December, 2023
Dear Friends,
1 Thessalonians 1:3-4 says, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”
The month of November for the whole team was the same as the previous months. We had guests who visited us for advice as well as for equipment. The Zoom program was just as intense. We had discipleship and equipping meetings both on zoom and in person. In November we were contacted by churches who requested our advice and support. There were pastors and leaders who consulted us in matters of vision and work strategy. We thank God for the grace and privilege we have to bring encouragement and courage to churches and ministers in these atypical times we are going through. The purpose and motivation of our existence is to offer help and to contribute to the revitalization and equipping of ministers and churches.
On the 10th, I was invited to Atlanta, at the headquarters of the NAMB, for an Evangelization and Discipleship conference attended by 125 people from 45 ethnic groups. We sought to answer the questions and challenges facing churches and pastors during this period. I came to the conclusion that we do not have a culture of evangelism in the churches, and the gospel is preached in a sterile way because we do not have a culture of discipleship according to Ephesians 4:11-16. At the end of November my family was invited to spend Thanksgiving with the Church and families in Akron, Ohio.
We are preparing for our biggest mission trip yet. With God’s will, we will send 10 men, including Vali and Ethan, in 3 teams to minister across Europe. The first will go to Spain, Italy and France. The second to Macedonia and Albania. And the third to Romania and Hungary. Please pray that the Lord would guide us to find/equip spiritual leaders to serve as our point of contact for these nations, and to encourage those already serving in that capacity. If you would like to contribute to the mission trip specifically, please make a note on your payment and it will go directly to funding our work in these countries.
Also in November, we discovered a broken hot water line in one of our guest apartments. It had spewed hot water for several days before we discovered the issue and caused extensive damage in one of our apartments. Ethan has coordinated with insurance, ServPro, and a contractor to work on the repair of the apartment, but such a project will take time. Please pray with us that the Lord would guide us and bless us with a smooth process and provide the funds needed to repair the apartment so that we can freely host people there again.
Colin continues to challenge and inspire church leaders in their handling of scripture and care for the flock of God. This month the majority of his counsel has been about end of life and end of times issues. His water supply suffered from the recent drought but continues to improve and all his medical check-ups have been positive.
We are grateful for your fervent prayers. It is with faith that I stand in awe of the way that He paves the path, leading us towards a potentially abundant harvest of triumph with each endeavor. May His divine power bless and strengthen countless souls, equipping saints for His churches.
Your continued participation in prayer and financial support is greatly valued and indispensable. My heart rejoices to do His will.