NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

January – June 2009

“They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him…” P S A L M  7 2 : 9

Dear Partners in Prayer,

Thank you so much for all your faithful prayers and the kind continued support of many of you. These first months of 2009 have been extremely hectic and very, very eventful indeed.

“Foundations” Discipleship Training

In January through April we continued teaching our regular “Foundations — The Basics of Discipleship” course in cooperation with a church in Massachusetts and with another here in Rhode Island. These classes are held one Saturday a month, running over nine months, and are meant to partner with churches in challenging, equipping and mobilizing “laborers” for the harvest of evangelism and disciple making, both at home, but hopefully also eventually, even unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

PRAY for lasting fruit

from this training, for the blessing of the outreach of the great churches involved, and for the Lord to be pleased to use it also to raise up new missionary candidates.

Your prayers were so very much appreciated

for our busy ministry travels to Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, which included teaching our “Each One REACH One — Each One TEACH One” (EORO-EOTO) seminar as an elective module at the New Tribes Bible Institute in Jackson, MI. Afterwards, we taught this again in a church in PA, and also shared the work and burden of NTM in supporting churches in MD and WV.

Much PRAYER is needed

As most of you know, we are here in the States at the request of Carolyn\’s parents, to be here for them in their advancing years. We moved in with them to help care for them and their home, while being able to carry on our very busy ministry as regional representatives for NTM out of our cozy office/study in their basement. Up until recently her parents had been really doing so well health-wise, thus allowing us to also take several invitations for extended ministry trips both here in the States and overseas. While we were away speaking at a missions conference at a great church in Bermuda, and taking a much needed break in mid-March, we got news that Carolyn\’s Dad was found to have cancer and required major surgery, and that in the same week her Mom fell and seriously broke her wrist, also requiring two separate operations. We considered having Carolyn return to Rhode Island, but thankfully, her brothers and sisters, our Sonya, and other nieces, and church friends were all so ready and able to come and care for Mom & Dad in our absence, kindly bringing in meals and helping much with their care.

Please PRAY with us

for both Warren and Ruth, as their recovery, though thankfully steady, has been slow and with some occasional setbacks. We continue to trust the Lord each and every day for His sustaining grace and strength. Throughout March and April they were both really in need 24/7 care. Warren was told that he will need chemo and radiation therapy once he is strong enough.

Overseas Ministry Trip

Praise the Lord for the completion of both our “Foundations” courses, with much blessing, and encouragement that those in the classes will go on to really use the discipleship principles we have learned  together, and really practice them in their daily lives and witness, reaching and teaching many others in and through their churches.

Faroe Islands Retreat Center - Zarepta

Due to the needs with Carolyn\’s folks we had to shorten our scheduled eight and a half week ministry trip to Europe this Spring / Summer. Through the continued kindness and sacrifice of many of the family, Carolyn was able to accompany me for four weeks of ministry in the

Discipleship Seminar

Faroe Islands, Germany and Scotland, where we were speaking in churches, teaching my EORO-EOTO seminar, and training disciple makers. I stayed on in the UK for three more weeks, till July 1st taking meetings to challenge churches for tribal missions, to help with the  annual NTM UK Missions Conference, and to teach my EORO-EOTO course module at NTM\’s Euro. Bible & Missionary Training Center.

Annual European NTM Missions Conference - North Cotes

Even though we will have to adjust our ministries in the coming Fall to be closer to home here for Carolyn\’s folks, there are some very exciting opportunities and possibilities now developing for the rest of this year, for continuing to equip and mobilize more laborers. Please PRAY as the Lord brings all these together for His own greater glory.

Lovingly and always thankfully yours… because we are His,

Thom & Carolyn