Our Christmas Letter

Greetings Friends!

I trust you have all had a great fall! With Christmas just around the corner (or just past depending on when you receive this!), it’s time we get another letter out.

Rather than the usual update on what’s been happening in our ministry, this will be mostly a few snapshots of our Christmas experiences. We hope you like it!

But before we get there, I thought I’d point out a few things you might want to check out. We’ve updated our web site (www.vanbruwaene.ca). It’s now mainly in the form of a blog with posts of our letters all the way back to the beginning. We’re hoping it will be an alternate place you can go to get our newsletters, and also get a glimpse of how we’ve gotten here.



We also finally have a new prayer card that includes Zane! You can post it on your fridge or bulletin board as a reminder to pray for us.

I’ve recently completed the web site for a ministry International Teams is a part of in Hamilton. Check out www.truecity.ca.

We hope you have a great Christmas! Enjoy reading some snapshots of ours!

Family

Both Steve and I come from close families. We have been blessed not only with parents that live in the city, but also with families that have become friends.  As a result, we have a special christmas eve tradition that involves both families. We spend Christmas Eve Day opening presents with Steve's family, and then both families attend a Christmas Eve service together. After the service, we all go back to my parents' house for a party.  This year we're stretching Christmas out over three days that will be full of family events.

Aunts, Uncles & Grand-dogs

My sister and Steve's brother both attend school far away(Ottawa and California).  Christmas is extra exciting for my kids because they get to spend some quality time with their Auntie Amy and Uncle Dave.  Aris and Zane have also been enjoying playing with their "cousin", Dave's dog Tess. 

It's great to reconnect with my sister and do our crazy girl thing. She's grown up a lot this year and it's been neat to hear her perspective on life. 

Dave is the closest to my age(he's two years older), and we have a cool relationship. He has a very different perspective on issues so I've been taking advantage of having him home to ask him all sorts of interesting questions.  He also fills the niche of being a brother, so we have great fun harassing each other and being silly.

The Christmas Story

Having children has forced me to see the Christmas Story in a whole different light. Part of it is that I think about it more. Last Christmas, I told the story several times a day for about a month. 

My children are fascinated by babies, which explains part of their fascination. For Aris though, it runs deeper. Jesus has two daddies, just like she does. This year we have been talking more about why Jesus came to earth, and have explained that He understands what it's like to be a child. He understands what it's like to have a blended family, what it's like to be three and how hard it is to use our words, obey, etc...I think Aris is really starting to understand that Jesus is God, and that He cares about her and is on her side.

As a mother, I see the Christmas story in a whole different light. I understand some of what Mary felt, having had a socially awkward pregnancy. I can relate to being pregnant, to having an infant, and I can only imagine what it was like to hold that helpless little baby and know that I was holding God in my arms. It's mind-blowing. At Christmas time, I look at my small children and realize that Jesus was like them once.  He was a little boy learning how to walk, eat and communicate. He was a preschooler, learning how to share and how to express his feelings. Jesus came to earth, not just to die for our sins, but to understand what it's like to be human. He understands not just what it's like to be a small child, but what it's like to be an adult. And although His life looked a lot different than ours, the underlying issues are the same. So this Christmas, I'm learning that God doesn't sit in judgment of me, wondering how I could struggle with that, but that He understands me when I feel overwhelmed, or in despair because He's been there too.

Christmas Decorations

This year we have a tree for the first time. This is a very special tree. It was my father-in-law's first artificial tree when he was a child, and then the tree that my husband grew up with. Now this tree is a part of a third generation of Van Bruwaene Christmas. 

Zane and Aris are loving having a tree. They are fascinated by the lights. Currently my tree is decorated rather uniquely as the children have been decorating the tree with the contents of their toy box. The decorations get moved around the tree many times a day, and the tree itself has been moved slightly.

This tree is a survivor which is good considering that it has fallen over twice so far this season. Fortunately, Zane was ok after tree landed on him.

Prayer Items

Thanks so much for your continued prayer. It makes such a difference! Here’s some things you can be praying about:

• As I take on new projects, pray for God’s direction, that what I do might further His kingdom


• Wisdom in raising our kids


• Praise God for Grace’s healing. Pray for continued health for all of us


• Wisdom, love, and grace as we work with the youth, that God would continue the good work He’s started in all of us


• Continued financial provision

Kids Corner

Grace has been quite busy lately chasing after two very active kids.

Potty training has been an adventure. Between May and August, Aris usually did No. 2 in her pull-ups, usually about 15 minutes after we put her to bed. I was beginning to fear that using the potty would never happen. But the tide changed this fall. She’s now fully trained — even at night. Aside from a couple of wet beds, we’ve had no accidents in almost a month!

Zane has been growing and learning lots too. He’s become quite a climber, and is getting into everything! Several times, Grace has found him sitting on top of our 5-foot high entertainment unit. He also seems to be fascinated with technology. It’s a wonder he hasn’t wiped out our computer yet! Recently, he managed to partially disassemble the bathroom scale. We still haven’t found some missing parts. Perhaps he’s destined for a technical field of some sort.

Zane has also been learning lots of other stuff too. He’s talking more, and we’re even starting to understand him! He has also learned to take his shirt off. While it’s exciting to see him develop, it is frustrating to see him come down the stairs with no shirt when we’re trying to hurry out the door.

Aris’s fall has been a stretching one. One of her grandmothers was quite sick, in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Aris had a really hard time with that. She’s been praying faithfully for her grandma though, and has seen those prayers answered. It’s been exciting to see her deepening interest and understanding in spiritual things.

Both kids have discipline issues ranging from tempers to trouble sharing to making messes. After seeing the kids for a few hours some days, I’m amazed Grace is still sane. She may be dealing with stuff that’s universal to motherhood, but I still think she’s amazing.

The Bottom Line

A lot has happened since our last letter, and finances are no exception.  As our family has grown, our needs have grown too.  With a larger living space has come increased financial needs.  And through it all, God has been

Since our last letter, several individuals have joined our support team.  Together, they’re giving another $280/month.  And we’re receiving almost $300 more a month from churches.  Since I started this faith journey, I have always been able to pay the bills.  God is still the great provider!  Thanks for your part in that!

Going forward, the needs continue to grow.  Would you prayerfully consider helping to meet these needs?

We know God will continue to guide us in where He wants us to be.  And where He calls, He always provides.  Thanks so much for being part of His provision!

What’s New With Grace?

Hmmm...that's a good question! Well, lots has happened in the last couple of months.

The coolest thing is that I haven't had any depressive episodes since June! Yay! It has been so good to have energy and to be more normal. However, I'm having to learn how to break depressive thought patterns. The last couple of months have definitely been an adventure, but it's been awesome to see God's healing power at work in my life.

We moved in September to a lovely townhouse, and we are so happy here. It has been nice to have a proper kitchen as well as a bathtub, and lots more space. I have been busy in my kitchen making all sorts of goodies. The pumpkin cheesecake was my personal favourite:)

Friends of ours live across the courtyard from us, and I babysit their children on Fridays. Aris does not like sharing, but she is enjoying playing pretend with Bianca. Although conflict is an inevitable and unpleasant part of the job, I am really enjoying being a part of Callum and Bianca's life. Fridays have become a very fun, crazy day for me that I look forward to. It's nice to help support us and feel like I'm actually contributing while helping my friend out.

Since we moved, I now have a garden to play in which is both a lot of fun and work. Currently, it doesn't look like much since I started with a bare patch, but I've been getting plants from my mother's garden (and her neighbor's) and we'll see what happens.

I am so enjoying being normal! blessings, Gracie :)

Steve’s Ramblings

As part of our youth ministry, we’re mentoring a couple of the older kids. This past week, we talked with them about spending time with God.

It was not only a good challenge for them, but for me as well. From the time I was their age till I had kids, I was quite faithful in spending time with God every morning. But small children have a way of disrupting any semblance of routine. But can I challenge the teens we’re working with to spend time with God when I find it hard at times to do so myself?

Or perhaps that’s the point. Being Christ’s Disciples is something we’re all working at together. And sometimes, working at it together makes all the difference.

Ride For Refugees 2006

International Teams Canada hosts the “Ride for Refugees” every year. This event raises money to support the work we do with Refugees in Canada and around the world.

This year, we had over 140 riders who have raised $73,000 so far.

For the first time, I decided to ride. What an experience it was! As I haven’t ridden in about 8 years, and haven’t gotten much exercise recently, I decided to “just” do 25K this year.

Unfortunately, we had abnormally cold weather this year, and had a snow storm during the ride! What an experience that was. I finished up with cold hands & feet, and a sore rear, but I made it! And I know that what I suffered through is nothing compared to the refugees I was able to help.

Thanks to those who sponsored me!

Xtreme Youth

For the last couple of years, Grace and I have been working with the “Xtreme Youth” (grades 6-8) that go to our church and our parent church.  (Our church is still too small to have it’s own youth group).

Our kick-off for the year was attending a big camping weekend called Jr. Pitch.  It included a great speaker, music, fun activities, and over 900 kids!  We had lots of fun, and didn’t get too wet!

This year, we’re going through a video series with the kids every week, and spend lots of time in smaller groups discussing ideas raised by the video.  It’s been cool to see the kids begin to think about their faith, and how it relates to the world around them.

Please pray for us as we continue to invest in the lives of these kids.  We need wisdom, patience, and lots of energy!

We’ve Moved!

In our last newsletter, we told you all about how we were hoping to move. Well guess what? We did! In September, we moved into to a small townhouse in Waterloo.

It’s a 15 minute drive from the office, closer to our parents, and in a nice community. We have several friends living in our complex, beautiful surroundings and space for the kids to play.

We’ve been enjoying a real kitchen, a small office in the laundry room for myself, space to entertain, and a price that’s within our reach.

What a blessing this is for us. Thanks so much for praying for us as we looked for a new place.

Please pray for us as we get to know our new neighbors, and that God would be glorified in our time here.

What has Steve been up to?

It’s been quite a while since the last newsletter, hasn’t it? I’ve been busy developing various resources that are helping IT Canada to be more effective in it’s Mission.

I’ve set up a site that brings news from many of our missionaries around the world. This provides a great place for those interested in what International Teams is doing to read about the latest happenings from the perspective of our missionaries. Check out news.iteams.ca from time to time. There’s some great reading there. You can even add it to your RSS reader or Yahoo Home Page.

We’ve also launched our new web site. You can check it out at www.iteams.ca .

Another big project we’ve been working on here is a replacement for our antiquated electronic communications systems. The first step was to replace our email server with a free service that seems to be working much better, and with very little administration on our part. And the less time we spend maintaining servers, the more we have to do more useful things!

Between all of this, I’ve also worked on other projects including our annual Ride For Refugees, and assisting other teams in the field.

It’s been exciting to see how my knowledge and abilities have been used to help IT Canada be more effective. Thanks so much for your part in making this possible!

Dirt, Bugs, and Other Gross Stuff

My days are quite full with both Aris and Zane. Aris is three now (hard to believe) and Zane is ten months old. Aris can count to thirteen reliably (higher than that the numbers get mixed up). And she can spell both her name and her favorite thing — her sucky.

Today Aris pooped in her potty (a big achievement), and so she got to go to the candy store to get a reward. She wanted chocolate-covered grasshoppers, but they were all out, so instead she got flavored larvae (worms). Yes, she is strange.

Zane also enjoys putting weird and wonderful things in his mouth. This week alone, I have fished out a snail shell, magnets, stones and wiped away lots of dirt.

We are all enjoying the wonderful weather and most of Zane's enjoyment and exploration seems to be orally. Zane is now crawling and pulling himself up so he is in to everything.

Aris is learning what Zane can't eat. However she is not above helping her brother with his explorations. I was hanging out laundry when I noticed that Aris was feeding her brother dirt. :)

Life is never ever dull around here. :)

The Bottom Line

A debate has been going on in Missions circles for years regarding finances and support raising.  How much information should you share?  Should you ever ask anyone for money?

In the past, I’ve been more conservative in my approach, but am beginning to recognize that my supporters do need to know where we’re at, and those God has called to support us need to know our needs.  Hopefully this brief info will help.

Praise God, our needs have been met so far.  God is good.  As a result of the parental leave I took last year, we have a surplus in our ministry account.  Unfortunately, on a monthly basis, we have about $1000 more going out than coming in.  As a result, at current rates we’ll run out of money next April.  On top of this, we really should be saving for car replacement, retirement, life insurance, etc., and will need to upgrade to a larger living space.

The bottom line — we need $1000 more per month by April of next year, and more than that in order to meet our other needs long-term.

Would you pray about how you might be a part of God’s provision?  Thanks so much if you already are.  Feel free to contact me if you want to know more.

Prayer Items

Thanks so much for your continued prayer!  Here’s a few things you can be praying about:

• Wisdom in projects I’m working on, that God would be glorified in them


• Continued healing for Grace


• Financial provision for our family and ministry


• Wisdom in raising Aris and Zane


• That God would use us in other areas of ministry — youth group, ministry to single moms, working with our church

 

How is Grace doing?

Much better.

I still have bad days, but on the whole the combination of lots of prayer, medication and counseling has worked wonders. The warmer weather has helped immensely as well. I love springtime.

Recently God has been doing a lot of work in my life, both in terms of making me resolve hurts from the past and also in dealing with significant heart issues.

Several weeks ago, during communion God confronted me with an issue I didn't even know I had. I realized that I tend to be cynical and jaded and expect God to disappoint me. After the initial surprise, I confessed and asked God to help me to have the heart of a child, to expect Him to come through.

The next day, a co-worker told of us of a house to rent in Elmira. After initially dismissing the idea, we prayed about it, and sensed God telling us to check it out. The house was perfect. It was exactly what we were looking for, and had all the characteristics of my dream house. However, it was much more than we could afford. God had to come through in a big way for us to get this house.

Well, God decided that this wasn't the house for us and we didn't get the money. That was extremely hard for me. I cried a lot. I felt so abandoned by God. I felt set up by God, that He made me let down my guard only to hurt me. I spent a week trying to figure out what was going on, and feeling extremely hurt by God.

Yesterday, a fellow missionary was sharing in my mom's group. She shared how there were times when she felt so lonely and so abandoned by God, but when she looks back now, she sees how his timing was perfect. And as she shared, I heard God saying "See, I haven't abandoned you. Wait and be patient".

I have no clue as to what God is doing, but I am once again confident that He is in control and has good plans for my life (Jer. 29:11).

How does Steve fit in?

International Teams Canada’s vision is to help the church be all they can be.  My role is to help International Teams Canada be all they can be.

I do this within my area of expertise — graphic design, video production, software & systems development.  By developing training and promotional resources, we can more effectively help the church.  By developing back-office software systems, I can help our office staff to be more effective in their individual ministries.

And as we all become more effective, Jesus Christ is made known to more people, and more lives are transformed by His power!

We also hope to work more closely with our own church as they become more strategic in their mission involvement.

IT Canada’s Vision

To be a catalytic force in the establishment of 100 multiplying Global Mission Churches in Canada by 2016

At IT Canada, we love the local church. It’s the body of Christ, and his bride. And at IT we’re committed to the church “owning” the Great Commission.

It’s not just a matter of getting more missionaries. IT Canada wants to see more Canadian churches discovering and living out their own unique vision for global mission. When the church catches a vision, the strategy follows... teams, interns, career missionaries, global partnerships.

God has a great plan for each church, and we want to help churches discover and live out that great plan.

If becoming a Global Mission Church is a compelling vision for your future, then join us on the journey.

What is a Global Mission Church?

A GMC is a Canadian church that is:

1. Strategic in its mission initiative


2. Mobilizing multiple teams, interns, career missionaries and mission consultants


3. Adopting a global mission and “owning” the ministry. Along with local initiatives that mirror global connections, and strong financial backing for both these initiatives


4. Multiplying itself, through networks. It is empowered and, training other churches in global mission.

If you’d like to talk with us more about this, we’d love to hear from you! You can call at 519-669-8844 x225 or email Mika.Takamaki@iteams.org.

Moving?

No, we’re not moving yet, but we want to. There’s lots of reasons for this — rising gas prices, a growing family, tight living conditions. We would love to move to Elmira. This would enable me to walk to work, and give Grace greater access to the car.

But there’s a big challenge. The place we’re in currently has been a real blessing — we’re living in a friend’s basement, and the rent we’ve been paying has been really low. The challenge is that with really tight finances, we currently can’t afford much.

Please pray for us about this:

• That God would give us wisdom in where we should go, and


• That those God has called to help with this financially would respond.

What has Steve been up to?

People have been asking me what I’ve been doing lately. And rightfully so. My ministry is to develop resources that help IT Canada be more effective in its Mission. I’ve been busy!

I’ve done the design work for a faster, more useful web site that will hopefully be launched in the next month or so when all the content is ready for it.

I’ve also launched a Blogging system that we’ve begun to use. The vision is to provide a place where our staff, missionaries and short term teams can write about what’s been happening in their lives and ministries. It is not only a great way for them to keep their supporters up to date, but a way for the larger community (including you!) to read about what God is doing around the world. You can check it out at blogs.iteams.ca. As we get more missionaries on it, it will have even more exciting stuff to read!

I have also been hard at work on a training video — “Creating hope for Children in Crisis”. I’ve got a first draft of it done. It will be a valuable resource for teams going to work with children who’ve had hard lives.

I recently set up a “video conference” system using Skype and webcams that enables us to virtually bring in great trainers/presenters from around the world for free!

I’m now working on an email/calendar/contacts/… system. When complete, it will enable us to collaborate more closely with each other in the office, other staff around the world, and church mission consultants across Canada.

What an exciting thing it’s been to be a part of God’s work around the world. And by your involvement in my ministry, you are a part of this team too!