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.