Merry Christmas and greetings in the name of our Father. We pr@y that you are all experiencing the blessings of G0d during the holiday season.

We are thankful for the opportunity to strengthen the s@ints in our field of labor. Our work with the South Asian fellowship in the north continues. Through this training process, we are starting to see leaders rise to the top. There is one man from this group named Ray (pseudonym) that I am particularly excited about. Ray was raised in a religi0us tradition completely different from our own. The L0rd radically saved him about 4 years ago. He soon led his entire family to f@ith. For the past two years, he has been training under a local p@stor in preparation to lead a local fellowship. I have seen the L0rd’s hand on Ray and I believe He has a special plan for him. I have been working with this man for the past 6 months. It has been encouraging to see him grow and develop. I look forward to seeing the Father use this group to accomplish great things.

A couple of months ago, I met a lady who is working on a degree in medicine at a university in the North. I soon discovered that she is married to a South Asian man who has a degree in theology. I met with both of them for lunch one day and had an amazing time. We had some fascinating discussions about the Father’s work in the local area. They want to be used of the L0rd on campus, but they are not quite sure how to proceed. I have been meeting with them every two weeks to help them develop a strategy and a vision. We are making progress and we are hoping to have a thriving outreach effort up and running soon.

Lena and I have been attending a local B@ptist fellowship for the past 10 months. I have had some great meetings discussing outreach efforts with the p@stor. I am now meeting with the leaders in this fellowship to share my heart and to discover what they are excited about. I am looking to establish a partnership with this fellowship so that we might work together to create Kingdom movement. I am optimistic about this relationship and I am expecting great things to come out of it.

There is a ch*rch leader living in the northern part of our city who is looking for ways to help fellowships reach out to their communities. He is connected to around 50 different fellowships in and around our city. We have been meeting every two weeks to talk about how we might help these groups. These meetings have been really encouraging. We have been making progress and we are hoping to develop something that will encourage these local fellowships.

Each week we continue to make new connections. We are looking to find partners who are ready to attempt great things for the Father. We believe the L0rd has big thing in store for our city in the future.

Many of you are aware of the LM Christmas Offering being taken this month. Lena and I would like to express our gratitude to everyone who sacrifices to participate in this effort. It is because of you that we can continue in the work the Father has for us.

Pr@yer Requests:
1. That we would begin to see fruit among those we are training.
2. That we would continue to find and and develop helpful partnerships.
3. Please pr@y for our family’s health. Rick has been sick a lot lately. Continue to lift up Simeon and his asthma during these winter months.

We have several exciting things to share with you this month. 

Last month there was a volunteer team that came from the USA to help us work on some projects. We focused a lot of our time on the streets, in the local parks, and at a H*ndu temple. Our method for connecting with the community was providing family activities for those who were enjoying their local parks. We had face painting, balloon animals, beads, bubble wands, and games. Providing these services gave us some great opportunities to m*nister to people. We also spent time using pr@yer walking as a tool to start up conversations about our Father in some of the local markets. The highlight of our time came when we visited a community m0sque. We attended their evening pr@yers. Afterward, they invited us to stay for some tea and snacks. They led us to an upper room where six men were waiting to serve us. We had at least an hour conversation talking about various spiritu@l topics. Many of the questions they asked were intended to demonstrate their objections to our message. As we were answering their questions, I had a strong sense that the Father was speaking through us. I believe the L0rd used us to represent His kingdom and to proclaim His Word. During the debrief the team was full of wonder and amazement at what the L0rd had done. In total, we were able to serve around 400 people in one form or another. We had spiritu@l conversations with 200 people. We got 18 contacts from our efforts. I have been following up with these contacts over the past few weeks.

I have been leading some trainings for a South Asian fellowship in the north. These sessions have been awesome. The people are really embracing the tools that are being offered. My goal in these sessions is to help them become better d*sciples of J. The trainings are focused on being doers of the Word. They learn how to become d*sciples by setting goals and by reporting on how the Father is using them. Each week we learn a new skill, set goals, and report on our activities. My pr@yer is that the L0rd would raise up leaders from this group who will do big things for the kingdom. In the near future, I will be leading this group through a B*ble story set. Through this exercise they will learn key truths from the Word. I will also be modeling how to lead a B*ble study. I will be encouraging them to start B*ble study groups with their family and friends. The groups that they start will also focus on training people and raising up leaders. The intention is to disciple people who make disciples who in turn make disciples. I believe we have a great start with this group and I am very optimistic about our direction. The success we have had with this group is already opening up other doors for us. I am meeting with a p@stor this weekend who has heard about the work we have been doing. I am hoping to start a training group in his fellowship as well.     

Lena has been leading a storying group with some Musl*m ladies on the East side of our city. They have been meeting in a ladies only lounge in a mall. This is the location the ladies themselves chose to meet in. Our new approach has been to offer to have B*ble studies with people while giving them the power to determine where we meet and who attends the group. This approach helps the people of the group to feel less threatened as it helps to ensure that the meetings will be discrete. This provides an environment where people can truly open up and talk about what is in their hearts. The first time Lena met with this group there were 3 women who attended. For the second meeting, those 3 invited 5 others and the group increased to 8 ladies. Lena told them the story of the woman at the well. She emphasized that only J can provide living water. These ladies told Lena that they want to know more about why J is the only one who can provide s@lvation. We are pr@ying that J will be exalted in these ladies‘ hearts. 

Silas has started Kindergarden. Simeon will be starting pre school where he will be working with a speech therapist everyday. 

Pr@yer Requests:

1. I will be traveling to South Asia in two weeks. Please pr@y that I would have a safe and smooth journey.    
2. My mother will be visiting us in a few weeks. Please pr@y for our safety as we travel.
3. Pr@y for our training groups. Pr@y G0d would do great and wondrous things through those we are investing in.    

Lena and I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and pr@yers. The Father has been doing some great things in our lives. Last month I had the opportunity to fly to Spain to spend some time with a brother and a sister in the L0rd. It was a wonderful time of iron sharpening iron. During this trip, the Father spoke to me and encouraged me. The timing of this privilege was perfect considering we are beginning a new work. We now have the proper confidence and motivation that is required to tackle our task with determination. I am so thankful to our Father for this time of encouragement.

Since we moved in February, I have been trying to discern what it is the L0rd wants us to focus on. We have been working on a strategy that would be beneficial to the fellowships that are trying to reach diaspora peoples. We are convinced that an “oikos” strategy is the best way of pursuing our goal of become catalysts for Kingdom growth. “Oikos” is the Greek word for household. An “oikos” strategy suggests that the most natural conduit for the g0spel are networks of families and friends. These networks are tapped through small groups. These groups function by loving one another, by worshipping the Father, by listening to the Father (through his word), and by reaching out. Each member of the group is encouraged and held accountable to reach out to his own “oikos.” These groups focus on increasing through the concept of multiplication. We are looking to use this oikos strategy within local fellowships. These organic groups would meet and minister through the week. On Sundays, all these groups come together for a joint w0rship meeting. I have been talking to various p@stors in and around our city to see if there is any interest in such an approach. I have found two p@stors who are super excited about it and want to start soon. One of these men also runs a television production. His programs are seen all around the world. He is connected to several people throughout Europe who are living in the midst of diaspora populations. I hope to start meeting with these people to see what the Father is doing in their lives and what I can do to help and support them.

We also began attending a Saturday meeting at one of our local fellowships. Our hearts have been blessed by what we have seen. This group begins at 9 pm. The group itself is made up of about 35 South Asian people. Out of the 35, only 10 would claim to follow J. They start the meeting by studying through a story about J. All the teaching is in the local South Asian language. After the teaching they transition into a time of w0rship. The w0rship time is incredible. It is simple yet powerful. It is clear that those in attendance are being deeply moved by the Spirit. The meeting is concluded with intense pr@ying. They usually finish around 3 am.

There is a volunteer team coming from the States in July to help us with some work. They are being tasked to enter the community and find people who are open to spiritual matters and content. We are looking to find 2-3 solid prospects through their work. The Father does not need a large army to effect change. Great things can happen through small victories.

Pr@yer Requests:
That the L0rd would allow us to become fruitful through these small groups. May the Father do a great work that would bring honor to His name.
That our partnerships with local p@stors would strengthen. That we would encourage them. That we would be used as instruments of grace in their fellowships and communities. Also pray that we could continue to find new partners who are ready and willing to be used by our Father.
We have a volunteer team coming in a few weeks. Pray that the L0rd would use them in a mighty way.
Pray that our children would continue to grow and become strong. We are looking at the possibility of moving to South Asia for a few months. There are some pending heath concerns to take into consideration before we commit. We are trusting that over the course of the next year that our children will out grow some of these health concerns.

Over the past 6 years, Lena and I have moved 15 times. Some of these moves have required selling everything and moving to another country. Others have only required us to shift across town. Just recently, we have relocated once again. We have moved from the East part of our city to the West. Moving is a challenging process, but we face these transitions with joy because of our confidence in the Father’s love for us and for the South Asian peoples. We are starting over in a new community. We are identifying the various people groups that surround us and are developing strategies for how to reach out to them. We are also focusing on connecting with local partners so that we might become a catalyst for others to start participating in d*sciple making.

Moving has not been the only change that has taken place recently. We also have a new team member in our city and a new supervisor. We got to meet with our new team at a conference in South East Asia back in January. It was a wonderful time of encouragement and vision casting. Our leadership has introduced us to some new concepts that are helping us to see more clearly how kingdom growth takes place. Seeing the big picture is helping us to better identify specifics ways for how to tackle the task before us. We are looking forward to implementing these concepts in the upcoming year.

Lena has had some great opportunities to encourage a local South Asian fellowship. She has been training several ladies on how to share their f@ith using henna storying. Henna is a dye that is used to draw designs on the hands. Henna stories incorporate Asian inspired designs so that key concepts from Scr*pture can be proclaimed. These ladies have been using the stories to tell their friends and family about our Father. They also want to start inviting their friends and family to “henna parties” at their ch*rch and in their homes. It is encouraging to see these ladies get excited about sharing their f@ith.    

Simeon has been to the hospital several times lately. At one point he was in the hospital for 6 days. He has been having some issues breathing. His last trip to the hospital was at the end of January. Since then he has been doing much better. Lena has been giving him breathing treatments on a daily basis at home.

Overall, we are in great spirits and are looking forward to the future. We are so thankful for all of our friends and family who keep us in their pr@yers. Praise be to our Father who is our tower of refuge and strength.

Pr@yer Resquests:
1. That we would be able to connect with some new partners who are looking for ways to reach out to the South Asian communities.
2. That the partnership Jennifer has with the ladies she has been training will develop and become fruitful.
3. Please continue to pr@y for our family’s spiritual and physical well being.

Praise be to our Father who takes care of us in the midst of the storm. Many of you are probably already aware that our organization is going through some big changes. We are in a financial crisis. Currently, we are not receiving enough financial assistance to be able to support all of our workers. As a result, our company has begun working on reducing our workforce. We have been told that they are going to be reducing the workforce by 600 to 900 personnel. Obviously, this new development has required many to make some very difficult decisions. A voluntary retirement incentive has been offered to those who qualify. The next step will be looking to those who feel that the Father is leading them to go back to the USA. Those who are led to return to the USA will step down voluntarily. Those who voluntarily resign will be faced with the difficult process of integrating back into life in America. They will return without jobs, homes, cars, and many other basic necessities. A transition team has been set up to help returning workers get what they need for the shift. Many chu*rches in the States are rising to the occasion and offering support to those in need. I was asked by our affinity leadership to include the following statement in my latest update: 

How to help returning m’s

South Asian Peoples is part of the global transition of m’s back to the USA.  We are thankful to the many who have sacrificially served and are thankful to S0uthern B@ptists for their ongoing, sacrificial support.  Our organization has received generous offers from S0uthern B@ptists of housing, employment opportunities, vehicles, counseling and other practical expressions of support from individuals, churches, associations, state conventions, WMU, seminaries and other partners.   As you and your ch*rch pr@y, and as you identify practical expressions of support, would you please let us know?  Our organization’s transition team wants to streamline and centralize this information in order to best serve our personnel as they adjust to life and m*nistry in the U.S. Every offer of support can be sent to transitionteam@imb.org. We ask your prayers for these individuals and their stateside families & churches as transitions to USA begin.  For more information: ( http://imb.org/updates/storyview-3527.aspx#.VgGCVrSiBTU )         

Please continue to be in pr@yer for our organization as we move forward during these challenging days. 

I would like to briefly fill you all in on what has been going on in our lives recently. We had two teams from the States come in the summer to help us with various projects in our city. The first group that came brought a student choir of 250 people. They organized a concert at one of our local schools. We canvassed the community and exposed the team to the different people groups in our area. We had a small turn out for the event, but that was understandable considering it was during the month of R@madan. The second team came from my home ch*rch in Tennessee. They helped us run our annual Holiday Club. Our Holiday Club ran for five days and we had a high attendance of nearly 60 children. Each evening we would go to our local park and m*nister to the community through games, songs, crafts, face painting, and various other forms. During our closing program we had 80-90 people in attendance. Many people heard the good news this summer, and many were exposed to work among South Asians for the first time. 

Since the summer, I have been working with one gentleman who I am particularly excited about. He is a South Asian man who came to f@ith several years ago. We have been meeting regularly for B*ble studies. His love for the W0rd is very apparent. Each time we meet we have wonderful conversations about the Father and how to serve him. The L0rd has been using him to reach out to his family. He gives me regular updates of the exciting conversations he has been having with his family. Please keep Roger in your pr@ayers and lift him up as often as you think of him.

We have also been working on building new relationships and improving on old ones. We have been learning a lot about how to connect with people in our city. We have been implementing these lessons with much success. I have found myself being able to access many homes that previously would have been unapproachable. We praise the father for this progress. Getting into the homes provides us with much better opportunities for communicating truth. Please continue to pr@y for open doors and new opportunities. Also pr@y that we would recognize opportunities when they are set before us.  

Additional Pr@yer Requests:

1. Simeon has been going to speech specialists who instruct us on how to get him up to speed on his communication. Simeon is almost 3 years old and he barely speaks a word. Please pr@y for him and us as he develops in this area. 
2. Please pr@y for unity and an anointing of the Spirit as we work with local bel*evers. 
3. Please pr@y that we would find more people who are open to regularly meeting to discuss the things of the Father.       

Grace to you and peace in the name of our Father.

Praise the L0rd for His goodness to us over the past few months. At the beginning of the year we moved into a new house. It was a lot of work, but we are in a better location now than what we were previously. It is a better home for our family and m*nistry. We have a lot more space. The extra room helps us because we use our home a lot for m*nistry. We are also closer to the people we work with on a daily basis. Because we are closer, we are better able to connect and build relationships with those around us. The L0rd has allowed us to build strong relationships and partnerships with those in our local area. Overall, the Father has been giving us greater insight into connecting with people and building a community friends. Building a community can be quite challenging in our city due to the hesitation some have of making new friends. We have been using this cultural reality to our advantage lately. In the face of such cultural boundaries, we chose to be counter cultural. As I walk around my neighborhood, I make a point to greet as many as I can with a smile. Some people smile back and say hello, while others refuse to acknowledge me. Regardless of their reaction, I continue to greet them as often as I see them. This works to our advantage because those we reach out to see that we are friendly. Our friendliness make us less intimidating. It also communicates to them that we are open to a relationship. This may not seem like anything special to some, but it is when you are m*nistering in a neighborhood where people isolate themselves. How would you feel if you moved to a neighborhood in which no one would even make eye contact with you? They never say hello to you because you are different and are a follower of another religi0n. It would be difficult. The temptation would be to harden yourself against such treatment. It would be easy to reciprocate their hatefulness back towards them. But our Father calls us to be better than that. We are called to love those who hate us. Because of our calling, we are persistent. We seek to connect with and love those who would probably prefer we were not there in the first place. As we love them, there are those who begin to warm up to us. It begins with saying hello. Then we find ourselves having conversations with them outside their house. Next, we are being invited to their relative’s wedding. During this process we are looking for opportunities to share the g0spel with them. We invite them to activities at the Asian Friendship Center. We invite them to go on outings with us. We invite them into our home. And we invite them to our house fellowship. Eventually, some of those we reach out to find themselves within our circle of friends. We are looking to plug them into our community of bel*evers. They see the love we have for one another. They see the love we have for them. They get plugged in. They feel like they belong. They feel like they are apart of us. When this happens all kinds of incredible opportunities open up. When we boldly share the gospel with them they do not run away. They do not always agree with us, but at least they are willing to listen. And after listening they are willing to come back and be with us again. We are able to have an ongoing conversation with them.

We also had the opportunity to go to Southeast Asia at the beginning of the year for a meeting among our colleagues. We got to meet with our leadership and with others who are working among our people. We all stayed in a resort on the beach. It was a wonderfully refreshing time. After the meeting was over, we extended our stay for one additional week of vacation time. Upon returning to our city, Lena found out that her father was on his deathbed. Lena’s dad has been battling cancer for the past five years. The news of his condition came as a shock to us because we were told that his last report from his doctor was incredibly positive. The L0rd opened up the door for Lena to get some quick tickets from some close friends of ours to return to the United States to be with her father before he passed away. Lena arrived just in time to say one final goodbye to her dad. Lena was there to help take care of her Father during his last days on earth.        

We have been enjoying some warmer days recently. The summer brings with it many activities and tasks. We are going to make the most of the weather by being out and about with people. The E@ster holiday allowed us to throw a celebration party. We had over sixty people attend from our community party. They came and got to hear about the resurrecti0n of our L0rd. There are also going to be some teams coming from the States to help us do some outreach. Our home fellowship is going to be coming to help us with our yearly Holiday Club. The Holiday Club gives us the opportunity to share the good news with numerous children and adults. We are excited to see what doors the Father will open up and what He will accomplish for His glory in the days ahead.

Pr@yer Requests:
That we would meet people who are open to a relationship with us.
That we would have a greater number of people attend our house fellowship.
That our fellow bel*evers would take more responsibility for the growth of our fellowship.
That we would see people come to know the Father.
That the Father would use the volunteer teams that come to our city this summer in a powerful way.

Merry Christmas brothers and sisters in Chr*st J*sus. We hope that you all are having a wonderful holiday season. Our family is rejoicing as we w0rship our great Father. During the Christmas season we find ourselves thinking of loved ones and family. We also find ourselves thinking of our supporting ch*rches. We would like to express our appreciation to all of you for the awesome ways in which you support us. It is truly a blessing to know that we have a family who thinks about us and pr@ys for us. We are reminded of the L0ttie M00n Christmas 0ffering that is collected every year during the Christmas season. Thank you to all who participated in this offering this year. Your giving makes it possible for us and others around the world to be faithful to our calling.

The past few months have been eventful. We have been working with two local house fellowships. Many of our members have been fighting through various hardships. Several of our families have found themselves struggling financially. Others have had serious health concerns. In the midst of these challenges, we have been focusing on the greatness of the Father. It has been a blessing to watch our people grow in their trust and dependance. Lena and I found ourselves in a situation where we had to demonstrate our own dependance upon the Father. Our landlord told us that we had to move out of our home recently. This news hit us hard because it is difficult to find affordable housing that is suitable in our city. The housing market here is incredibly competitive and expensive. Our local family was troubled by the news that we were being asked to move. At first, we were feeling a bit anxious. However, the Father gave us peace. He reminded us that he is in control of our circumstances. He is faithful and can be trusted to work all thing together for the good of those who love Him. It was a joy to express this confidence in the Father to our local family. They could see that our encouragements to them to trust in the Father were not just lip service. It is important to not only preach the truth of Scr*pture, but our lives must also reflect the things we claim to believe. We all took our burdens and concerns to the Father. Every Friday night we meet together to pr@y. We have seen many of our pr@yers answered. One of our members received the good news that his cancer is in remission. Another person was given a significant amount of money for his mortgage while he was being threatened with foreclosure. Lena and I found an incredible new property that is perfect for our family. We have been teaching them that it is important to trust in the Father even when things seem bleak. Sometimes He brings difficult circumstances into our lives to teach us vital lessons.

The Father continues to open up doors for us to share our f@ith with others. This past week we threw a Christmas party and invited everyone from the community to attend. We had around 60 people in attendance. We sang songs, read Scr*pture, played games, and ate a meal. We also had a South Asian lady share her story of how she came to know the Father. I have imbedded a video in this post of a program we host at our local community center called Mirror of Truth. Mirror of Truth is a Christi@n/Musl*m dialogue in which we consider what the B*ble and the Qur@n have to say about various topics. This program gives us the opportunity to share our faith with those in attendance. In this particular audio clip, I am giving a presentation to two South Asian men about idolatry/shirk. My friend, who formerly was a follower of Isl@m, is helping me in this endeavor. Both of the men we are talking to are lawyers by profession. One of them is a Musl*m. The other man used to be a Musl*m but has since rejected the faith of his family and is searching for truth. Hopefully this clip will give you a small glimpse into the types of conversations we have with people.

The boys are doing well. Simeon has stopped nursing. Silas is super excited about Christmas. The Father has been good to our family. We trust that you all are experiencing the Father’s love and comfort during this holiday season.

Pr@yer Requests:
Pr@y for us as we move to our new home. Pr@y that the transition would go well.
Pr@y for our house fellowships. Pr@y that we would grow spiritually and numerically.
Pr@y for our community. Pr@y that the Father would do a might work in the hearts of those who live here.
Pr@y for us as we move into a new year of possibilities.                   

Telling others about the Father at Holiday Club

Ev@ngelism Training

Waiting in line for henna

Telling M*slims about the Father through henna

Henna Design

Simeon's Boo Boo

Fun at Leeds Castle

Praise the Father for his many blessings this summer. We trust that you all have had an eventful summer. Our summer has brought many new lessons and insights. We continue to grow in our new role here as we take on new responsibilities and as we meet new people. I have taken on the new role of director of our community center. I have also become a part of the leadership team here in our local fellowship. These two developments have kept me busy. The past two months have been filled with trainings and outre@ch. I have led 3 ev@ngelism trainings. Altogether, I trained around 60 people how to share their f@ith this summer. Several of these were South Asian bel*evers. We coupled these trainings with outre@ch activities. These activities have included parties at the park and a Holiday Club. Lena and I participated in 4 parties at the park over the past 2 months. These parties consist of various activities for the people of the community. Soccer, cricket, games, face painting, balloons, and henna drawings are among the types of activities that are offered during these parties. These events have been great for connecting with new people. Meeting new people in our city is not always easy. People are not accustomed to chatting with strangers for no apparent reason. It is easy enough to talk to new people, but to have a meaningful conversation without a basis for that conversation is rare. However, I have learned that these parties open up doors for conversations. People are attracted to the fun and friendliness. They open up and are more willing to talk about their personal lives. Such an environment is perfect for telling others about the good news. Lena has done a wonderful job of using her artistic gifts during these parties. She has been setting up henna drawing booths. She draws South Asian inspired art onto the hands and lower arms of women. These drawings have spiritual significance and are used to tell others about our Father. The ladies of the community have been going crazy over these drawings. There have even been heated arguments between women as they fuss over who gets to go next. One day, Lena gave henna drawings to around 60 women. Lena has utilized the popularity of these drawings to attract women to our community center. She is running a weekly activity for women called Tea Time. Most recently she made it known that henna drawings will be offered during Tea Time. There were 11 women who showed up the first week after making this announcement. This increase has been encouraging for us considering perviously there were only 2-3 women attending each week. Our expectation is that Tea Time will continue to grow and will open up doors to make connections so that the good news might be proclaimed. Our team also hosted a Holiday Club last week. This club took place over five days. We offered games, crafts, dramas, snacks, and sports to the children of our community. The end of each day was capped off with a B*ble story. On the final day we hosted a closing program. During the final program their was a talent show for the children and a meal. At the end of the closing program the p@stor of our fellowship stood and told our guests the g0spel. In total, we had around 65 children/teens attend and approximately 20 adults. This is incredible when you consider that 95% of those in attendance were M*slim. 

On a personal note, the Brown household is doing well. There were a few things that happened to us over the summer that is worth mentioning. First, Silas is officially potty trained. Needless to say, his parents are very proud of him. Second, Simeon took a bad fall at the park. He was running around near a park bench and tripped. On his way down he hit his forehead on a sharp corner of the bench. Blood gushed out everywhere. There were several M*slim women around us at the park that day. They were very caring as we attended to this crisis. We took him to the local urgent care clinic and they patched him up. It seems that Simeon’s accident has not slowed him down any. He is still just as silly as ever. Third, we were able to take some vacation time. We got to visit Oxford and Leeds Castle. We plan on going to Paris in the near future.

Pr@yer Requests:

Pr@y for those who have received ev@ngelism training over the past two months. Our hope is that they will use what they have been taught to more actively share the good news.

Pr@y for those who have heard the g0spel recently through our team’s efforts. Many seeds were planted over the summer. Our desire is that we would see the fruit of our labor.

Pr@y for Lena’s Tea Time. We think that this m*nistry could open the door for many women to come to know the Father.

We have several people who will be leaving our team in the near future. One of our key families will be going back to the States to raise funds. They will be gone for six months. Our p@stor will be moving on to a ch*rch plant elsewhere in our country. Losing these key people will make staffing events more difficult. Please pr@y for us as we learn to press on without them.                          

We will be applying for a new visa soon. If granted we will have another 3 years in our city. Pr@y that the visa process would proceed smoothly.

We found out the other day that when our 12 month lease expires in Feb that we will have to find a new place to live. Pr@y that a suitable place for our f@mily and ministry would open up for us.

*Picture of E@ster Party

Greetings from Europe! We hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful Spring weather. The Father has been blessing us with some great days filled with sunshine. He has also been blessing us with some wonderful opportunities. I got to attend a workshop recently on how to train and d*sciple new bel*evers. The workshop was led by a man who had worked for years in East Asian and who had seen an unbelievable amount of fruit. It was a wonderful time of being reminded of the Father’s love for the lost. At the center of his m*nistry was the importance of making d*sciples. His approach for making d*sciples was focusing on training that was obedience based. This obedience based training led to action which led to an unbelievable amount of reproduction. These reports are especially incredible when one considers the hostile environment that this movement took place in. I plan on implementing many of the principles that I learned from this training in our work here in our city.

There was a university student that came over from the States this past month to help our team out. He is finishing up his degree at school which requires some overseas cultural exposure. He chose to meet this requirement for his degree by coming to our city and working among the South Asian peoples here. Although he had received training on how to talk to people about the f@ith, I was able to train him in a specific approach on talking to people of various religi0us backgrounds that has been practiced successfully and fruitfully in a number of hostile environments around the world. I was greatly encouraged by how easily he picked up the training and how successfully he implemented it in our community. He got into a number of great conversations with several young M*slim men. I am going to be training a small group of men in this exact ev@ngelistic approach at the beginning of next month. If my friend’s success with this approach is any indication of how well others will respond to it then I am extremely optimistic about next month’s training.

Our team’s house fellowships continue to show promise. We continue to have unbel*evers and new people attend. There has been an Asian M*slim couple who has attended our meeting on several occasions. We had a S*kh brother and sister attend. Everyone seems to really be enjoying our time in the W0rd, in w0rship, and in pr@yer. Every week the Father is blessing our meetings. We also saw one H*ndu man (Sanjay-pseudonym) make a profession of f@ith recently. One of my m*nistry partners here has been sharing the g0spel with Sanjay for over ten years. A few weeks ago, Sanjay was having a very bad day. My partner was able to help him work through his issues and lead him to the Father. We are hoping to get Sanjay plugged into our weekly meetings.    

We threw an E@ster Party at our local community center on E@ster Sunday. We had over 50 people attend from the local community. Most of those who attended were from an Isl@mic background. During the party we played games, socialized, sang pr@ise songs, pr@yed, and ate a meal. There was also a g0spel message delivered. I have to admit I was shocked that so many people showed up for this party. Many of these attend because of our team’s children’s m*nstry. Once a month our team organizes a “Fun Day” for the kids in our community. We organize games and activities and then invite everyone to come participate. Many are familiar with us because of our presence in the community. People then attend our special events because they respect what we do throughout the year. We praise our Father who is able to do above and beyond what we might expect.  

We also led and facilitated several successful Christi@n/M*slim dialogues. Twice a month we invite the people of our community to meet together for a discussion about the Father. A speaker selects a topic and then presents it to the group. The past two subjects have been “Sh@ria Law in Europe” and “G0d’s Unchanging W0rd.” Both topics provided for fierce discussion. These meetings can get intense. So much so that I have a difficult time sleeping at night after these meetings. I was the presenter during our last meeting. I pointed out that both the B*ble and the Qur@n teach that G0d’s W0rd cannot be changed. This truth is problematic for the M*slim because their book teaches that the teachings of J*sus are G0d’s W0rd. However, they do not believe in J*sus‘ W0rds in the B*bile because they claim that His W0rd has been changed by Christi@ns. I proposed that they cannot hold to this position because their book teaches that the W0rd cannot be changed. If the W0rd cannot be changed then J*sus‘ W0rds cannot be changed either because they are considered to be G0d’s W0rds. Therefore, the B*ble must contain the actual W0rds of J*sus. Those in attendance were given the opportunity to ask me questions and challenge my view after my presentation. The M*slims in our city can be very intellectual. They can ask some very difficult questions. They like to make bel*evers appear to be foolish. When I was studying b*bilical criticism in semin@ry I did not think that I was going to have to deal with it very often. To my surprise, I find myself constantly answering objections to our f@ith that have been borne out of b*blical criticism here working with M*slims. The Father gave me a sharp mind and a quick tongue that evening. I felt like the Father gave me the ability to answer all of their objections in a loving and accurate fashion.            

On a personal note, everyone in the Brown household is doing well. The boys are keeping Jennifer extremely busy. Silas and Simeon are happy and healthy.

Pr@yer Requests:
1. For the ev@ngelism training that I will be leading next month. Pr@y that those who participate will pick up the training and get excited about sharing their f@ith.
2. For those who have heard and for those who will hear the g0spel through our team’s efforts. Pr@y that the Father would use His W0rd and Spirit to transform those who hear.
3. For Sanjay. Pr@y that he would walk with the Father.
4. For our house fellowships. Pr@y that we would see the Father establish some powerful fellowships in the midst of our community.

We had a great meeting last month with our supervisors and with our partners. Our Father blessed us and gave us a spirit of unity as we all considered what our Father would have us do during our first year in our city. We have two major projects that we are working on. First, we have started a fellowship in our home. We are meeting in our home every other week. So far, we have only met twice. We are looking to establish several house fellowships in our community. At the present moment, there are two different groups meeting. One group meets at our house, and the other group meets in a house on the other side of the community. The house meetings that we have led and have attended have been a blessing. The meetings are very simple but incredibly powerful. We pr@y, w0rship, study the Word, and fellowship. A South Asian family attended last week and brought a friend with them who was visiting from South Asia. There was also a middle eastern couple who attended. We are excited to see what our Father is going to do in this community through these house meetings. One of the reasons why these house fellowships are apart of our outreach strategy is because those in our community are told not to go to ch*rch. If it was discovered that they had been to ch*rch then they would face ridicule. However, it is less risky to go to a house meeting because they are not going to a formal service. Rather, they are simply coming to my house. I tell those who I invite that we meet together to pr@y, to study the Word of our Father, and to enjoy each others’ company. My hope is that the Spirit would move in the hearts of those who attend our meetings. Our second major project will be offering training with the intention of mobilizing those who want to make an impact. These trainings will consist of weekly meetings in which strategies for ev@ngelism are taught, modeled, and encouraged. Each week, participants of these trainings will set goals for themselves and will report their weekly ev@ngelistic activities.

Lena and I had a lot of wonderful opportunities to share the g0spel last month. I would like for you all to lift up one man in particular. I led a Christi@n/M*slim dialogue in a local community center last month. The topic I chose to present to the group was the necessity of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. One of the M*slims in this group has taken a liking to me. I will refer to him by the name Khan. Khan invited me over to his house for dinner and discussion. While I was at his house, I spent well over two hours answering all his objections to Christi@nity. Khan is an educated man, so his objections were well informed. Please pr@y that the Father would open up Khan’s heart to the truth that is right in front of him.

Our family is doing great. Silas and Simeon are happy and growing. Simeon started walking last month. He seems to be very content now that he can walk around and get into trouble. Overall, we feel tremendously blessed to be here and we are excited about what the Father is teaching us and about what He is going to do in this community.

Pr@yer Requests:
Pr@yer that our house fellowships would grow and that the Father would bless our meetings.
Pr@y that the father would raise up bel*evers who would desire training from us so that we could help people to become more proficient at sharing the g0spel.
Pr@y for those who we come into contact with on a weekly basis. May the Father open up their hearts as we share the truth with them.
Pr@y that the Father would open up doors for us to build positive relationships with those in the community in which we live.
Lena has started a “Mum’s and Tot’s” group. This group provides mothers with young children the opportunity to socialize with others like them. Pr@y that the community would be responsive to this new group.                   

Our Second Term Begins

We are back in our city and are looking forward to serving our Father for another term overseas. Our time in the USA was refreshing. We got to spend a lot of quality time with our families and with our churches. Right before we were scheduled to return for our second term, I received an invitation to become a staff member from a fellowship in the midwest. I initially accepted the position after much pr@yer, but after a few weeks in the new position my calling became evident. The Father pricked my heart and I knew that our place was in our city overseas. This sense of calling was further confirmed by the thoughts and feelings of Lena. Our second term has begun and we are looking forward to what our Father has in store. If fact, we have already seen Him move in a mighty way as we were looking for housing. Upon arrival, our first task and most pressing concern was finding housing. Finding property to rent in our city can be challenging. The market is very competitive and properties turn over very quickly. Everyone is looking for a good deal. To make matters more challenging, I had to find housing within a very specific area. I registered with multiple estate agents in the local area in hopes that something decent would open up. During the first few days, I was having a hard time even getting agents to show me property. I was starting to think that it was going to take several weeks for something to open up. Then I received a phone call from one of the estate agents that I had contacted. He told me there was a house for rent within our desired area but that it was outside of our price range. He took me to the house for a viewing where I met the property owner. I learned that the owner has been preparing herself to move to South Asia. I told her that I used to live in SA with my family. We then had a very pleasant conversation about traveling and tips for living in SA. Upon returning to the estate agent’s office I was asked to make an offer. The offer that I made was significantly less than what the property owner was asking for. I really did not think that she would even considerate it. To my surprise, she was willing to take the offer. She said that she liked the idea of our family staying at her house and she was willing to accept less money. PTL! We will be moving into our new house at the beginning of February. Now we can begin to turn our attention to our main task. Over the next several weeks we will be formulating a vision for the future. Please be in pr@yer for us during this time. Our desire is that we would be effective and that the activities that we involve ourselves in would make an impact. Having a solid vision is a key component to being effective. May the Father lead, guide, and direct all our future plans.

On a personal note, we look forward to celebrating Simeon’s first birthday soon. It is hard to believe that Simeon is already one year old. Silas‘ third birthday is also just right around the corner. The Father has blessed our family with these two little ones. Please pr@y that our children would adjust well to their new environment and that the Father would bless them and cause them to excel.      

Pr@yer Requests:

1. For a solid vision inspired by the Father as we set out to work with the needy people in our city.
2. That our children would adjust well to their new environment.
3. That we would work well with our new team.
4. That we would be able to forge strong relationships with the South Asians in our community.
5. That we would share the good news with boldness and power. 

Simeon Says Hello

Simeon is Here!

Our new baby boy has finally arrived. Simeon was born on January 17 at 6:55am. We could not be more pleased with how this pregnancy turned out. We have been requesting pr@yer for Lena's pregnancy for several months now. Our major concerns were that Lena would be able to carry Simeon until he was fully mature and that the delivery would be without mishap. Praise be to our Father for His faithfulness. Simeon was born healthy and happy on his due date. Our thanks goes out to all those who lifted us up to the Father. We also had the pleasure of celebrating Silas' second birthday this month.

We have been extraordinarily busy recently. I have been making all of the final preparations for our return to the States next month. We look forward to returning to the States so that we can spend some time with all of our friends and family.

Pr@yer Requests:
1. Lift up our upcoming travels to the USA. Pr@y that we would be able to make adequate preparations for our return so that we can optimize our time with friends and family.
2. Pr@y that Simeon's passport would be returned to us in a timely manner.
3. Pr@y for us as we say goodbye to the friends we have made in our city and transition into another city and task.
4. Pr@y that we would be able to represent our work to fellowships in the USA in a way that would honor our Father.  

Silas' second Christmas! 

Silas' cool new remote control car 

Lena at 37 weeks

Happy New Year! We trust that everyone had a blessed holiday season. Lena and I took some vacation time during the holidays. We also celebrated our 10 year anniversary on December 29. We thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas season and are ready to take on the new year. Lena began experiencing some acute discomfort due to contractions on the eve of our anniversary. We were told at the hospital that Lena has entered into the early phases of labor. Jennifer could enter into active labor at anytime. Simeon’s due date is January 18, 2013. We are ready for our new baby boy to arrive.

Earlier in the month of December, I spent time away from Lena with a m*nistry partner in the city a few hours south of our current residence. I spent several days assisting him with different projects in an inner city M*slim community. I met a lot of new people and I was able to get a better idea of the projects we might be apart of when we return to Europe for our second term.  

Pr@yer Requests:

Pr@y for the remainder of Lena’s pregnancy. Pr@y that the Father would protect her and baby Simeon from any harm that could result from complications. Pray that the Father would fill Lena with courage, determination, and peace as she faces the trials of child labor.   

Merry Christmas! We hope you all are having a blessed holiday season. Lena and I have been enjoying ourselves so far. We have been able to finish up several tasks that pertain to our apprentice term. We have even finished up our final apprentice projects. Lena submitted her final language evaluation for assessment. I was able to complete two seminary courses. Now, we are mostly waiting for Christmas and for the birth of our new baby boy. Lena is currently 34 weeks pregnant. Lena’s pregnancy continues to progress well. We are grateful for all those who have been keeping her in their pr@yers. We cannot wait until baby Simeon gets here. Not only do we have the new baby to look forward to, but we are also looking forward to coming back to the States for our first stateside assignment. We will be flying back to the United States around March 18, 2013. We will have 6 months to enjoy being with our family and our ch*rches. We have served overseas now for approximately 3 years (excluding the 5 weeks we spent in the States back in 2011 due to visa issues). We are looking forward to seeing everyone. I am sure that Silas and Simeon will be excited also. 

You guys may remember me reporting a few months ago about 3 South Asian men who pr@yed to receive J and were b@ptized. I lost contact with these men because they moved away from us shortly after coming to J. I got to see one of these men a few weeks ago and I discovered from him that he had taken a trip back to his home in South Asia. Little did he know that a M*slim from our community had made a phone call back to South Asia to spread a bunch of ugly rumors about him. Upon arriving in South Asia, our brother was beaten up, disowned by his family (including wife and children), and accused of blasphemy (irreverence towards the pr*phet Moh*mmad). The penalty for blasphemy in his country ranges from a fine to the death sentence. Our brother returned to Europe after suffering this persecution and applied for asylum. Our Father spoke to me when I learned about what had happened to this man. I was very disturbed by how his family abandoned him due to his newfound f@ith. There is nothing worse that can happen to an Asian man than to be cast out of his family. There is nothing more important to an Asian than family. It is very difficult for an Asian to survive once he is disowned. The family is one’s sole support system for dealing with all of life’s challenges. To lose one’s family is to lose everything. Western families often maintain close relationships, but Asian families rely upon one another for survival. However, if a member of the family decides to reject Isl@m then that person is seen as a traitor and is treated as an outcast unless he decides to return to Isl@m. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to be treated as an outcast by your wife, children, parents, and siblings? As I considered our brother’s predicament, our Father reminded me that those of us who belong to him are apart of a bigger and more important family than merely an earthly one. I encouraged our brother with these words. I told him that I am his brother and that I will do everything I can to introduce him to his other brothers and sisters who know our Father. I told him that he is far from being alone. In fact, he has a bigger family now than what he ever did before. If M*slims are threatening one another with disownment to ensure that their people will not have the freedom to determine their own beliefs then how dedicated should we be to providing for those who have been abandoned? I also had to come to terms with the effect of our ministry among M*slim people. If we are going to encourage others to become followers of J then we must also be ready to provide support if they are disowned. The best case scenario would be a new believer being able to maintain a relationship with his family regardless of his new f@ith. Maintaining a relationship with one’s family provides a bridge over which the g0spel can cross resulting in salvation. However, new bel*evers are often unable to maintain such a relationship due to their family’s intolerant reaction. Leaving these brothers alone and in destitution is simply not an option. This brother eventually became homesick and he desperately wanted to return to his home country. He bought a plane ticket before I could even talk to him about his decision to return. I accompanied him to the airport and a group of us pr@yed for him before he left. My pr@yer for him is that he will not compromise his f@ith. I also pr@y that he will be able to reconcile with his family.  

I met another bel*ever this month who came from a M*slim background. I soon learned that this man had been living the past several months in a tent beside a local canal. I was shocked to learn that this brother was highly educated. In fact, he holds a Master of Engineering degree. He shared with me how he came to believe in J. He had some friends who were telling him about salvation, but he dismissed everything that they told him. One night he had a dream about J. J was pr@ying with him in his dream, but He was not facing M*cca and pr@ying in the positions that M*slims typically use when they pray. This dream caused our brother to start doubting what he had been taught about J. He later pr@yed to receive J for salvation. After coming to faith, his family disowned him. He has been living on his own for quite a while now. He could not find a job because he has no connections. I only got to work with this man for a couple of days because he was in the process of relocating. I tried to help him retrieve the tent that he had been sleeping in. We drove out into the countryside and parked along side the road. Then we hiked out beside a canal that had overflowed due to flooding. We trudged along in the mud for awhile before we all decided to leave the tent behind and we turned back around. I could not image living in a tent for as long as he did. You do not want to live in a tent in this country. In the winter it is bone chilling cold and it is constantly raining. I was told that this brother had spent the night in a M0sque a few days before I met him. I was told that he was considering going back to Isl@m because he was so lonely and destitute. Once again, I asked myself what are we doing to support former M*slims who have been disowned from their families. I do not believe that we are representing our Father well when our brothers are living beside canals in tents in the freezing rain when their only crime was listening to the message we came to bring them. 

Christmas is a wonderful seasons for many reasons. One of the reasons it is so special for S0uthern B@ptists is because of the L0ttie M0on Christmas 0ffering. This 0ffering provides us with the opportunity to contribute to the work that the Father is accomplishing in the world through the many workers who are with our company. The Gre@t C0mmission is a responsibility that we all share as children of our Father. Not all of us are called to go, but all of us are called to participate. If your calling is to pr@y and give for the task then please do so with a generous and joyful heart. In this blog entry I am going to include a link to a tool that will help you participate in what our Father is doing. It is call “10 Days of Sacrifice.” Please go to the following link: http://willyoucare.org/10-days/. After you have clinked on this link, look for a graphic on this page that resembles a book and says “10 Days of Sacrifice” in orange and click on it. Clinking on this graphic will take you to a downloadable PDF document. Study this document and commit to making a small sacrifice for the millions of unreached people in South Asia.

Pr@yer Requests:

1. Pr@y for the brother that I mentioned in this blog entry who flew back to South Asia to be with his family earlier this month. Pr@y that he would not be ashamed of the g0spel. Pr@y that his f@mily would be more tolerant of his decision to follow J. Pr@y that the relationship he has with his family would serve as a g0spel bridge resulting in salvation.
2. Pr@y for the brother that I mentioned in this blog entry who was living in a tent. Pr@y that he would not be ashamed of the g0spel. Pr@y that he would be able to find employment so that he can provide for himself. Pr@y that he would find a good ch*rch who would surround him with love and support. Pr@y that our Father would use him in a mighty way to testify about the greatness of J.                                    
3. Pr@y for Lena’s pregnancy and upcoming delivery. Pr@y that our Father would grant a healthy delivery for Lena and baby Simeon.
4. Pr@y for the L0ttie M0on Christmas 0ffering. Pr@y that the Father would use what his children give to expand His Kingdom.  

Pictures of Silas

Our apprentice term is starting to come to a close. We only have 4.5 months left before we prepare ourselves to return to the United States. We are currently in the process of finishing up our final projects and of receiving our final evaluations. Our time of working in Europe has definitely been an eye opening experience. The opposition to the g0spel here has been a major challenge to our work. Many people not only reject the g0spel, but they also oppose the message of J. Some would even go so far as to say that our message is evil. The opposition seems to come from both the adherents of Isl@m and Atheism. From the perspective of Isl@m, J was merely a prophet. They reject the concept that J is G0d and that he died on the cr0ss for s*ns. Therefore, when we teach that J died for s*ns and that he is worthy of w0rship then we are committing the s*n of idolatry. Chr*stian missi0naries, according to Isl@m, are leading people away from the true path and onto the path of eternal condemnation.  Atheists, on the other hand, believe that we are inconveniencing people's lives by trying to persuade them of something that has no basis in reality. They believe that our views are oppressive and harmful to mankind. They also like to point to the many woes that religi0n has brought to the world. You might be able to imagine how people who hold to these perspectives respond to us when we approach them with our message. Not all Atheists or M*slims hold a position that is this strong against our message, but there are a significant number who do. Reaching out in such an environment is naturally challenging, but that does not mean that the Father is not working in people's lives here. We saw a South Asian man pr@y to receive J this week. This man just recently moved to Europe in order to go to school. He connected with us shortly after arriving. He comes from a Chr*stian background and he was raised in ch*rch, but he came to the conclusion that his f*ith was not personal. We talked him through how one can receive the forgiveness of s*n and the acceptance of the Father. He immediately wanted to pr@y to receive J. Our hope for him is that he will continue to open himself up to d*scipleship. It would be wonderful to see him become a fruit bearing Chr*stian.

Lena's pregnancy continues to progress well. She is 29 weeks pregnant as of today. We are hoping that we can keep baby Simeon in the oven for 11 more weeks.  

Pr@yer Requests:
1. That Lena's pregnancy would continue to progress well.
2. That this new South Asian believer would continue to desire closeness with the Father and would develop into a fruit bearing Chr*stian.
3. That we would continue to meet people who are ready to receive J and who will develop into leaders.                

Lena and I have been very busy the past several weeks. We continue to place ourselves in the paths of those in our community. We go out every week and meet new people. I have learned that getting out and making an effort to meet new people is half the battle in being an obedient witness. It is always tempting to shut yourself away from the rest of the world, but if you do not place yourself in the lives of others then it is impossible to impact their lives. I remind myself every week that I may not build up the courage to share the g0spel even if I go out into the community for ev@ngelism, but if I put myself in the path of others then I am at least positioning myself where the Father can open up doors for me. If we never position ourselves in people's lives then it is certain that we will never share with anyone. I have also found that when I position myself in people's lives that the Father usually gives me the grace and the courage to be able to talk to them about s@lvation. When we make the decision to place ourselves in the community for ev@ngelism then the Father opens up doors and gives us the courage to walk through those doors. The Father opened up several doors for us this past month to have good conversations with others. We were also blessed to have an ev@ngelist from South Asia come and spend some time with us. He assisted us in talking to several M*slims about J.

Lena's pregnancy continues to progress well. She has two doctor check ups coming up this month. Silas also continues to progress well. We all had the opportunity to take a vacation recently. We traveled to several locations and got to see many of the sites that we have wanted to visit since we arrived in Europe.       

Pr@yer Resquests:

1. That Lena's pregnancy would continue to progress well.

2. Pr@y for those who we come into contact with. We need the power of our Father as we reach out to people.

3. That we would come into contact with those who are ready and willing to become leaders for the cause of J. 

Silas is going to be a Big Brother!

This morning we found out that we are going to be having a baby boy! It looks like Silas is going to have a new little friend to play with and his name will be Simeon. We feel so blessed that our Father is giving us an addition to our family. We cannot wait for Simeon to get here. We want to hold him in our arms and introduce him to his big brother. Our pr@yer for him is that he will be mighty in the strength of our Father. Please continue to pr@y that Lena's pregnancy will develop smoothly. During her check up today she was told that her pulse was slightly elevated. The doctor said it was nothing to be concerned with at this point, but it is something that we will be keeping an eye on.

August was an encouraging month for us. Several doors opened for us to share the g*spel with different people. It is so interesting to talk with M*slims about our f@ith in J. It is a challenging process, but it is also joyful in that one gets to see how the truth of J shines forth in the darkness. I am continuing to develop a relationship with Caleb. Caleb told me the other day that he wants to serve our Father with all his heart. I am meeting with him on a weekly basis. Mostly, I am helping him work out the many questions he has about his f@ith. He rubs shoulders with university students on a daily basis and he has conversations with them about our Father. The questions they raise causes Caleb to struggle. I feel that the best way to help him is by teaching him about the very foundations of our f@ith. I believe that the Father has been blessing our time together.

Pr@yer Requests:

1. Pr@y that Lena's pregnancy would continue to develop smoothly and that her elevated heart rate would not develop into something serious.
2. Pr@y that Caleb would continue to be strengthened and that he would develop into a leader.
3. Pr@y for those who we come into contact with. We desperately need the power of our Father as we reach out to people.        

A BIG SURPRISE

Lena and I were shocked to discover a few months ago that we are going to be having another child. We could not believe it at first, but after 3 pregnancy tests we began to accept the fact that our Father has decided to bless us for a second time. Lena is currently 16 weeks pregnant. If all goes well then we will have our second addition to the family around January 18, 2013. So far, Lena's pregnancy has been healthy. We are very grateful that all seems to be developing without complications. We would appreciate your pr@yers as you think of Lena. Pr@y specifically that Lena's blood pressure would remain under control throughout the duration of her entire pregnancy. Pr@y for a safe delivery and for a healthy baby. Our Father has been blessing us in more ways than one recently. We had several volunteers come from the States this summer to help reach out to the local community in our city. It was wonderful having them around all summer. Through their efforts, I met a South Asian student who is a new b*liever named Caleb. I met with him a couple of times this past month. He told me that he grew up in a Chr*stian family in South Asia, but he was never serious about his fa*th. He described how those Chr*stians that he grew up with were very relig*ous, but they did not truly care about the Father. He told me that he has recently been b*rn again and it has totally changed him. He has expressed to me that he has a desire to share his fa*th with others. I am hoping that he is willing to meet with me on a regular basis for training, encouragement, and accountability. I believe that the Father could use him in a mighty way if he will dedicate himself to the task.   

Pr@yer Requests:

1. Lena's pregnancy. Pr@y specifically that Lena's blood pressure would remain under control throughout the duration of her entire pregnancy. Pr@y for a safe delivery and for a healthy baby.

2. Caleb. Pr@y that he would develop into leader for the Father's glory.

3. Continue to pr@y for those new people who we come into contact with on a weekly basis.              

Our Father blessed us this month with the good news that Silas no longer has Patent Ductus Arteriousus. Silas was diagnosed with this heart condition shortly after he was born. Our pediatric cardiologist confirmed that Silas is now a normal heart patient and will no longer need to see a cardiologist on a regular basis. We have also been blessed this month by a group of volunteers from the States who have sacrificed their summer to come help us. They have been building relationships with and reaching out to local university students. Lena and I continue to share the g*spel in the South Asian community every week. We also continue to keep an eye out for those who would be open to leadership training. One of the friends that we work with has brought to our attention an opportunity to unite some of the local South Asian beli*vers in an attempt to start a small group. It would be my heart's desire to see such a work begin. However, a lot of details need to be worked out and agreed upon before we can move in such a direction. Please continue to lift us up to the Father as we try to be a light        shinning in a dark community.

Pr@yer Requests:
1. I will be taking some classes beginning in the fall. Pr@y that I would be able to balance my work and studies with my personal life and family.
2. Pr@y for the university students that our volunteers meet. May a door open up to make an impact in the lives of the university students here in our city.
3. Lena has not been feeling well lately.
4. Pr@y that we would be able to come to an agreement with other leaders on how to start a new South Asian group.
5. Lena will be sharing the g*spel with some local Musl*m women next week.
6. Pr@y that the Father would lead us to those who will have open hearts and minds to the message we have to share with them.
7. Pr@y that the Father would raise up leaders from the South Asian community who would be zealous for the Father's glory.

Three South Asian Men Receive J

It has been exciting to see the Father at work the past several weeks. We were blessed to see 3 men renounce their Isl*mic faith and turn to receive J as their L*rd and Savi*r. Their story is heart warming. These three men grew up in a South Asian country that is predominately M*slim. They were born and raised in a M*slim family. Several years ago, they were given the opportunity to study Chr*stianity through a m*nistry that offers extension courses. For the past several months they have been visiting family in Europe and in our city. One day they felt compelled to visit a local fellowship here in our city to learn more about our beliefs. The leader of the fellowship could not communicate with them because of the language barrier. The leader contacted one of our friends who serves with a sister organization and who was born and raised in the same country as these three seekers. We started meeting with these men every week. In our meetings we would explain the g*spel and answer their questions. After several meetings, they all decided that they wanted to become followers of J. Two weeks ago they were b*ptized at a local fellowship. The tension was high during the service. The leader of the fellowship had received threats from M*slims in the community who said that they were going to cause problems if the fellowship went forward with the baptisms. Each of the three men stood up and shared with the fellowship the change that the Father had brought into their lives. All of the men said that they will follow J no matter what happens- even if they are killed. They were then immersed into the b*ptism waters. It was a special day. In a few weeks, these men will be going back to their home country. Pr@y that the Father would provide protection from those who would seek to bring harm to these men. Pr@y that the Father would open up doors for them to share the g*spel in their home country.


*Unfortunately, I cannot provide the names or the pictures of these men due to security concerns.

Silas is WALKING!

Italian Travels

Lena and I were blessed this past month with the opportunity to go to Italy for a two weeks vacation. We visited Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice. It was a dream of ours to go to Italy. The vacation was both a challenging and inspiring experience. In this blog post, I am simply going to post some pictures of our trip. In a couple of weeks I will give everyone an update of what the Father has been doing in our city.