Christ in you, in us, in...

Maybe you're long-time friends or family. Maybe you've supported us for a long time now, or maybe just begun. Perhaps you've been praying for us, sent us emails, mailed us snacks or books or movies or diapers, written us letters, poured over our newsletters, listened to us speak, had dinner with us there or here, or just checked out our blog from time to time!

Whatever our relationship, you are standing with us! We are in our third year of ministry in Haiti, our fifth year of marriage, our first year as parents and our 26th year of life, and we are blessed, grateful and encouraged BY YOU.

"To this end also we pray for you always,

that our God will count you worthy of your calling,

and fulfill every desire for goodness and

the work of faith with power,

so that the name of our Lord will be glorified in you,

and you in Him!" 2 Thess. 1:11-12

Because you stand with us, it has been on our hearts for a while now to share in more detail exactly what we (and therefore YOU) do here, along with more information about each part of our lives for your interest or for your prayers...all the while making it abundantly clear that the only things we do that make any difference are those Christ does through us by His grace, and not we ourselves!

We want you to know what you're a part of! Please email us if you have questions or comments or ideas regarding any of this!

We Teach.

Hebrew- Matt, 4th year students, 8-9 am M-F

English- Stacey, 1st year students, 8-9 am M-F

Psalms- Matt, 4th year students, 9-12 am M-F for 10 days

Isaiah- Matt, 4th year students, 9-12 am M-F for 10 days

1st Samuel- Matt, 4th year students, 9-12 am M-F for 10 days

Hebrew and Psalms- Matt, anyone interested in downtown Cap-Haitien, 2-4 pm, every Monday

OMS Haiti missionaries- Matt, different segments of the Bible, every other Tuesday, 3:30 pm

Psalms of Ascent- Stacey, female staff at seminary and guest house, every Tuesday, 9 am

We Evangelize. (tell people about the love, forgiveness and new life found in Jesus Christ)

Surrounding Areas- Matt, alongside of students and staff of Emmaus Biblical Seminary, 1 time a week, Stacey & Lily, 2 times a month (please pray for this ministry, every Wed. and Thurs. 1-3 pm)

Unplanned- opportunities that arise on the compound, off the compound, in town, on the way to church, etc.

We Study.

Master's of Divinity- Matt, Wesley Biblical Seminary, Mississippi, Bible, Theology and Practical Ministry, 2nd year, for the purpose of being better equipped to teach the Bible. (Matt leaves for his 3rd 2-week residency October 4th...please be praying!)

Preparation- we are daily studying in preparation for teaching, Bible studies and classes

Personal- Every morning from 5-6 Matt studies the Bible, prays and worships, every morning from 6-7, Stacey does the same (please be praying that the Lord would continue to reveal Himself and His Word to us during this precious, necessary-for-survival time!)

We Pray.

As a mission- all OMS missionaries and nationals, together once a month

As missionaries- all OMS Haiti missionaries, every Tuesday, 3:30-5:00 pm

With other young moms- Stacey, every Friday in our home from 3:30-? (until someone's husband calls)

With specific families- on a weekly/bi-weekly basis we visit the same families the Lord has put on our hearts, ie..the blind woman down the road we have told you about, the mute little girl from a recent post, people we've met doing evangelism, etc.

With our students- every single morning, at 8:00 am

As a family, as a couple, and as individuals

We Promote.

Student Sponsorships- Stacey works to ensure that every student at Emmaus Biblical Seminary has a sponsor committed to praying and providing a scholarship for them to study God's Word and how to preach it! I take pictures, translate testimonies, create sponsorship materials and maintain correspondence on behalf of our students. Check out how you can partner!

Website- Stacey has created a website for Emmaus Biblical Seminary to help inform and promote what God is doing in Haiti through EBS and its' students...check it out!

Wednesday Nights- One or two Wednesday's a month, we are able to join our students and staff in putting together a program for visiting teams about Emmaus' ministry in Haiti

Travel and Speak- Much of what we do the 6 or so weeks OUT of Haiti each year is travel and speak in churches about what we see God doing in Haiti and about coming alongside our students to help make Him known in Haiti...if your church or group would be interested in hearing more about this, send us an email!

We Encourage.

Churches and pastors- Every Sunday we join our national brothers and sisters for church services, usually focusing our visits on the churches of our staff and students. We are then better able to pray with and encourage them, as well as get to know their families. One or two times a month, Matt preaches in one of these churches to help the pastors and to encourage congregations with the Word!

Open office, open door- We continue to realize how important the ministry 'at our door' is! We have made personal commitments to deliberately treat each student, friend or stranger that comes to our office or home as Jesus, seeking to invite them in and share with them, listen, pray, and encourage them with God's Word

We Give.

Tithe- This is exciting! Many of you give so that we can be here, and then we're giving here from what you're giving there... For example, perhaps you support several missionaries and ministries around the globe. From some of that money, we support several missionaries and ministries around the globe, too...as well as Haitians and the local church! Your giving is going more places than you realize!

Giving- In addition to our regular tithes, we are frequently blessed with opportunities to get plugged in here with families and individuals who have very real needs...from Bibles to medical bills to bags of rice, there are a lot of ways to give for His glory! (If you are interested in getting plugged in financially, let us know your interest and we can help you find the ministry God might be calling you to be a part of!)

We Administrate.

Field Council- Matt is the president of this OMS Haiti council, helping to lead monthly meetings between the missionaries regarding the OMS Haiti field, plan and take care of annual missionary retreat, and help represent our field. Check out who that is... (not yet included on that link: Sam and Cammie Aberle, Dave and Marilyn Graffenberger)

Spiritual Life Committee- This committee strives to deepen the spiritual lives of the missionaries serving here, of which Matt and I are both a part. This committee plans and leads Tuesday prayer meetings and times of teaching as well as the spiritual aspects of annual retreat.

The Lord has been unmistakably giving us both greater hearts for pastoral ministry here, and we're thankful for these opportunities to be more deliberate about growing as a missionary body...not just together but in Him!

We Parent.

Keeping family at a high priority over work has been an important commitment for us to

be continually making! Of all the things we feel that the Lord has given us to take care of, there is no arguing that He GAVE us Lily :) For our family, this commitment includes not putting Lily under the care of anyone other than Matt and I for more than 10 hours a week unless an emergency arises.

As such, we are seeking creative ways to incorporate her in as much ministry as possible (the seminary men continue to joke that Lily is the first person attempting to evangelize babies :) Please pray with us for Lily and that the Lord might constantly be showing us how to train up and love this dear one and that He might continually give us HIS priorities!

We Share.

With Haiti- our personal testimonies, the stories and truths of the Bible, how we see God at work NOW, the HOPE that we have in Him!

With YOU- This is one of our favorite parts of life here: sharing it with you! When God speaks to our heart, through His Word, through an experience, through a person, through a trial, we love to tell you about it, hoping and trusting that God might use our lives here to work in your life as well. We do this through our Blog, which you have found, and through quarterly newsletters. If you are not receiving our newsletters and would like to, please send us an email with your address and we'll get you on the list!

Happy B-Day Martin!

WHEW! Thank you for standing with us as we all share our lives together! If anyone asks what you did this weekend, be sure to let them know what Christ is doing through you in Haiti!

getting older, getting ready...

We had another really nice weekend! Matt's 26th birthday is Tuesday, but because of a very busy week ahead, and a meeting and potluck on Tuesday, we celebrated on Saturday! My Aunt Patty sent in everything we needed for a wonderful day...plates, napkins, DVDs, presents, Matt's favorite snacks, wrapping paper, and food items I couldn't purchase here!

We had a special breakfast, ran errands in town, went out to lunch for his birthday in town (below) and for supper had 2 diet Coke's my dad brought in last April, cranberries and pumpkin cookies with canned goods my aunt sent in, and 2 AWESOME pork chops that Sharon brought in with her in August! I've been saving everything for Matt's birthday, and we had such a great day! If you think of it Monday or Tuesday, jot Matt a quick birthday email!

Matt also got some good reading time this weekend, which is good, because his nightstand ALWAYS looks like this...five or six books all with bookmarks in the middle :)
Matt leaves Sunday for his two week residency in Mississippi, so this is a busy busy week! He's getting stuff set up with a past graduate who will be subbing for him, and is preparing to teach a course on Psalms the day after he gets back, preach Sunday morning right before he leaves, and hopefully spending a bit of extra time with Lily and I before he leaves!

new love, new drive

I am considering today a benchmark, a monument for His glory...not just in our time here in Haiti, but in Matt's walk with the Lord. This afternoon, he headed out with another missionary, a few visitors and some staff and students from Emmaus for the first official "evangelism day" of the year.

You may remember last spring when Matt's fourth year class put together an idea for evangelism and discipleship. Six months later, the vision continues to be lived out each Wednesday and Thursday as students go out together into surrounding areas, participating in door-to-door evangelism, locating Christians, choosing a yard or tree to meet (ie...church planting), and teaching old and new converts the Word of God, beginning with the book of Mark.

Though they have continued to go to these "house churches" throughout the summer, today they officially began, with first year students alongside, in a 'new' area not far from the Seminary.

Today, as Matt walked down a dirt path, lined with cactus fences, half-naked children playing with plastic-bottle cars and garbage-bag kites, he felt something inside him 'snap.'

"I know that I'm Jesus for people in teaching and that kind of service, but today when we were out, I felt a strong desperation to POUR myself out for everyone around me...I felt such a GREAT LOVE for them, the 'wash their feet' kind of love...for the first time since being here I honestly felt God's huge heart of love and compassion for each person I talked to...the kind that CHANGES you. I want to go out there again, right now, tomorrow, and pour myself out for them because of Christ."

While working over in his mind this 'realization' of God's love for the people around him, his eye was caught by an old woman, gray hair haphazardly woven into crazy braids all over her head, her wrinkled eyes squinting to see and her hands well-worn from years of labor. She was surrounded by youth...several girls in their twenties and their children all playing in the yard.

Matt walked over to them, stepping over a naked baby sleeping on a hand-towel in the shade. He uncharacteristically skipped all small talk, saying that he felt surprisingly led to be silent. After looking them each in the eye, he said to the old woman, "Not all here are Christians, are you?"

"I AM" she replied smiling. "But not everyone is. This one, and this one," she said, nudging two young women nearby, "they are not."

Matt quickly sat next to one of these girls, looked into her eyes and asked, "You're not a Christian?"

"No, I am not" she said decidedly.

"God has sent me today," Matt said, "to tell you how much He loves YOU, and to tell you that He wants you as His own."

Step by step, Matt talked to her about the problem we have as humans with sin. Talked to her about how not one of us is righteous, and that we are born loving ourselves more than God, more than others, leading to death and darkness. And he told her about God sending His Son Jesus, who came to offer life, and yet was despised, and nailed to a cross by people just like her, suffered because of our sin. He told her that not even death could conquer his Lord, and that Jesus rose again, setting us free from death, free from sin, free from ourselves and then left us His Holy Spirit.

"You must repent and receive His love so that your sins may be wiped away. There is salvation in no one, nothing, no place else!

"Do you want to do that?"

"OH YES, please!" she said joyfully, and they knelt together in the dirt with the old woman singing praises to God alongside of the angels and prayed for His forgiveness and new life.

As soon as they finished, Matt turned to the second girl. She smiled timidly, and he called her out.

"I know you are smiling because you know that God loves you too, and died for you just the same, and you know that I want to tell you about Him."

And so Matt did, and again found himself in the dirt next to his sister, leading her joyfully and gratefully to the Lord.

"Stace," Matt said energetically the moment he burst through the door, "We always think that Evangelism is for those gifted in Evangelism, and that we should find our spiritual gifts and stay in them! But the BIBLE says to tell people about Jesus! All who follow Him! And as I was doing so, He gave me a contentment and a joy and a peace that I haven't had in a long time! God allowed me to be a small part of two genuine conversions today...two women entirely lost, and He brought them to Himself! And I was there!"

Before leaving, these new Christians led him to a young girl, about 13 years of age, who could not speak, and could not hear. Her family quickly told Matt that she loved the Lord, and had been deaf and mute since birth.

"She was so sweet, Stace. You could see that she knew Jesus, see that she had His spirit about her."

He clasped her hand and prayed for her, praising the Lord for her life and asking that she be healed. It is his goal to return to her yard once a week every week and pray the same thing.

There is healing in the name of Jesus!

"Today, God gave me what I cannot give myself, no matter how hard I try: an understanding, a viewing, of His love for us. For you and I, for Lily, for the students, [for YOU,] for the other missionaries, for the Haitian people. I can't have felt HIS love for us each and rest in knowing that there are SO MANY that don't know of it!"

I don't know about you, but Matt's experience today inspired me again to take my faith to the next level, to be BOLD and to tell of what He has done in me and of what He wants to do in others. Step out there with us!

No matter what your gift, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you, no matter how intimidating the situation or the person, no matter how sure you are that 'they don't want to hear it', no matter what the cost...We were bought with a price, family, NOT so that we could live well for ourselves, but so that we who live might live for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:14-15)!

If you are unsure of how to share Christ, or if you don't yet have Him TO share, please send us an email and we'd love, love, love to talk to you more...

I have never heard, never once, anyone say they were sorry they told someone about their Jesus. Even if it brings us harm, might we be like the apostles in Acts 5:

They called the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak the name of Jesus ever again, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing greatly that they had been considered worthy to suffer for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Ah, I've got to go to bed!

We praise the Lord for you each...

Brothers and more to come...

The goal of our instruction is LOVE

from a pure heart and a

good conscience and a

sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1:5

And THAT would be these three! These are three of our fellow professors at Emmaus Biblical Seminary, and they are also working to receive their Master's Degree from Wesley Biblical Seminary using the same online program Matt is using. More than all of that, they continue to be three Godly men that we can count on--for good advice, for cultural explanations, for strong leadership, Biblical sermons, holy conversations, laughter and to be faithful and bold in the Lord.

Luke, Bright and Paul have pure hearts, good consciences and sincere faiths, and we continue to be honored that the Lord has us working alongside of men such as these. They are the men that we had prayed for in coming to Haiti: Godly leaders, clearly chosen by God, who are committed and capable to train Haitian men and women in Christ! When we leave Haiti, and I mean this in the best way possible, it will be because of these three men and those like them.

October 4th, they leave with Matt for their 2nd residency session at Wesley in Jackson, Mississippi. Together, these four are learning more about the Bible and simultaneously teaching more of the Bible, preaching more of the Bible and (praise the Lord!) looking more and more like Christ each week that passes. THANK YOU, Wesley Biblical Seminary, and SO many of you, for making it possible for Matt, Paul, Bright and Luke to do this!

Meanwhile, first session is already over at Emmaus and we jump into session 2 tomorrow. My first year guys are finally beginning to warm up, laughing uncontrollably today (and thus NOT saving face) when one mustached associate pastor-student answered, "Yes, yes I AM a woman!" with much conviction.

I have a beautiful testimony to share with you regarding a third year student (Petit, Lori!), an awesome report on Matt's "Monday's In Town" class from this week, and reports of some new ministries up and coming! Stay tuned...

With ALL our hope fixed firmly on the living God...

Christ in me, the Hope of Glory!

We had a really nice weekend...lots of wonderful moments with Lily, lots of errands and tasks around the house and the Seminary completed, good talks with our families in the States and good time with some of our family here!

This morning we headed off to a near-by church because I've been sick and needed something "less-energy" as possible. We walked in only to find out that the preacher had called in sick that morning and a group of leaders thrilled to see Matt...Good thing he is "ready in season and out of season to preach the Word" (2 Tim.4)! He preached a sermon about God's power being perfected in our weakness, and discussed why the Lord can't work in areas of our lives that are thrilled with ourselves in, but only in areas where we RECOGNIZE our smallness and our inability to do anything by our own strength. It was great!

What a great chance for me, too, to allow Him to search my heart and show me where my pride keeps His power from shining through! "Most gladly then," Paul said, "will I boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me!" (2 Cor 12:9-10) Haiti has given us an excellent opportunity to lose so much of our dependencies on self: when we first came we couldn't even communicate, much less find anything, recognize anyone, drive anywhere, teach anyone or count on ourselves to take care of anything!

We were so desperate for His presence, protection, guidance and relationship those first weeks that we did little else but speak to Him, listen for Him and read His Word! While we've absolutely grown much more comfortable now with the culture, the language, the area and the people, church this morning reminded me never to allow my comforts, gifts, relationships and confidence to keep me from being what I am: Nothing at all but Christ in me!

beauty bird

in the classroom...

Here are some photos from our first 2 weeks of school! My first year class (pictured above) is still oh-so-serious, but they are warming up! It has been a great start to a new year and it continues to be our joy to be in the classroom with these men and women.

These are some of our third year guys who were some of my first students. They are truly an exceptional group of men who love each other and the work God is calling them to.

This is a photo of one of our "retreat" sessions during the first two days of orientation.

No one is happier than Matt to be back on schedule, spending hours a day working on lessons, his masters, and meeting with the students. Surround Matt with a bunch of thick books and he's happy :)

"Teaching every man..."

We were a little concerned Monday morning about how Matt's "Teaching in Town" program was going to go, realizing that there could be a lot of complications: a strong desire for "diplomas", timeliness, and a large variety of students--some seminary graduates and senior pastors and others mountain preachers and largely uneducated laymen.

However, Matt set off with a prayer and came back pumped: "That was GREAT!"

Not only was lateness not an issue, but all the men were there before Matt was! They set up in the basement of a church. They had no electricity, but the room was below the main road, so it was a little cooler than expected. Matt had 18 students for this first class, and no one minded at all that there would be no diploma or certificate involved. They wanted to learn the Bible better, and wanted no recognition, no breaks and no credit.

Matt taught an hour of Hebrew first (the original language of the Old Testament), and then spent the second hour teaching the book of Psalms. This is a VERY well memorized and commonly used portion of Scripture in Haiti, but Matt quickly realized that no one knew how to interpret it, how it works with the rest of the Bible, or what significance much of the book has.

The men were downright excited the whole 2 hours, and nothing excited the teacher in Matt more than students who are hungry to learn the Bible. This is going to be a fun ministry this year!

A group of men who live close to us rode there and back with Matt, but on the way home Matt had to stop at the market to buy me a flat of eggs. The men were all quite confused by this, a man going to the market to do inferior 'woman's work', and when he returned to the car, they were all silent until one of them finally said, "Wow. You must really love your wife! I would never go to the market to get eggs for my wife!"

Matt thought this was quite amusing, but I am excited about how this ministry opportunity is also giving him 3-4 hours a week to live a Godly life alongside of Christian men that he would have no opportunity to work with otherwise!

We're settling into a schedule and getting to know our new students, remembering again that Christ in us, Christ in the men and women we are teaching, IS the hope of glory for Haiti! Praise the Lord that He chooses to use us!

We proclaim Him,

admonishing every man and

teaching every man with wisdom,

so that we may present every man

to be complete in Christ!

Colossians 1:28

everything is already well!

Two weeks ago our field leader jokingly referred to a book called "Death by Meetings." By today, it was no joke! We have had a record number of meetings since September 1st, and we are quite happy this evening to be finished and back to "normal" work :)

Friday morning we were able to be a part of a quarterly half-day of prayer that all the OMS ministries participate in. We meet under the mango tree at the front of the mission, and are always blessed to sing praises together, hear about what God is doing in the different ministries OMS Haiti is a part of, and to pray together.

This time, in particular, I was touched by a specific song we sang. While quite simple, the more we sang it over and over, the more the truth of the words washed over me, melting much of the concern and stress we've been feeling lately...

Everything is already well

Everything is already well!

Because Jesus is on the throne,

Everything is already well,

Everything is already well.

AMEN, I thought, giving Him the sick baby, many meetings, conflicts and stresses of daily living, remembering that everything is already taken care of, because of the cross and because He is still on the throne!

With that, we headed into 8 90 minute sessions of "Team Building" seminars with a couple from headquarters. Half of Friday, Sunday, and all of Saturday we spent as a missionary team, talking about unity, conflict and forgiveness.

Lily was quite sick the whole time, and I think we got less than 8 90 minute sessions of sleep the entire weekend! However, I was so blessed by how our OMS Family came around us and helped...holding a very fussy Lily, playing with her, distracting her, holding her while she slept, having us over for supper, coming by to check on her, checking up on us, etc... We are praising God for the great gift we can be to each other!

Now back to class! The new year is in full swing, and tomorrow Matt will also begin teaching in town...Please be praying that this would be a beautiful time of learning and teaching and discliping and that the Lord would show clearly through Matt, giving all wisdom and teachable hearts!

We had a rather elderly evangelist that we have worked with a few times previously come to the door Saturday night, brimming with joy.

"I will learn Hebrew and the book of Psalms this week?" he asked Matt excitedly.

"Yes," Matt told him. "Beginning this Monday, every Monday, from 2-4, at Samarie Church in town."

"And I can come?" he asked, still shaking Matt's hand.

"Yes, yes," Matt said. "You can come."

"And how much money will I need to find before then?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing. It is free!" Matt replied. "I'll see you Monday?"

"Oh OH!" the evangelist said, practically jumping back and forth from one foot to the other. "I WILL be there! I will be the first one there!"

We are just SO thankful for this opportunity. Matt has been given SO many opportunities to learn and study the Bible: through teachers, pastors, church, college, books, his masters, professors, etc...And SO many here have had SO little opportunity to ever learn more about the Word...What a gift this could be for Matt and the men and women in attendance!

Please pray for good strength, boldness, wisdom and purity in our lives this week!

here we go!

Lily is doing better...yesterday was a great day, then last night she was up all night, and quite fussy today, but no fever! She has two front top teeth coming in, so I think they are the culprit!

Meanwhile, our first days of school started well! We have some wonderful new students, and many godly returning students. Matt also began his Master's studies again this week!

Matt only has 4 Hebrew students this year, which was a little disappointing. However, for almost a year now he has been feeling led to offer seminary-level classes to pastors throughout Northern Haiti who have either never had the opportunity to go to Seminary or who attended seminary years ago but were never offered Biblical languages.

Forty pastors and lay-leaders have signed up for this weekly free class, which will be held in a church in down-town Cap-Haitien, starting Monday! So, having a slightly lighter load at the Seminary might be a blessing!

I, on the other hand, started with 11 students, but had 4 move out of my class after scoring exceptionally well on their placement exams! So, today I began English 1 with 7 men, quickly remembering why I love teaching here so much.

Gertha (pronounced Jer-ta) has been taking such great care of Lily while I teach, and has been an answer to prayer in every way (even doing dishes while Lily naps!)

This weekend is booked solid, beginning tomorrow with an OMS Half-Day of Prayer, followed by the first 2 of 8 "Team Building" Seminars Friday, Saturday and Sunday that our OMS Haiti field is doing. Whew! Please pray for strength and energy (and good health for Lil) as we head into a full weekend after such a full and sleepless week!

Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

always giving thanks for ALL things

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

and be subject to one another

in the fear of Christ.

Eph. 5:19-21

I fear tonight is going to be a long night, so I'll make this short...

The students are back, and it is SUCH a joy for Matt and I to catch up with them! Their testimonies of the summer, reports of their families, and just their presence has us excited to be at EBS, excited for class to start tomorrow and excited to be a part of what God is doing in and through them!

Lily, on the other hand, has had a fever all day, ranging from 100-102.5. She's been miserable, and when baby's miserable...so is mom! So, I missed most of today's orientation and retreat home rocking Lil, but I'm hoping that she will be able to sleep tonight and that her fever will break while she does! Please pray for her...it's always a bit unsettling to think, "OK, if the fever goes too high, I will call her pediatrician and take her in...oh wait. No, I won't!"

We have some great stories to share with you on behalf of our students already...tomorrow or as soon as Lily is back to crawling around the house, eating shoes, clearing shelves and banging picture frames!

Thanks for your prayers...

Walk in a manner worthy of the calling

with which you have been called,

with all humility, gentleness, patience, love and peace.

Ephesians 4:1-2

good-bye, Summer!

Following all our meetings, we had some good time with our OMS Haiti "family" this weekend! Yesterday afternoon we went out to lunch and then to the pool. Today we had an "End of the Summer Shabang" which included a picnic in the yard, football, playing with the kids and baseball.

The other kids LOVE having a "baby" around, and Lily always gets well-showered with love when the other ti-mouns (literally, little people) are around!

It was a blessing of a weekend for us to have time to be united with part of our Haiti family and to do some fun, rare things :)

We are grateful to have field leaders that are friends,too, a boss at the Seminary that we enjoy spending time with, neighbors that we can share life and struggles and joys with, "foreigners" that we can share laughter and kids with, friends we can borrow flour from and who help with inverter issues...brothers and sisters that we can count on to run after the Lord alongside of, pray with, dream with, struggle with, serve with and die to!

Meanwhile, the students began returning to the EBS campus yesterday, and tomorrow is our first day back to school! Tomorrow and Tuesday are orientation days, and then class starts Wednesday! Student body photos to come...

Thank YOU for your love and prayers!

healthiness, holiness, hunger

(Lily's 8 month photo)

The highlight of our annual field council meetings this year were the first 30 minutes of each day...a time in which a couple overseeing 6 different countries including Haiti for OMS led us in a devotional time. Their wise council, godly demeanor and humble spirits were not just a true and deep encouragement for us, but they bubbled over with The Living Water.

Their obvious healthiness that comes with holiness was so desirable to us, reminding us that if we have made Him the Lord of our lives, He SHOULD be desirable in us.

Laura shared a short "commitment" with us that radiated this exact idea, and I wanted to share it with you:

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

I have the Holy Spirit's power.

The die has been cast.

I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made...

I'm a disciple of His.

I'm finished with low living, sight walking, smooth knees,

colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking,

cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

I don't need preeminence, prosperity, position,

promotions or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, praised

regarded or rewarded.

I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience,

labor with power...

I am a disciple of Jesus.

I must go till He comes,

give till I drop,

preach till all know,

work till He stops me."

She challenged us to read through these 'ideas' and to allow the Lord to use them to take us to that 'next level' of holiness....Which is EXACTLY what I want.

This is where the Lord has been bringing me, and continues to...a starvation for Holiness.

For perhaps the first time in my life, I want to be HOLY more than I want to be comfortable, right, popular, loved, appreciated, encouraged, happy, supported.

I want to BE LIKE CHRIST more than I want safety, freedom, to serve, to minister or to belong.

I want to DO WHAT HE DID more than I want to do what I want to do, what others want me to do, what I think I 'need' to do, what I have always done, or what is easily accepted.

If Christ so very often was persecuted, hated, laughed at, beaten, hungry, homeless, lonely, ridiculed, jilted, abused, uncomfortable, ignored, mocked and betrayed, then WHY do I think that being a Christ-ian, Christ-follower, should bring me prosperity, blessings, friends, happiness, rewards, popularity, comforts and justice???

I want to be like HIM, whatever it means.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free." Galatians 5:1

meetings, rain and holiness

This is a week of meetings! Yesterday we had our "new school year" staff meeting, which went wonderfully! Again and again over the past two years we have praised the Lord for a Godly, sincere, trustworthy, responsible, motivated, encouraging, loving, bold staff at Emmaus Biblical Seminary. Monday was no exception, as we all prayed together, shared ideas, hopes and prayers for the new year and enjoyed being family!

Then yesterday afternoon, as we worked at the school to prepare for orientation Monday, a HUGE rain storm came up, the first real rain we've seen since being in the States this summer! We waited and waited for it to stop, finally borrowed an umbrella, which proved quickly to be quite broken, and ran for it. Lily laughed and laughed, deep belly laughs, the whole rainy run. We were entirely soaked by the time we got home, but it was a sweet family moment, celebrating God's refreshing rain and the gift He's given us in Lily...who will be 8 months old tomorrow!

Tomorrow begins three days of "Annual Field Council", a series of meetings within OMS which will include updates, elections, ministry plans, vision development, job assignments, budgets, etc...In our experience, this has always been a very full few days. Please pray for each missionary and national worker as we seek to grow in His will and to be entirely Holy...as individuals, as families, as ministries, as an organization and as Christians.

But like the Holy One who called you,

be holy yourselves in all your behavior;

because it is written,

You shall be holy, as I am holy.

If you address as Father

the One who judges according to each one's work,

conduct yourselves in fear

during the time of your stay on earth;

Knowing that you were NOT redeemed

with perishable things like silver or gold

from your futile way of life,

but with PRECIOUS blood,

as of a lamb unblemished and spotless:

the blood of Christ!

1 Peter 1:15-19