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.

Si wanted to show you all his new hat.

The Sun is Shinning Once Again!

Spring has arrived! We have made it through the cold and dreary winter and now we actually get to enjoy some sunshine here in our city. The nicer weather makes it easier for us to get out into the community to meet new people. This past month has been promising. The Father has given us opportunities to reach out to some new people. I made a new friend named Balwan. Balwan is from South Asia, but he has been living here in Europe for the past couple of years. Balwan walked into our Wednesday night m*nistry unexpectantly. He sat down in one of the pews and he began to pr@y. After I sat down next to him, I could see that something was bothering him. I asked him what was troubling him. He opened up to me and told me about his life and his family problems. I asked him what made him come into our ch*rch for pr@yer. He said that when he was living in South Asia a friend invited him to her ch*rch. While attending ch*rch with his friend, Balwan felt peace and relief from life's troubles. Ever since this experience, Balwan goes to ch*rch and pr@ys whenever he is struggling with difficulties in his life. I asked him if I could pr@y for him. I put my arm around him and we laid all of his burdens upon our Father. After we finished, I looked over at him and there were tears streaming down his face. I told him there is no need to fear because we have a great Shepard who watches over us and lovingly takes care of us. He knows all of our most personal thoughts and concerns. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads. I told him if you are one of our Father's children then there is no need to worry about anything because the Shepard watches over his sheep and blesses them. I told him that you can have a personal relationship with this Shepard through receiving J*sus. Since then, I have met with Balwan on three other occasions. My hope is he will continue to be open to a friendship with me and to the message I shared with him. The father also blessed us this past month with two house visits with a local M*slim family. The first meeting was at their house. They fixed us a meal and we met several members of their extended family. The second meeting was at our house. Lena fixed a Filipino meal for them and I showed them pictures of our family back in the States. Both meetings were a real blessing to us and an answer to pr@yer. Since moving here, it has been difficult getting into people's homes and getting people into our home. The South Asian community here is very guarded. I think that this protectiveness is due to them being a minority here in Europe. By being guarded, they are trying to preserve their beliefs and customs. However, our Father is powerful and is able to break down barriers and remove all obstacles. We are slowly building up a trust relationship with this M*slim family. They know we are followers of J*sus. We have been having some introductory sp*ritual conversations with them. Our pr@yer is we will gain their trust and that this would open up the flood gates for sp*ritual truth. The Father also reminded me this past month that He can change the heart and mind of a person from any background. I met two men who were visiting Europe from a South Asian country. Their ability to speak English was very limited. I shared with them in Hindi how the Father forgives s*n through J*sus. They shared with my friend that they are from a M*slim background. They said they have seen the truth of J*sus and they want to be b*ptised. Apparently, the Father has been working in their lives for quite sometime. They first heard the message of J*sus 15 years ago. Now they are convinced that J*sus is the true way. Their account reminded me of two very important truths. First, we cannot give up on individuals or entire people groups just because they are not receptive to the g*spel at first. We must sow the g*spel seed patiently and boldly and then trust the Father with the results. Secondly, the g*spel can penetrate into the hearts of our M*slim brothers just like it can in anyone else's heart.

Pr@yer Requests:

1. That Balwan would come to J*sus.

2. That the M*slim family mentioned above would come to J*sus.

3. That Farooq (another M*slim that I have been working with) would come to J*sus.

4. That the two men mentioned above from South Asia who have decided to follow J*sus would be bold witnesses in their home country.

5. That the Father would help me to connect with new South Asian partners who have a desire to make an impact in their communities and who are willing to receive training.

Lena and I are continuing to look for people who are receptive to the message of our Father. Each week, we go out into the South Asian communities in our city to share with all those who are willing to listen. Many of the people that we engage in conversation are not willing to listen to us, but we believe that our Father is doing a work in peoples' lives here. We are using the g*spel as a filter to find those who our Father is doing a work in. We share the g*spel and then we wait to see what the reaction will be from those listening. If their reaction is negative then we can at least rejoice in the fact that a seed has been planted and that it might one day bear fruit. If their reaction is positive then we can rejoice that our Father is working powerfully and delivering people from destruction. In the past several weeks, we have seen both negative and positive reactions to our message. One man told me, after I tried to share the g*spel with him, that I worship the Devil. Another man I was sharing with told me and my friend that we will get beaten if we do not stop sharing the g*spel in the neighborhoods we are working in. He told us that we are bringing shame on the community. A group of men we were talking to in the city center told us that when J*sus returns he is going to break the cross. By making this statement, these men were telling us that J*sus is not who Chr*stians make him out to be and that he will renounce those who claim to follow him. Other people are willing to listen to us, but they disagree with us and tell us that we need to follow Isl*m. It has been interesting to discover that the receptiveness among M*slims in our city is less than what we saw while we were actually living in South Asia. However, every now and again the Father places someone in our path who encourages us to keep sharing. Lena met a lady named Stuti in the city center this past week. Stuti overheard Lena speaking with some other ladies in Hindi at McDonalds. Stuti sat down at Lena's table and asked her where she learned Hindi. Lena told her that she learned Hindi while she was living in South Asia. Lena told her that she lived in South Asia for one year and that Silas was born there. Lena told her that her neighbor in South Asia had a little daughter whose name was Stuti. Lena said that her neighbor's daughter used to lock Lena in her apartment as a joke. Stuti, the lady that Lena met in the city center, thought Lena's story was very funny. Stuti asked Lena if she would go shopping with her. They went into several shops trying on different clothes. Suddenly, Stuti asked Lena if she is a Chr*stian. Lena told her that she is a follower of J*sus. Stuti told Lena that she is the nicest Chr*stian that she has ever met. Stuti said that she lives in a tourist town in South Asia and that she sees a lot of foreigners. She said that a lot of the Chr*stians that she meets are very rude. Lena explained to her that not all westerners are Chr*stians and that not all those who claim to be Chr*stian are actually followers of J*sus. Lena gave Stuti a J*sus film and her email. Lena told Stuti to email her if she has any question about the film. Stuti assured Lena that she will watch the film and that she will email her after she watches it. It is interesting that the meaning of the name Stuti in Hindi is praise. We are praising (stuti ker raha hai) our Father for allowing us to cross paths with Stuti. Lena was also told by a friend that there is a new believer who comes from a M*slim background who wants to meet with Lena. Lena is pr@ying that this lady will be open to meeting with her on a weekly basis for d*scipleship and accountability.

Pr@yer Requests:

1. That Stuti would watch the J*sus film that Lena gave her and that the Father would touch her heart through it.

2. That the Father would protect us from those who would like to harm us.

3. That the Father would open up doors for relationships and opportunities to share the g*spel.

4. That the Father would lead us to people who are ready and willing to become committed d*sciples of J*sus.

Our little boy is officially one year old now! Silas' first birthday was a special day for all of us. It was a time to celebrate everything that the Father has blessed us with this past year. We had a big celebration at our house and we invited all of our friends. In total, there were around 25 people who came to Silas' party. It was a great opportunity to build relationships with our neighbors as we invited many of them to come to the party. Getting people into our home has been challenging. We were greatly encouraged when so many of the people that we invited actually showed up for Silas' party. We had a great time getting to entertain and fellowship with all those who attended the party. We continue to thank our Father everyday for delivering Silas from such a serious situation in the days following his birth. Knowing what Silas went through makes special days, like birthdays, especially sweet and joyful. Also, knowing what Silas went through helps me to m*nister to those who have experienced loss with greater understanding. I met a man named Peter this month who had lost his son to a land mine in the Middle East. I was so heart broken for him. I met him in the city center. When I first saw him, he was visibly distraught and he had the smell of alcohol on his breath. We began talking and he shared with me that his life is in shambles. After his son was killed, he and his wife separated. Then he became addicted to alcohol. I shared with him my story about Silas' birth and his close encounter with death. I then shared some wisdom with him that I had gained from watching the recently released movie Courageous. I briefly described the plot of the movie to him and how the man in the movie copes with his daughter's death by the comfort that our Father gives. I assured him that there is hope for his life and that the Father can bring healing to his heart. Peter began to weep. I then shared the G*spel with him. We pr@yed together and then we parted ways. It was such a blessing to be able to help this hurting man. I had literally just watched the film Courageous three days before meeting Peter. Some of our family in the States sent the movie to us for us to watch. The content of this movie was still fresh on my mind when I met Peter. Then I was able to help Peter through what I had seen. It truly was a d*vine appointment. I was also encouraged by another encounter that I had with a different man this month. Every Wednesday night I help a local fellowship with a m*nistry that they have to the community. On one of these nights, I felt lead to show up a little bit early so that I could stand out in front of this ch*rch so that I could talk to people passing by. I stood out in front of the ch*rch for one hour with little success (or so I thought). Then I met a man at the Wednesday night m*nistry who was fired up because he had just been able to share his personal testimony with a local South Asian man. After he got done telling us about how the Father had opened up a door for him to share with this man, he proceeded to tell us that the man he spoke with told him that "some American guy" had given him the J film just minutes before their conversation. I laughed and told him that I was the one who handed him the J film. It really encouraged us a lot because we both caught a glimpse into what the Father was doing "behind the scenes."

Pr@yer Requests:
1. Silas is sick right now with an infection in his chest.
2. Pr@y that Peter would see his great need of the Father. Pr@y that the Father would bring healing to the pain that was caused by his son's death.
3. Pr@y for the South Asian man who received a J film from me and then heard my friend's testimony shortly after.

4. Pr@y that the Father would continue to open up doors for us to talk with people. It has been particularly challenging to m*nister to people this past month. Most people are not interest in talking with us at all. We are always on the outlook for an open door to step through.

Happy Birthday Silas!

Happy New Year 2012

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all had a wonder Christmas and a blessed New Year celebration. I guess it is that time again when we all make New Year's resolutions and new goals for the upcoming year. Lena and I have been pr@ying hard about what our Father would have us to do in 2012. We know that we need His guidance, wisdom, and blessing in all that we do. We are trying to reach SA M*slims living in Europe. In starting our task here, we have decided to meet others who are also trying to reach SA people to see if anyone else is having success. So far, what we have been hearing from people is that the work among them is slow and difficult. However, we have been greatly encouraged this past month by the relationships we have built with m*nistry partners and the work they are doing among SA people. Although the soil is hard here, it has been encouraging for us to see others proclaiming the Good News clearly and fearlessly. The boldness of others inspires us to be bold as well. We have been out on the streets trying to engage people in conversation about their need of Chr*st. It has truly been a spir*tual battle. Many times, the conversations end up in arguments. Our goal in approaching people is not to start arguments. However, in talking to M*slims about Chr*st our fa*th is often attacked. We often find ourselves defending our fa*th against a barrage of attacks. We are often heckled by people from various backgrounds. In spite of these challenges, there have been some doors that have opened up to share the good news. Opportunities have arisen as we have been out on the streets handing out J films. Our pr@yer is that as we continue to engage people in conversation that our Father would open people's eyes to the truth that we are sharing with them. We want SA b*lievers to rise up who would feel compelled to take upon themselves the task of being a light in this dark city. Right now, there are very few SA people who are committed to this task. We are looking to come along side and support those who have a heart for the M*slims of this city.

Silas' first birthday is right around the corner. On February 3 Silas will be one year old. It is unbelievable to me that Silas is already one year old. Silas continues to be a healthy and happy baby.

I wanted to express my appreciation to everyone who pr@yed for my Dad. As many of you know, my Dad had a quadruple bypass performed on him this past month. It was a bit of a surprise. One day my Dad is having chest pains, and the next he is having major surgery. The surgery was a success and my Dad is at home recovering. Please continue to remember him in your pr@yers.

Pr@yer Requests:

1. My Dad's health and his recovery

2. That the people we talk to on the streets would be receptive to our message

3. That our Father would raise workers up from among those we work with here in our city who would boldly go out into the SA harvest fields

4. That our Father would give us the right words to say to those who verbally attack our fa*th.

Merry Christmas

Silas wanted us to make sure that we wished everyone a very Merry Christmas this year. May you be filled with the joy of our Father as you enjoy family and as you w*rship the King of kings.

Settling Into Our New House and City

Me overlooking the ocean on the coast of Ireland.
Lena at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.
Lena snapped this picture after Silas spotted the Loch Ness Monster.
Lena and Silas enjoying a boat ride at Loch Ness.
Here I am overlooking a battle field where William Wallace defeated the English. The castle that was overlooking this battle field is where King James VI grew up (the same King who authorized the King James Version of the Bible).

We are finally settled again. We are so thankful that we once again have a permanent place to call home. In the past two years we have moved nine times. These have not been small moves. Many of these moves have been from one country to another or from one continent to another. These moves do not include the multiple trips we have had to take to secure things like visas and to close up former residences. Needless to say, we are very happy to be settled once more. We are very happy with our new house. It took us about four weeks to obtain everything we needed for our new home. We were also able to take a two weeks vacation. We spent one week in Scotland and one week in Ireland. Since arriving in Europe, several doors have opened up for us to talk to people about our Father. Most of these people have been M*slims. We were invited to one home this past week where we had a three hour conversation with two men about our F*ther. Please continue to lift us up as we reach out to people. The soil here is very hard. The M*slims that we speak to are strict adherents to Isl*m and become very argumentative when we share with them. Silas continues to do well. He weighs 17.5 pounds now.


Pr@yer Requests:

1. That we would have a burden for the M*slims here in Europe.
2. That we would learn how to approach and love M*slims.
3. That our Father would lead us to people who have been prepared by Him to hear the message.

Our Time in America

Our five and a half weeks in the States came and went very quickly. We spent the first week applying for our Europe visas. In the four and a half weeks that were remaining we spoke in five different ch*rches and at a public school about what our Father has been doing overseas. We were also able to meet with a number of p@stors and missi*naries. It was so wonderful getting to see everyone. We enjoyed every second of the time spent with each of you. We only wish that our time with you could have been longer. Thank you for making our trip to the States a time of blessings.

A Short Visit in the USA

We are coming home! We found out last month that we cannot apply for visas to stay long term in Europe from our current location. In order to obtain new visas, we must return to the USA. We will be flying home next week. We should be arriving in the States on September 22. We are very excited to be able to come home and see friends and family. We will be in the States for 5 to 8 weeks. We will be applying for our new visas in Atlanta, GA. Beyond our visa applications, we are not sure how we are going to spend our time in the States. Our supervisors have asked us not to plan anything at this point because they may ask us to attend some trainings. We are hoping to be able to take some time to refresh ourselves before we head back out to establish ourselves again in a foreign country.

My head has been spinning this past month with everything that has developed. I returned to South Asia in August to close up our apartment and to manage our belongings. Our Father was good to me during this trip. It was a huge task, but I was able to return to our city of assignment and manage all of our belongings quickly. I packed up a lot of our belongings in SA and sent them ahead of us to Europe. While I was in SA, I got the opportunity to see our old friends. They really enjoyed seeing the pictures of Silas that I showed them. It was a difficult experience saying good bye to all of our SA friends knowing that we may not ever see them again. In addition to packing up all our stuff and saying goodbye to our friends, I took the opportunity to take a language assessment. I was shocked by how much my ability to comprehend the local language had improved since I had left SA. I received my language assessment report back and I have reached the advanced level in Hindi. Reaching the advanced level in my Hindi studies was the language goal of our first term. I am now being told that I have learned enough Hindi to be able to continue to learn it for the rest of my life.

Silas continues to do well. He has had some problems gaining weight. He had a doctor's appointment today and he was able to gain 200 grams this past week. Lena is going to start feeding him solid foods soon. We are so thankful for how our father has blessed us this past month.

Pr@yer Requests:
1. Silas' health
a. That he would continue to grow and be happy
b. That he would be able to gain the weight he needs
c. That he would make a strong transition from eating only formula and breast milk to eating solid foods
2. Safety in travel
3. That we would be able to obtain our new visas
4. That we would be able to have a blessed time with our family and friends while we are in the States
5. That we would be able to make a smooth transition to Europe