the children and adults.

Many of our friends will remember that Phil had back surgery in September 2004.  Recently the pain and numbness in the right leg have returned and if Phil stands too long, he seems to lose control of his leg.  Yesterday we saw the Physicians Assistant at the Neurospecialists Office.  She has ordered a  back x-ray and MRI to find out what is going on in the back.  Pray with us for the right diagnosis and treatment.  We are hoping that Phil does not need another back surgery.

Every year NTM missionaries on furlough attend a Refresher Course in Camdenton, Missouri on the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. This is a tremendous time to hear encouraging messages from the Word, re-connect with old friends, spend time with mission leadership, catch a renewed vision for world evangelization, eat great food, and RELAX.

When was the last time that we attended refresher course? The year was 1986, it was our only furlough, and our second son Dennis was 8 months old (he is now 21). Although we have often talked about going, there were always too many other pressing summer plans.

We left home on June 6 and stopped in Tulsa, Oklahoma for four days. Ellen had the privilege to help cook for Paul and Ernie’s 50th wedding anniversary party on the 8th. After visiting other friends, we made the trip to Camdenton arriving on June 12.

Dr. Richard Swenson spoke to us all about God’s sovereignty in our lives and the need for margins in all that we do. We spend so much of our time, energy and money on things that are of little lasting value and have nothing left over for what is truly important.

Bill Meersta reminded us that no matter how bad things get, we believers are still in a better condition than we ever were before we were saved. He shared the lyrics of a Babbie Mason song with us, “God is too wise to be mistaken, God is too good to be unkind. So when you don’t understand, when you don’t see his plan, when you can’t trace his hand, trust his heart.” It is so important for us to recognize that God is the only one who can see the how the tapestry of our lives will turn out.

One of the highlights of refresher course for Ellen was spending time with Rosie. Ellen and Rosie were roommates together at Central Michigan University 35 years ago before either of them entered New Tribes Mission. We have served in different countries and have not seen each other for 27 years. It was such a great time to get to know one another again.

We thank the Lord for this great opportunity and we want to say we came away truly refreshed.

The wonders of God’s creation became evident to us as we traveled to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon May 27-30. We were awestruck by the beauty and immensity of the Canyon and thrilled by the variety of landscape and scenery we viewed during our four day trip. 

It all started while Ellen was teaching Ingrid Chala some computer skills.  Ellen asked her if they were going to be able to see the Grand Canyon before their return to Germany in July. Carlos, an Ecuadorian and an aircraft mechanic, along with his German wife Ingrid were NTMA trainees this past year. We have become friends with them during their time here and were concerned that the only part of the US they and their daughters had seen was our little corner of southeastern Arizona. When Ingrid said that a trip was not possible due to finances, the wheels in Ellen’s brain started turning, and she talked to Phil about her ideas. A friend of ours owns a cabin in Flagstaff, and he has offered it for our use in the past. An email informed us that the cabin was available, and the only expenses would be gas, groceries and park entrance fees. We were surprised when we were given a gift to help with the cost of fuel.

During our four day trip we passed by the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, stayed in the cabin in the pine forest of Flagstaff, visited the lava beds of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, walked through the Indian ruins at Wupatki National Monument, stood beside massive Meteor Crater, hiked along the rim of the Grand Canyon, and swam at the Slide Rock State Park in beautiful Oak Creek Canyon. It was absolutely amazing to us that within a few miles the scenery changed so drastically.

The trip was a wonderful time to get to know Chalas better. We enjoyed cooking our supper on the grill and playing games in the evenings.

Carlos, Ingrid, Deborah and Esther return to Germany in July where they will spend six months preparing for service with NTM Aviation in Bolivia. We are thankful for this godly couple who desires to be used of the Lord to assist the team in reaching tribal people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for them as they spend time in Germany sharing their vision with friends and churches there. The girls speak Spanish, German and English. They have attended school in English for the past two years and will start school in German in the fall. Pray for their many adjustments.

We thank the Lord that we can be part of the team training future pilots and mechanics to serve with NTM Aviation. 

To see photos of our trip, check out the photo section of our website.