PJ and Heather Garton Serving missionaries in training New Challenges, new changes, and a consistant God
Fall of 2011 will be remembered in our home as a challenging season in which God has proven Himself once again faithful to meet our needs.
Through out the summer months, PJ has been struggling with neck pain. What started out as an inconvience soon became debilitating. An MRI revealed that along with several bulging disks in his neck, he is also dealing with some discs that are compressing his spinal cord and causing a great deal of pain. He has been working with a chiropractor to decompress those discs, but this injury mostly requires rest and healing.
Since July, he has been working with doctors and chiropractors to manage the pain and allow the discs to heal. We praise God that the prescribed treatment does not include surgery. However, the ongoing treatment includes significant lifestyle changes which includes a change of ministry.
One of the lifestyle changes that he has had to accept was realizing that working on the construction team will no longer be physically possible. In the three years that PJ has been a part of the team here at the MTC, he has loved being part of the construction team building housing and infrastructure for our missionary training center. His time has been divided between working construction, coordinating our volunteer groups, and cooking for various mission events each year.
Over the next few weeks, along with recooperating from his neck injury, PJ will begin learning a new ministry. He will be transitioning into the Development Office located here at the MTC. This department is responsible for promoting and developing awareness of New Tribes Mission here in the USA.
PJ will continue his responsibilities with coordinating our volunteer program, and cooking for mission events. His primary ministry however, will be the role of Administrator for the Development Office. We see this as a wonderful opportunity for PJ to use his experience and skills in management to benefit our Development Office.
We are so excited to see God’s direction and provision in this dramatic change in our lives. We did not seek out this ministry transition, but are grateful for the Lord’s provision, as it will allow PJ to continue to use the skills God has gifted him with to be part of the team reaching the Lost for Christ.
Summer 2011
- family time visiting Gettysburg, PA
The summer of 2011 seems to have flown by so quickly. Here are some of the highlights:
Celebrating 18 years of marriage and 14 years of ministry
On August 7, 2011 was special to us as we celebrated 18 years of marriage. It was at the New Tribes Mission Bible Institute in Jackson, MI where we met in 1992. While we met at bible school, it wasn’t until later that year when we were both on a summer mission trip to PNG that we started dating. 
A year later, we were married and preparing for ministry with New Tribes Mission.
Fast forward to August 7, 1997. It was our 4th wedding anniversary and it was also the day that we departed for our first missionary assignment to Matlock, England. We left with two children, Allyson 2 1/2 years old and Andrew 3 months. During our training, we never imagined that we would be serving the Lord in Europe of all places, but it was a perfect fit for our family. PJ cooked for the students and Heather cared for children in the childcare.
In 1999, the Lord blessed our family with a son, Nathaniel, and the ministry in England with a new property in North Cotes, England. What a joy to enable our European missionaries the opportunity to complete their missionary training at our new Bible and Missionary Training Centre in North Cotes, England.
After 10 years of ministry in England, we felt that the Lord was directing us back to the USA. We moved back to the USA in July 2007. On August 1, 2008 we moved to our current ministry at the Missionary Training Center in Camdenton, MO. For the past 3 years we have been priveledged to serve in various ministries here at the MTC.
So much in our lives has changed since our wedding in 1993 but our desire to be a part of the team reaching the lost for Christ remains the same. We feel so blessed to have been able to share the last 18 years together.
Garton Spring Prayer Letter
Garton Gazette
Spring 2010
Volunteer Ministry
This spring has seen many different teams joining our construction crew to provide additional housing for our students and staff.
A new four plex is now framed and under roof, the old farmhouse has completed its’ renovation as well.
Volunteers are not only involved in construction. Our last SOWERS team spent three weeks with us helping out in child care, renovations, and painting.
We have also benefited from various individual volunteers who were able to accomplish many different tasks throughout their stay here at MTC.
We are always so thankful for the volunteers who give of their time to complete these much needed projects.
In the fall, we look forward to welcoming a team from our home church that will be putting a roof on our administrative building.
Do you have an interest in volunteering at our missionary training center? PJ would be happy to help organize groups or individuals.
Ministry Trip planned for July
At the beginning of July, we are planning to make a trip back to the east coast for some meetings with existing churches that partner in our ministry.
We finalizing the details for a missions focus event with one of our churches in NJ.
It is our desire to use this time not only to share our ministry with existing churches and individual supporters, but to broaden our financial support so that we can continue our ministry here in Missouri.
Please pray for us as we plan and prepare for this time. It is our prayer that others will join our support team in the coming year.
Crossover Music Festival
The MTC is excited to be hosting a camping site and additional concerts for the Crossover Christian Music Festival held here in the Ozarks.
June 10,11,and 12 will be an especially busy time as PJ will be coordinating the food vending at MTC during those dates. This is a new event for MTC, and one we are hoping will get more young people exposed to tribal missions.
Family News
School Changes for next year
Junior high has been a real challenge for Andrew this year. Since our return from the UK, we have been blessed with excellent support in the public schools. Despite that help, it has become apparent this school year that he requires support that is not offered through the school services. After much prayer and inquiries, we have decided to home school Andrew for the 2010-2011 school year. Along with the core subjects, we will be focusing on social skills, critical thinking skills, and working on building his confidence. It is our desire to give him the skills to succeed when he enters high school.
He is very excited about this change in our educational plan, and we would appreciate your prayers for this new experience
Ministry Changes
Along with the school changes for next year, comes a ministry change for Heather. Homeschooling Andrew this year will no longer allow her to continue in the child care ministry in the upcoming school year. In addition to home schooling, she looks forward to ministering in other ways to the missionaries and students here at MTC, as well as providing occasional support to PJ’s ministry. Please pray as this is a new challenge for Heather and an adjustment for the entire childcare team.
Learning to drive and other exciting adventures
Our daughter, Allyson, has entered a new phase in her life. This winter she got her driving permit and is now practicing her driving skills at every opportunity.
Next fall, Ally will be setting aside her clarinet during marching band season to join the band’s color guard. She is excited to use her interest in dance in a new way.
Thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry. I have posted new ministry pictures and family ones to our NTM web page to save your inbox a large download. Check it out! If you ever wish to receive a paper mailing of our newsletter please let us know.
Serving Him by Serving Others,
PJ and Heather Garton
Olive Branch Work team from Indiana
Work team from Christ Church in Tennessee
Student welcome dinner
getting to know the students is top priority
Welcome students! One of the ministries that PJ is involved in is leading the team in the kitchen for conferences and special events. One such event was the student welcome dinner for our 21 new students who started in January 2010. The kitchen team, made up of MTC staff, produced a stuffed pork loin dinner for these students and their teachers and advisors.
it's a messy job- but someone has to do it!
it takes teamwork to pull it off
It always goes faster with a friend
Pass the rolls, please
- Ready to serve
Campus development
As the MTC (missionary training center) continues to develop the campus to accomodate staff and students, the infrastructure also needs to be modified to meet the growing demands of the campus. This month, new water mains are being installed and roads moved to allow for the future development of a gym/all purpose building. The construction team has been not only working on this project, but also laying the utilities to a new 4 plex house that is awaiting foundation work as soon as the weather warms.
helping hands and caring hearts
At the end of January, we welcomed Sarah, our newest volunteer here at MTC. Sarah is our second international volunteer here at MTC, and a huge blessing to our child care department. As with many of our volunteers, God challenged her heart to offer her time to further the ministry of the gospel to the tribes around the world. Each day that she works in our program, another student mom is able to attend 3 more hours of classroom training for the ministry that her family is preparing for. Throughout the course of a week, Sarah will be allowing 5 mothers this block of 3 hours each to better prepare for future ministry.
Child care is not the only area that volunteers are opening their hearts and using their hands to further the work of the gospel. Throughout our campus, teams and individuals have been using practical skills to assist our staff in many different areas. As volunteer coordinator, part of PJ’s ministry is to hook volunteers up with projects. Would you like to come and help us? Get started by email at PJ_Garton@ntm.org
…Anyone hungry?
When we began our ministry here at MTC in August 2008, it was our desire to be used in ministry where ever there was a need. Little did we know that PJ’s culinary skills would be tapped to their full potential in our first year of ministry.
Earlier this month, we served in our first Enrichment Conference. What a joy it was to see so many old friends as missionaries gathered for fellowship, encouragement, and of course- food. Prior to the arrival of guests, PJ’s responsibilities included menu preparation and purchasing. Along with the kitchen team they cleaned the kitchen, prepared a multitude of baked goods, and on Monday, jumped into preparing meals of epic proportions!
The team prepared a total of 5,980 meals over the 5 days of the enrichment conference and were blessed with good fellowship throughout. As you can imagine there was alot of hard work, but what a joy to serve the Lord with the talents and abilities that he has given us.