Steve and Pat Karum Opening Our Home & Hearts to People Around the World The S.S. Enterprise was in its final stage before departure. The 1st , and only, pilot is going through his pre-departure check list; coffee – check; enter mileage – check; bathroom stop – check; snacks – check; GPS coordinates set – check; and inflate travel pillow for the very pretty passenger- check. The next step is ignition … no wait, the pilot forgot to lock the front door (pretty passengers are so distracting). OK, he’s back. Now this time it really is ignition, put transmission into reverse and the S.S. Enterprise easily slips from the tethers of space port, oops, I mean the car port. Isn’t it fun to imagine? When am I going to grow up?
As you might have guessed we made a major road trip (five weeks) this past August and September to Washington, Oregon, and California to visit NTM missionaries (13), relatives, and supporters. We had beautiful weather and wonderful fellowship all along the way. We slept in 12 different beds and of coursed lived out of our suitcases every day. We’ve lost count on how many times we’ve said to each other, “Have you seen …..?” or “Where did I put ….?” We always found it even though in some cases it days later.
Each time we met a missionary couple or single for coffee or a meal we never knew what the tone of the conversation would be. Will they be excited, anxious, hurt, encouraged? ‘Three before me’ is a guideline we try to keep bookmarked in our brain when visiting with missionaries. Each time we visited and each time there was a change of subject during our conversation we endeavored to ask three questions pertaining to the missionary before we chimed in with our thoughts or advice. What a challenge that was! It was worth the effort though as it went a long way toward establishing a relationship.
Thanks so much for your prayers on our behalf.
Two of our grandchildren from Florida, Steven and Alyssa, were with us over the summer. We had a lot of fun camping, games, and the water park (some of those rides are really scary!)
Frequently Asked Question
What exactly do you do?
Good question! We’re in the Member Care department of New Tribes Mission. We are responsible to contact by phone, email, and personal visits, missionaries on home assignment (furlough) who live in the Southwest United States. Our region is a six state area, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. The two states that have the most furloughing missionaries are California and Arizona.
Steve also co-facilitates workshops for missionaries. These include debriefing workshop, Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills, Conflict = Opportunity workshop.
Besides these responsibilities Steve is also assistant director of Member Care for NTM U.S.A. There are approximately 2,200 U.S. members of NTM.
April 2011
We left a week ago today for out East and arrived three days later in Charlotte, North Carolina. It seems like Arizona has no weather like other parts of the country. In Arizona we can go for weeks without a cloud in the sky and rainy days can be even longer yet. Since we’ve arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina we’ve had more days of rain than sun. As I often say when outside of Arizona, “They have weather out here!”
Next week we drive to Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. You’ve heard of Jersey Shore haven’t you? It’s a very famous national location. There’s no placque yet but there should be because 42 years ago Patty and I were married in Jersey Shore. Sometimes national recognition lags behind. Maybe there will be a post morten recognition.
Participants representing several different departments and centers within NTM will be gathering for a three day symposium on developing a member care ministry at their department or center. So far we have 32 praticipants registered.
After the symposium Patty and I will be traveling to Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma to visit friends and relatives. We want to touch base with our support team to give them an up to date report on the ministry the Lord has for us.
Please pray for the symposium and travels during April. We hope to be home before Easter.
Revisiting History In Pennsylvania
We leave for Pennsylvania on Monday, (11/08). We’re invited to participate in a week long meeting with New Tribes Mission Representatives. They will be gathering from across the U.S. for a week of meetings.
For Patty and I we’ll be returning to the site of our marriage, 41 years ago. We are looking forward to visiting the site of our outdoor marriage and reminiscing the event that started our journey with each other, with our Lord, and our children. What a journey!
I Can’t Believe It!
I can’t believe I’m a year older. I can’t believe it’s November. I can’t believe ….. What is it that you find hard to accept? That you’re heavier than you were? That your children have left the nest?
I can’t believe how earthly focused I am? When I was recently reading Colossians chapter 3 I read, for the umpteenth time, that I should set my heart and and mind on heaven where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Often we long to get away from the busy schedule that we’re living day in and day out. So when Paul challenges us to set our heart and mind on heaven what better way for us to get away and refresh ourselves spiritually? One commentator wrote, “You must not only seek heaven; you must also think heaven.”
September Ministry
Late August into early September we were in Florida just finishing a workshop for 19 missionaries from 4 different missions. We had a great time together. It will be great to hear months from now how this workshop has impacted them.
We arrived home on the 4th of September and started unpacking and unwinding from our six weeks on the road. We were able to visit New Tribes Aviation in McNeal, Arizona. “Where’s McNeal?”, you say. Good question. McNeal is just a few miles from the Mexico.
While there we connected with some missionaries on home assignment and some who are on staff at NTM Aviation.
In few days we leave for Fresno, California. An opportunity has opened up for us to share our ministry with Northwest church. Pray for safety in travel, we will be an encouragement to those we meet, and that we can clearly communicate our ministry to the church.
…Travels and Workshops
In January Steve co-facilitated a Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop for Frontiers. Less than a week later Steve and Patty drove to Chihuahua, Mexico to co-facilitate another SYIS workshop for New Tribes Mission, United Indian Mission, and AmeriTribes. It was a great opportunity to serve the Body of Christ who are literally working around the world. Including both workshops there were 48 missionaries that we were privileged to minister to.
We hit the road for a two month trip on February 18th. This is one of our longest trips yet. We’re stopping in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Charlotte, NTM-USA headquarters in Sanford, Florida and then Arkansas. Pray that our car will run well, it has over 140,000 miles on it. Pray for a safe trip. We’re visiting missionaries, relatives, and facilitating one more S.Y.I.S. workshop in Florida and two conflict resolution workshops in Florida.
