Christmas, 2003

Christmas, 2003

Hello all!

Isn’t the Christmas season an exciting time of year? It is a time when we celebrate God’s gift to us of Christ, and give gifts to our friends and loved ones. I find it a great time as well to look back at the past year, and see all the great gifts God has blessed me with.

It was a year ago that I finished my job in Ottawa, and made the leap into full time ministry with International Teams. There have been some real blessings. I imagine that as I continue looking back in the coming months and years, I’ll see even more things God has been orchestrating in this time. Isn’t it great how God knows so well what He’s doing – what He has for us, and how best to bring it to fruition?

My time back home has been good in many ways. While I grew up in the Waterloo area, living in Ottawa for the last 5 years has resulted in being much less connected back in Waterloo. I’ve been blessed with a great network of friends in Ottawa, but now that Waterloo is my other home-base, being connected here is an important thing too. Praise God for this time that I’ve had to reconnect with people, build new friendships (even unexpected ones), and become better connected with the church I’m going to here.

The whole year has been a great stretching and learning time as well. I’ve had a lot of fun opportunities to spend time with many children – both in Chicago, and back here in Waterloo. My time in Chicago was a great time of learning lots of stuff – both in, and out of the classroom. In Waterloo, I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in youth ministry at the church I’m going to here. Volunteering at Oasis in Kitchener has been a great opportunity to develop a relationship with a local ministry. It’s also been a good way to learn more about drop-in ministries – good preparation for my time working with refugees in Athens in January.

As the year draws to a close, this is also a great time to be able to look forward to the year ahead. It will be exciting to see how God continues to shape things for His purposes. I’m looking forward to spending a month in Athens, working with refugees. Seeing God bring together the summer Encounter Team will be another exciting thing for me. And through it all, having the opportunity to invest in the lives of others will be an awesome privilege.

Thank you so much for standing in the gap for me, and this ministry God has called me to. Keep praying for us.

• Pray for those God has called to be a part of the next team. This is a key month for those thinking about the summer team, as they need to apply by early January.


• God is continuing to stretch & mold me. Pray that I would be receptive to all He’s trying to teach me.


• Pray for wisdom for Craig (my co-worker in Encounter Teams) and myself as we continue to develop this program and talk to various people about it


• Praise God for His provision so far. Keep praying that additional resources needed by May would come in, in His time.

Again, thanks so much for your involvement in my life & ministry. May you have a blessed Christmas season.

For His glory,

Steve

Prayer Corner

Thanks so much to the many of you who are praying for me. Here are a few things you can be praying about:

• Wisdom as we follow-up with people, and that God would prepare
  those He’s called to be a part of the next Encounter Teams program


• That my passion for this ministry would grow


• Praise God for how He has supplied all my needs so far, and for the many that have a part in that


• Pray for me as I prepare for my trip to Athens in January

What's Steve Up To?

What has Steve been doing lately?

Working with a few others, I’ve been busy developing promotional material for Encounter Teams, and my part in it. You can check it out:

Promo Video:

http://www.iteams.ca:8080/SteveVB/video/

Encounter Teams Brochure:

http://www.iteams.ca:8080/SteveVB/encounter_teams_brochure.pdf

Encounter Teams Web Site Content:

http://www.iteams.ca:8080/shortterm/db.htm

Brochure on my ministry:

http://www.iteams.ca:8080/SteveVB/Brochure.pdf

I’ve also started helping with the youth group at Lincoln Road Chapel, the church I’m currently attending, and helping at the Oasis drop-in for the homeless in Kitchener, ON.

What’s next?

Between now and Christmas, I’ll be working on raising my support, and promoting Encounter Teams. This means I’ll be spending time with current & potential supporters, and contacting youth/young adult leaders, bible colleges, young adults, etc. If you’d like to meet with me, let me know, and I’d love to set up a time.

In mid-January, I’ll be going to Athens for a month, to work in a refugee center IT has there. As we are hoping to take a team there next fall, this will be a great opportunity for me to learn more about IT’s ministry to refugees, and build relationships with the staff I’ll be working with. It will
also be a great way to both broaden & deepen my ministry experience.

November 2003 Update

Tuesday November 4, 2003

Hello Friends!

Isn’t it cool how God brings things about at just the right time?

We had a conference with the IT Canada (ITC) office staff a couple weeks ago, which was a real blessing for me, right when I needed it. The work I’m currently doing in preparation for the next team, while quite important, isn’t what I’m most passionate about. It began feeling more like routine work, rather than the exciting ministry I’ll be involved in soon.

At the conference, we spent some time looking back on some significant memories within ITC, were updated on what has been happening lately, had some good teaching, and had some great times of prayer for each of us in our ministries. It was encouraging to see how God has worked and is continuing to work in the ministries and people I’m currently working with in the office. It was also a great reminder that what I’m doing now, while just for a time, is still a vital ministry.

A coworker reminded me of another cool thing that God orchestrated at just the right time. He mentioned that “God has equipped you over the past years with tools and experiences to help with developing the promotional materials for Encounter Teams – some skills & experiences that don't exist in the present leadership.” Perhaps that was one of the reasons God has kept me in the office as long as He has. And it is exciting to be able to use the abilities God has given me. Praise Him!

I had another encouraging time recently studying 1 Corinthians 12, about the body. As believers, we are not going it alone, but are all interdependent members of one body. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. When we all play our part, we are stronger. God has made each of us uniquely with different gifts and abilities, with different roles to play. We are all vital.

God has given me the privilege to be a part of an exciting ministry to young adults. But only a part. For this ministry to be a success there are many people that must play a role. Without encouragers, teachers, leaders, friends, advisors, givers, prayer warriors, etc., we’d be dead in the water. All of us have some role to play in God’s kingdom work. Perhaps God has called you to play a role in this ministry. Would you consider taking part? Here are a few things you could do:

• We are planning to send out 4 month teams in May and September of next year. In order for this to happen, we need people to sign up by early January and early May. If you know anyone that could be a good candidate, would you begin praying for them, and encourage them to consider Encounter Teams?


• Finances are necessary to make any of this a reality. Praise God for how he’s supplied so far. While I’ve been working at the ITC office, I’ve been able to live with my parents, and have had sufficient funds to survive. Once I start traveling however, expenses are certain to go up. I’m currently at 32% of my target budget, so have a ways to go in order to make this feasible long-term. For the short term I’ll need another $700/month by May 2004 in order to be able to go with that team.


• Prayer is the lifeblood of what we do here. Would you consider becoming a part of the team that has committed to pray for me?

Would you pray about how God would have you serve in His work. If you feel called to any of these things, let me know, and I’d be happy to provide you any additional information you might need.

Thanks so much for standing with me. May God richly bless you.

For His glory,

Steve.

August 2003 Newsletter

August 12, 2003

 “Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?”

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to visit the Philippines recently. In earlier letters, I’ve talked a bit about how communication between various cultures can be interesting at times. Here in North America, we tend to beat around the bush when asking some questions, while Filipinos just come out and ask. The questions above are ones I might get once every couple of months here in Canada. In the Philippines, I heard them at least once a day. On one occasion, after I had done some computer work that people seemed overly impressed about, I must have been asked ten times. Cross-cultural communication can sure be fun at times!

 

My time in the Philippines was great. I had a number of good meetings with several Filipino missionaries to discuss bringing teams over to work with them in the coming years, and how that might work. I also got to observe, and sometimes even take part in a number of different ministries we’re involved in. I was able to visit many of the friends I had made the last time I was in the Philippines, and developed some new friendships as well. I also had the opportunity to work with Jim Larson, a professional videographer that ITUS sent over while I was there. I was able to learn a bunch from him, and came back with some great pictures and video too. I’ve included a few pictures in this letter, and posted a bunch more on the web at: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=smvanbru&AID=963292

Over the next few months, I’ll be spending much of my time at International Teams Canadian office. I’ll be keeping myself quite busy working on various details related to the next team – developing promotional material, working out details regarding what future teams will be doing, etc. I can’t say this was quite what I was expecting to be doing when I first felt called to this, but I can see how God has prepared me for the various tasks I have before me. It’s cool to see God at work like that, isn’t it? Pray for me that I don’t get too restless here – I can’t wait to get out on the field, working with the next team, but I know God has other stuff for me before that.

In addition to these jobs in the office, I will also be working on getting my support up to a level in which I can go out with the next team. At the moment, I’m at roughly 35% of my target budget with 20 monthly and 19 occasional donors, and have 60 people committed to praying for me. Praise God for these wonderful people that are a part of my team! If you would like to join this group, please let me know, and I’d be happy to tell you more!

Thanks so much for all of your prayer both while I was in the Philippines, and over the last few months. Your prayer is so necessary, and has definitely been felt. I’d hate to think about what the last few months would have been like without all of you. Please continue to pray:

• Pray that we would have wisdom as we develop this program – that it would be shaped into a programthat is glorifying to God, beneficial to those involved & something that people will get excited about.


• Pray for those God has called to be a part of the next Encounter Teams program, that they will be ready to respond, and be open to all God has to do in their lives as He prepares them for the team.


• Praise God for those He has called to be my team as prayer and/or financial supporters. Pray that God would bless them as they have been a blessing to me.

For His glory, Steve Van Bruwaene

PS: A month or two ago, I sent out a survey to get feedback in helping to develop the next team. You can check out the results at: http://www.iteams.ca:8080/SteveVB/surveys/

Surprise!

Guess what? I'm going to the Philippines this week! I'll bet that comes as a bit of a surprise! If you'd told me that before last Wednesday, I would have been surprised as well. Let me tell you how it all came about...

When I was at International Teams US office and training center, I met some guys that were doing some video work for IT, and they got talking about the need have missionaries in the field better equipped to capture good video. It seems that we haven't produced any good video since the 80's, and would like to have more of it to assist in our mobilization efforts, and to encourage people to pray for IT's various ministries around the world. When I began showing a bit of interest in what was being talked about, some people got excited, and saw an opportunity to get a missionary who would be traveling to various sites better trained in video.

They mentioned that they were working with Jim Larson, a professional video guy, and were hoping to send him to Cambodia and the Philippines at some point this year, although details were rather fuzzy. As of this past Tuesday, my impression was that Jim would be going to Cambodia sometime in July, and the Philippines was off. Then on Wednesday, it was confirmed that he was going to be in the Philippines from the 12th to the 15th.

I was a little shocked. Cambodia was going to cost too much to fly to, and the only purpose that would be served would be to learn more about video. As such, I had ruled out the possibility of getting to work with Jim. Philippines on the other hand was less than half the cost to fly to and provided the chance to discuss opportunities for Encounter Teams there. Not only that, but I've been there before, and know many people, so the prospect of planning the trip on such short notice wasn't nearly as daunting. If I had been paying attention, I would have been thinking "Wow! Isn't God great?" But that came a little later...

I began thinking, "I think I could do this." I started searching for good deals on airplane tickets. As I, and a travel agent looked, the prices began to climb (as potential tickets got sold off). My cost estimate started rising from $1600 + all my frequent flyer miles to over $1900. At one point, it was looking like I might have to leave on Monday (which would have been too short notice), and stay a fair bit longer than would have been appropriate. Ug.

Friday morning, it occurred to me that, rather than trying to do this on my own, I should be talking to God about it. I began praying that He would provide something, or make it clear if I wasn't to go. I also got people in the office praying. Shortly after lunch, I heard from the travel agent that she had found a flight for just over $1300 (without needing to use up my frequent flyer points) on reasonable dates. As an added bonus, I would get to spend a night in Tokyo at the expense of the airline.

Wow. I sensed God saying, "See -- I do hear, and can provide far beyond your expectations. As a special gift, I've even given you a free night in Japan." Quite a contrast to what I was able to come up with on my own.

So, that's the story. I leave for the Philippines on Wednesday July 9, and get back to Canada on Tuesday July 22. Lord willing, I'll be spending 4 days with Jim Larson learning all I can about getting good video (as well as getting some too!). I'll be meeting with IT staff to discuss what sorts of things we can do together with Encounter Teams. I'll be meeting with friends from my trip last year. And I'll hopefully be able to get involved in some ministry as well.

If you could be praying...

• Praise God for His incredible provision


• Pray that my time would be productive


• Pray that I would be an encouragement to the Filipino missionaries I spend time with


• Pray that I would be open to what ever else God has for me while I'm there


• Pray that I would have the health, strength, energy to accomplish all God has before me

Thanks so much for your prayer! I'll look forward to telling you more in the next week or two.

For His glory,

Steve.

PS: Thanks for all those who participated in the surveys I sent out recently. The feedback was quite helpful. I'll try to make the results of the surveys available online soon.

June 2003 Newsletter

June 2, 2003

Hello friends!

Friends are such a wonderful thing, aren’t they? I have been so blessed to have many friends! This past month has been quite a month. I’ve had to say goodbye to some great friends I’ve met over the last four months during my training in Elgin, IL. I’ve been able to begin reconnecting with the many friends I left behind in Canada. I even had the privilege to reconnect with Trevor, an old friend from high school who’s now working at Moody Bible College in Chicago.

God has certainly blessed in these last four months. The pictures here are of a few of the many friendships I’ve been able to develop in the US. I have so much appreciated all that I’ve been able to learn from every one of them (and many others as well). Through both the teaching and relationships with many here, I’ve learned so much, and feel much better equipped for wherever God is taking me next. All the people at both International Teams and Templo Calvario (the church I attended) have been wonderful. Thanks so much everyone!

The coming months should prove equally exciting. While the details have yet to be worked out, it’s looking like I’ll have two major areas I’ll be working on. Part of my time will be spent planning and preparing for the next Encounter Teams program.

As most of you have heard, things have not come together for the next team quite as expected. But God knows what He’s doing. I recall when I was first working through where God was leading me next, I got the sense that he pointed in the direction I’m now going, and said “Start heading that way.” There was no indication of where I’d end up, but only where my next step should be. It’s a scary thing at times to step out, not knowing where you’re going, but when God’s leading, it’s the safest place to be!

The other thing I’ll be doing is seeking to raise up friends to help meet the remainder of my needed support. Chris, the guy I shared an apartment with during training, is seeking to get 100 people committed to praying for him. He said, “with the landmines in [the country I’m going to] – both physical and spiritual, going without solid prayer support is tantamount to jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.” I may not have to deal with physical landmines but prayer is still vital to the success of this ministry. Would you consider becoming a critical part of what I’m doing in this way? Finances are another area of need. As things are changing to some extent in my ministry, the budget is also likely to change, but there is still a bunch needed to make this ministry feasible. Keep praying for those called to be a part of it in this way.

Thanks so much for your prayer and interest in my life! Keep praying for God’s direction and guidance. I’m confident He has some great things ahead.

Your Friend, Steve.

Back to Canada Soon!

Hello all!

Thanks so much for your continued prayer for me over these last four months while I've been in the Chicago area in training. You are all so much appreciated.

As some of you know, I'm almost done this phase of my ministry. I'll be driving back to Canada next Tuesday May 20. My first stop will be in the Waterloo area, and then I'll be heading up to Ottawa a few weeks after that.

It's interesting how things don't always work out as we expect. Many of you know that I was expecting to be leading a team beginning at the end of August. Unfortunately, it's kinda difficult to lead a team that doesn't exist. The deadline to sign up had been set for the end of April. At that point there were a few considering the team, but no one had signed up yet, so the deadline was pushed out a few weeks. However, that too has passed, so the August team has been postponed.

That means that we're gonna need to make a bunch of decisions both about what shape Encounter Teams will take in the future, and what I'll be doing in the meantime. Many of the key decision makers have been thinking and praying about this, but there's still lots of decisions to be made, and some other people to be brought into the process as well. Could you be praying for all those involved in this, that we would have wisdom, and that above all, God would be glorified. In particular, please be praying for the International Teams Canada leadership, leaders from the Met (my sending church), myself, and others who may be playing some role in this process. Thanks so much!

Once I'm back, I'll be looking forward to connecting with those of you that I haven't seen in a while. Be sure to keep a spot on your calendar open for me! Also, be praying for me as I try to balance all the many things that will be vying for my time when I get back.

In the next couple of weeks, be looking out for another update, when I'll try to give you a bit more of an update on what's been happening since my last letter, and hopefully more info on what's to come.

Thanks again for all your prayer. It is so valued, and necessary.

For His glory,

Steve.

April 2003 Update

April 2, 2003

Hello friends!

Hello Mr. Mom. Can I go play with Suzie?
No, I don’t want any more food – I’m saving space for ice cream.
I’m a picky eater. I don’t like vegetables.

In my last few letters, I’ve requested prayer that I would learn all God has to teach me – both in, and out of class. Well, this week, in addition to my regular classes, I get to learn more about parenting. Jim and Lina Miller, one of the couples that works out of the International Teams (IT) US office is down in South America this week, and has asked me to take care of their kids Nathan, Emily & Jared (left) while they’re gone.

The way the request came about indicates how brave they are. Over the last few years, a tradition has developed between Jim Miller, and the Canadian missionaries in training. At some point during the training time, these missionaries have a habit of decorating Jim’s office in all things Canadian – maple leaves everywhere, Canadian flags, having the national anthem playing on his computer, etc. This session was no exception – someone apparently managed to out-do the missionaries of previous sessions. They have yet to conclusively pin it on anyone, but I’m one of the highest suspects. Well, back to the kids. When they heard their parents were looking for someone to take care of them, their request was “that guy that decorated Dad’s office.” And they asked me. After Jim’s suspicion about my decorating work, he’s given me free and unfettered access to his house and kids. Brave parents.

I think some of their confidence in me taking care of their kids came from hearing about how much I like kids. I recall that when I first arrived here, I was disappointed to hear that none of the missionaries in training had children. I have managed to get a surprising amount of time with kids here though. Craig and Leilani Bauman, the couple I’ll be working with in the Encounter Teams program was here recently. Over the last year or two, I’ve managed to really connect well with their children Elizabeth and Katharina (right). They’ve even been calling me “Uncle Steve”. The visit was a wonderful opportunity to connect with them again (and their parents too!). A Missionary family that’s serving in Jordan came through here recently. Wendy was surprised to see how quickly Lindsay, her 1-year old warmed up to me. In fact, I’ve received comments like that fairly often. While I’ve always enjoyed kids, it has been exciting to learn more about how God has made me, and to see Him develop my skills with, and love for k ids. It will be interesting to see what He’s preparing me for.

There have been so many great opportunities both in and out of class for me to be able to learn and grow. We’ve had classes on Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, Cross-Cultural Communications (taught by Woody Roland, IT’s director over Latin America, left), Apologetics, Marriage and Singleness, Racial Prejudice & Reconciliation, Youth Ministries, etc. As a result of IT’s partnership with Sonlife (an organization that specializes in working with youth, and training youth workers), we had the privilege to be the first “beta test” a new training program they’re developing called “Encounter” (which is not related to the “Encounter Teams” program I’m a part of). The training we’ve received has all been quite helpful. I’ve also had the opportunity to be involved in a Spanish/English church here in Elgin. It has been a great place for me to be able to serve, and in the process, I’ve learned a bunch more too.

Thanks so much for your prayer and support. Having a team of people behind me is so crucial in making anything I’m involved in God’s success. Praise God, I’m currently at roughly 40% of my target budget, and have 45 people committed to praying for me. If you’d like to be a part of my team, I’d love to hear from you. Here are some things that you can be praying about:

• Praise God for all He’s been teaching me. Pray that I would continue to listen.


• Busyness continues to be a challenge. Pray that I would not lose focus on Christ in the midst of everything else.


• Pray that God would be preparing those He’s called to be a part of the next Encounter Teams program, and that they would have the courage to take the next step in the application process soon.

Thanks so much for continuing to pray. May God richly bless you.

Your Friend, Steve Van Bruwaene

February 2003 Update

February 18, 2003

Hello friends!

In a group or team, it doesn’t take long to build up impressions of people at times, does it? It’s fascinating at times to see how various groups of people can see someone so differently at times.

As you know, I’m currently one month into a four month Missionary training program with International Teams. In this time, I’ve been blessed with a great Canadian guy to share an apartment with (Chris); some wonderful classmates to learn with and from; fun, knowledgeable instructors; and a great group of staff here at the US office. I’ve learned so much already, and developed a number of great friendships.



I’ve managed to develop an interesting reputation as well. As you might guess, everyone seems to have identified me as the “tech guy”. For any of you who are familiar with my cooking (up until a few months ago, it basically amounted to heating stuff in the microwave), it will come as a big surprise to hear that Chris and I have developed the reputation for being the “best cooks” in the place. (Since I’ll be leading teams, it occurred to me that I should probably learn to cook, so I’ve been experimenting with stuff. So far, no one has gotten sick from it, so I guess that’s a good sign.)

One of the courses we’re taking is called “Second Language Acquisition”. This course attempts to deal with many different aspects of learning a new language, including phonetics (study of the sounds that go into making words in various languages); how to learn vocabulary, grammar, etc.; techniques to get by with limited language; and cultural impact on language.

I have found it fascinating to learn more about how culture is so much a part of communication. Getting something wrong can cause people to think we’re stupid, rude, immoral, etc. For example, by making eye contact, different cultures around the world might think I’m being sincere, am giving them my full attention, or that I’m morally quite “loose”, or I’m scolding them. Learning how to communicate appropriately in different cultures and contexts is so crucial.

This got me thinking about how miscommunication can happen even within North American culture. When surrounded by people who are “of the same culture” as we are, it’s easy to assume that they will all act by the same unwritten rules as we do. Then when people act differently than we expect them to, it’s easy for us to think they are rude, stupid, or just plain strange. What, for example, is the appropriate way join a conversation without intruding? People may be seen as bullish for jumping in, or creepy for quietly wafting to be invited. I’ve discovered that even in interacting with “Fellow North Americans”, I need to be aware of different personalities and cultural expectations. It should be interesting to add completely different cultures to the mix!



It has been quite a blessing to see God raise up people to partner with me in this ministry. At the moment there are 36 individuals committed to pray for me, some of them even daily. Financially, over 30% of my target budget is coming in. Praise God for His provision. If you feel called to become a part of my team, I’d be happy to talk with you about it.

Thanks so much to all of you for your continued prayer. God has been so good. If you could continue to pray for me:

• That I would be teachable – open to all God has to teach me


• That I would have the wisdom and discipline to balance everything vying for my time


• That God would be glorified in my life


• That those called to be a part of the next Encounter Teams group would respond

Thanks for your interest in my life. I’d love to hear from you!

Your Friend, Steve Van Bruwaene

Steve's latest update

For those of you for whom this is the first such email, welcome! I send out a prayer letter periodically to those whom I think might be interested in hearing what God has been up to in my life. If you know others who might be interested, please feel free to forward this to them, or let me know, and I can add them to the list. If you'd rather not receive this for any reason (or would prefer to receive letters less often), please let me know, and I'll be happy to update my list.

Tuesday January 21, 2003

Hello all! Sorry I've been so long in writing. A lot has happened since my November 25th email.

As most of you know, I finished my job in Ottawa at the end of November, to begin my new position with International Teams Canada. I arrived in Elgin Illinois (near Chicago) last Thursday (Jan. 16) to begin a 4-month training program International Teams offers for all their full-time missionaries out in the field.

It's been fun getting to know the wonderful people here, and interesting to start figuring out how to live in the United States. I was giving some Americans a ride after class yesterday, and they got a little nervous about my driving till they discovered my speedometer was in kilometres rather than miles. Trying to figure out miles, gallons, US dollars, etc. makes life interesting for me at times as well.

Yesterday was Martin Luther King day here in the US, so we spent some time looking at the issues surrounding him. It was an interesting time. My initial reaction was one of pride -- us Canadians are far superior to the Americans on the issue of racism -- we don't have the negative history the Americans do on that particular issue. As they had a time of corporate confession before God for the sins of their forefathers, the church, and themselves, I started thinking more about it. It hit me that while we may not have been as guilty in discriminating against African-Americans, there are many other people groups that we tend to marginalize, and not really want to spend too much time with. Anyhow, I don't need to go on too long about that, but thought you might appreciate hearing a taste of the impact another "culture" can have on on a person -- even if it be just across the border!

The last couple of months have been special ones. I've had the opportunity to see many friends and family, and have had some very special times with many of them. I was in Ottawa again in early January for a few days, and was hit by how special my friends are there, and how I'm going to miss the city. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people as you (both those from Ottawa, and elsewhere) in my life. Thanks so much to all of you for your kind words, prayer, and interest in my life over the last few months. I'll certainly enjoy hearing from all of you, and connecting more personally than in these "mass" emails. Please write to let me know what's going on in your lives!

In the last few months, I've been reading about Elijah, Elisha, many of the kings in the Old testament, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. It's been interesting to see the differences in the lives of those who listened, followed God, had faith that He Would keep His promises, and those who trusted in themselves and did what they thought best. The result of Abraham's obedience (God establishing the old covenant with Israel) was very challenging to me. Am I willing to do Anything God calls me to do? Oh that I would keep my trust placed firmly on Him rather than relying on myself.

It has been exciting to see how God has provided thus far in raising up partners in this ministry. I now have 26 people committed to praying for me -- some of them weekly or even daily, and there are many others that I know are praying. Financially, I'm at about 30% of my target budget, and along with my own savings, have sufficient funds to cover my training costs. Praise God for His provision! If you would like to be involved in this ministry in any way, please let me know.

Thanks so much for your faithful prayer. Here are a few things to bring before our heavenly father:

• Praise God for the great opportunity I have to learn a whole bunch of stuff that will be helpful in my new role. Pray that my heart would be open to ALL God has to teach me


• Pray that God would be guiding those He will call to be a part of the next Encounter Team, and that He would give wisdom to those considering applicants


• Praise God for how He as provided for all my needs thus far, and that He will continue to provide where He has called


• Praise God for those who have joined my team, and pray that God would bless them for their prayer & generosity

May God richly bless you!

Steve.