Prayer Corner

Thanks so much for your ongoing prayer.  It means so much to us.

Here are some things you can be praying about:

• Pray for God’s direction in the evolution of Steve’s ministry with International Teams


• Pray for wisdom for Grace and Steve as we seek to raise our kids well


• Pray for wisdom and guidance as we seek to lead the youth at our church well


• Pray for opportunities to connect with our neighbors, kids friends parents, and others in our community

What were they thinking?

We've been leading a youth group in our home this fall, and it's been a lot of fun! At the moment, it's usually just guys that come, which makes for a very interesting dynamic. For some reason, the moose has been a recurring theme. We looked at the parable of the soils (Mark 4), and the kids re-told it. One of the retellings somehow involved moose looking for new places to live. For our church's Christmas service, each cell group will be doing something from the Christmas story. Our guys want to have the 3 wise men riding in on moose.

It's been exciting to see the guys get involved. When we started, we had guys that only seemed able to share silly things, and are now taking part in more serious portions of the bible studies. Some that hardly said anything are now taking part. We've even seen the guys curb their insults to each other, and actually think more about what they're saying.

Please continue to pray for these guys, and for wisdom for Grace, Sarah (the other leader) and I, as we seek to lead them well.

Traveling on the horizon?

While my primary role with International Teams is working here in the office, Grace and I have also dreamed of leading short term teams periodically. This excites us on many levels. It’s an opportunity to better understand the missionaries and ministries we serve. It’s a chance to benefit them in more ways. And it’s also a great opportunity to serve our churches and friends here in Canada.

In the coming years, we’re hoping to take teams from our church, as well as teams of friends & supporters.

Would you pray with us as we seek guidance from our church leaders and colleagues here at IT about what our next steps would be in moving towards this dream?

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

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

 

Thanks for praying!

Sorry it's taken so long to give you an update. My breathing has been much better. A doctor gave me a puffer, and some other drugs to get the breathing going again, and our friends have put their cats in the basement while we are here. As a result, I've been breathing much better.

We'll be in halifax till sunday, and then heading back to Ontario through the states, visiting some
family on the way.

Thanks for your prayers and the good sugestions I received from a bunch of you. I'll look forward to connecting with you again soon!

Steve.

Please pray for Steve's health

Hey all!

Sorry I've been so tardy in keeping you up to date lately. As many of you know, I've been on parental leave for a while while Grace gets back to full health after Zane's birth. Things have been generally going quite well. Grace is getting better almost every day, and her depression has been getting much better. Thanks so much for your prayer in this.

At the moment, we're on a trip to the east cost visit with friends & family, do some support raising, and do some sightseeing. It's been generally a good time. We've had some good visits with more to come. Please pray for guidance in some of these talks.

One challenge we've run into however is my allergies. I'm allergic to cats, and the friends we're staying with have 2. I brought some good antihistamines along, hoping they would deal with the problem. Well, no runny nose or itchy eyes, but I've been experiencing a real shortness of breath & resulting lack of energy that seems kinda like Asthma -- something I've never struggled with before (aside from a few really minor incidents with my in laws cats.) I seem to be OK for about a day before it kicks in now. The challenge is that we have been planing to be staying here for most of 2 weeks. Please pray for us -- wisdom in knowing what to do, protection from it getting worse, and even healing.

Thanks so much!

Steve.

Please pray for Grace

Greetings friends,

Thanks so much for your congratulations for the birth of our son Zane. It's been great to know we have friends!

Could you be really praying for Grace now. As I've mentioned, she's suffering postpartum depression, and has been having some really rough days recently. We sense there's a lot of spiritual warfare going too, so we really need you during this time to be in prayer for her.

Thanks so much.

Steve.

Greetings Friends!

Hello all!  I trust you are doing well.

As many of you know, Grace and I are expecting, and the baby is almost ready to arrive!  Grace is due June 21, so it could be any time now.  Grace is wanting to get the baby out!  And I am very excited too.

Could you be praying for all of us during this exciting time, that everything would go well -- that Grace and the little one would be healthy, that Aris would adjust well to being a big sister, and that I and others around them would know how best to be a support.

Another area of prayer is for Grace afterwards.  While she did not suffer postpartum depression with Aris, she is at somewhat higher risk than many, so please be praying that she's protected from it this time too.

Thanks so much.  I'll look forward to sending another email when the baby arrives!

Your Friend,
Steve.

Prayer Corner

Thanks so much for all your prayer. That has truly been what has gotten us to this point. Here are some things that you can be praying about in the coming weeks:

• That we would learn how to get the sleep & time with God we need as we raise Aris


• That God would continue to grow our relationship with Him and each other


• That God would continue to provide for us, and that those He’s called to be a part of our team would respond in His time


• That God would be guiding each of us as we seek to serve Refugees in Kitchener

God knows exactly what He's doing!

Tuesday May 18, 2004

God knows exactly what He's doing!

Isn't it cool to be able to look back, and see what God's been able to do, especially when things weren’t obvious at the time? The last few years of my life have been like that. Since Encounter Teams got shut down at Christmas, I have wondered what God’s been up to. But God's been at work in everything around me, and as I look back, I'm able to see some really exciting things.

During the last few months of transition to my new role, I’ve been able to work on various projects at the office – things that will help us to be more effective in helping to mobilize and sustain our missionaries in the field, that more might hear the gospel. So while at times, I wondered why I wasn’t jumping into “My New Role”, I was able to be involved in kingdom-building work. God knew what needed to be done, and who was able to do it.

During this time, some new opportunities have also developed in the area of refugee ministry in Kitchener-Waterloo that look like a better fit for me than what I likely would have gotten into had I jumped in a few months earlier. Isn’t it great to know that an all-knowing God is the one directing our paths?

This time has also been quite beneficial for Grace. In addition to having the chance to shape a role that she can be a part of, God has been using the time to help her work through some of the stresses that come with ministry life. Grace has, from day one, been supportive of me in where God is calling me, but at the same time has found the idea of living on support pretty scary. Over the last few months, God has been at work in her in that area in all sorts of ways, preparing her for this new life. It’s been exciting to see related discussions come up in small group, chances for her to talk with other missionaries about this, etc. I guess God is good at preparing people for what He calls them to.

International Teams (IT) holds a conference every year to provide times for our ministry leaders from around the world to get together for teaching, worship, connecting and renewal. This year, it happened to be hosted right here in Waterloo. In addition to serving the larger IT community, it was a great opportunity for us to connect with many different missionaries from around the world. Grace was especially blessed by the time – she went from being supportive of me in where God has called me, to feeling that IT is a very good fit for her (“perhaps even the best fit”), being excited about what IT is doing, and feeling a growing passion for refugee ministry. She also got to know a number of our missionaries, and built some great friendships. Again, more signs that God knows exactly what He’s doing in preparing us.

It has been exciting to be able to share what God has been doing in my life and ministry with some of you, and to see how God has provided up to this point. One of my financial supporters recently indicated that as his wedding gift, he’s planning to raise his monthly support for our ministry. What an encouragement that’s been to us. I’d love to chat with more of you in the coming months about what God has been doing, so if I don’t track you down first, please feel free to ask!

Thanks so much for your continued interest, prayer, and support of our ministry. Please pray:

• That God would continue to guide as details of our ministry fall into place.


• That He would be protecting us as we prepare for marriage and ministry together. The evil one would like nothing better than to sidetrack us, so please pray that his efforts are confounded.


• Praise God for how He continues to provide. Please keep praying that more people would catch the vision as we begin communicating in the coming months where God is taking us.

Thanks so much for standing with us!

For His glory,
Steve

Lots of news!

Wednesday March 24, 2004

“How would you like to marry me?” “I’d love to.”

Those words were spoken as Grace and I walked along the Grand River in Kitchener near her parents’ home earlier this month. We’re engaged, and planning to be married on July 10th of this year! It’s exciting to see where God has taken each of us over the last few years to bring us to this point. He’s been preparing each of us for each other, and all that He has for us.

As you know, I had the opportunity to spend a month in Athens recently, working with refugees in a refugee drop-in center started by International Teams (IT). It was a great time to learn more about refugees, and some of the things that I can do to help. It was also an exciting way to serve the people there, build relationships, and have an impact on the lives of others.

Many of you are aware that my role with IT is in transition as well. Several years ago, I felt called by God out of employment in the computer industry into ministry with IT. I sensed God saying “start walking in that direction. I’ll tell you what you need to know as you go along.” So I did. I pursued the ministry He directed me to, and began walking down that road. After a year, it became clear that the particular program I was involved with wasn’t going as IT had hoped (although the ministry of IT as a whole is still thriving). The decision was made to shut that program down. However my call has remained the same – “keep walking down this road, and I’ll tell you what you need to know as you go along”. I’m excited about what He has next.

So, what will I be doing? There are a couple of areas I’ll be involved in here at IT – mobilization and refugee ministry. While details still need to be finalized and we’re seeking input from church leaders, what’s next is firming up.

One of IT Canada’s mandates is to assist the church in Canada in raising up people to mission. I’ll be able to contribute to this effort in a number of ways – traveling with several short-term teams that go out each year, building relationships with team members and encouraging them in wherever God might be calling them. If you’d like to be a part of one of the teams, let me know! I’ll also be able to participate in various projects related to mobilization – developing communication resources (videos, web sites, print, etc.), and developing various computer systems that will assist us in being more effective in our efforts. It’s exciting to have opportunities to make use of skills God has developed in me over the years.

I will also be involved in refugee ministry locally. IT Canada has been developing a new ministry to new immigrants in the Kitchener-Waterloo area this past year. There are opportunities for Grace and I to participate in this, connecting with new families and/or individuals to the area. IT is also in the process of setting up a refugee discipleship/housing project in the area that we may be able to work with in the coming years.

Thanks so much for your continued interest and prayer. It is so valued and needed! Please keep praying:

• Praise God for our engagement. Pray that Grace and I would be prepared for what God has for us
  


• Praise God for the opportunities He has for us. Pray for wisdom & guidance as we continue to make decisions about my role
  


• Please pray for spiritual protection as well. When people are doing what God would have them do, the evil one tends to do what ever he can to confound it

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

For His glory,
Steve

Athens Update #2

Friday January 30, 2003

Greetings from Athens!

A fair bit has happened since my last letter a couple of weeks ago. I’ve had the opportunity to take part in many aspects of the ministry here, get to know both the staff, and some of the refugees better, and do some more sightseeing.

During one of the drop-in times, I had the opportunity to work with the children here. Briare, a young Albanian boy comes here quite often. His father is a blind man who sells cigarettes on street corners to make some money. His mother is mentally ill, and generally not in his life at all. The result is a young boy who is quite a handful – I guess that’s the only way he know to get attention. While there are children like this back home, Briare is a refugee who doesn’t have the same services and safety net available to him that we’ve grown used to. Please pray for him, and the many other children like him.

I’ve also been kept busy teaching an English class, helping in the kitchen, playing backgammon with refugees, cleaning up tables, etc. I’ve also gotten to have some great talks with some of the refugees, staff, and volunteers here. It’s been exciting to see the diversity of the body of believers, and how we are all able to work together so well.

Another exciting opportunity I’ve had here is in building relationships with other short term people that have come through the ministry. Sky was here for just over a week. He’s been traveling through Europe for several months, visiting a number of missionaries as he explores his future in ministry. I had the opportunity to have a number of great discussions with him about missions, ministry, life, and things he could be doing in the future. These sorts of talks are things that always excite me, and something I’d love to be able to do a lot more of.

I’ve also had the opportunity to do some more sightseeing here. A couple of weeks ago, I got to visit ancient Corinth. The top right picture is one of me at the Bema Seat where Paul was brought in Acts 18:12. Seeing sights that are referred to in the bible has been pretty exciting – it helps to make those passages come more alive for me. I also had a chance to see more of the ruins in Athens, including the marketplace near Mars Hill. In that area, there are ruins of many temples, shrines, places of worship, etc. to many gods, just like Paul mentioned when he spoke to the philosophers and leaders there.

I’ve also included several other pictures of my time in Corinth. One is a picture of the bathhouse in Corinth. Also, above the main city of Corinth, is Acrocorinth, the more secure part of the city at the top of the mountain. There, we were able to explore the ruins of what looks like a military fortress. Being quite a high point, it also provided an amazing view.

As you might expect, this time away has also been quite a learning time for both Grace and I as we have to deal with being apart for an extended period of time. I’m excited to say that the relationship continues to deepen as a result. It’s been tough at times, but good too. Before leaving on this trip, we had wondered what would happen between us. Distance like this can be a real acid-test of a relationship. Sometimes, people forget about each other, while other times, they really miss each other. Both reactions say a lot about their real feelings for each other. It has been exciting to see my feelings for Grace grow as a result of my time away. Would you be praying for the two of us? Our relationship is getting quite serious. Please be praying that God would continue to teach us lots during this time, and that we would continue to seek His guidance in where He would have this relationship go.

Thanks so much for your prayer, encouragement and support during this time, as I grow, and seek God’s continued direction in my life. Praise Him for what He’s doing, and continue to pray that it would become clear where He wants me next.

For His glory,
Steve.

Hello from Athens!

Friday January 16, 2003

Greetings Friends!

I’ve been in Athens for almost a week now. I hear people have been starting to wonder how things have been going. What has Steve been up to?

Well I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy. I arrived this past Sunday afternoon. Monday is the day off for the missionaries here, so I had the opportunity to get a tour of the city, and see some of the historic sites. I’ve included a few pictures here, including Mars Hill, where Paul spoke to a meeting of the Areopagus in Acts 17. It was basically a large rock that people could sit on and talk. It’s been kept essentially the way it was, aside from a plaque with Acts 17 written on it in Greek.

Tuesday and Thursday of this week, I had the opportunity to go into the Athens Refugee Center (ARC) that International Teams started 13 years ago. It’s a drop-in center for Refugees that are passing through, or hoping to settle in Athens. Currently, the refugees are primarily from Sudan, Somalia, Iraq (both Iraqis and Kurds), Iran, and Afghanistan.

At the ARC, we hand out food to around 400 people, have space for them to sit and talk, play games, and watch the Jesus video. The video is usually playing in one of the languages represented by the people that come in.

I’ve had the opportunity to sit with several of the men, and play Backgammon, or some other similar game, and talk. It’s been interesting to see the different variants of the game, including ones where the rules seem to change mid-game. Communication with refugees can be a challenge at times, as there’s generally quite a language barrier. So far, the guys I’ve sat with are able to speak a bit of English, but generally not very much. To be able to sit and play a game has been quite helpful, in that it gives me an opportunity to begin building a relationship with the person I’m playing with, time to struggle through simple communication, and try to show Christ’s love.

The team here also runs another ministry they call “The Nest”. It’s a house they open up to refugee families and single men who are seekers or new believers. They have space for 30 people to live for up to a year, and while they’re there, they have bible studies, and various other discipleship opportunities. I had the opportunity to have supper there with a bunch of the people one evening. We had an Iranian meal of rice, and some sort of vegetable and meat sauce we put over the rice. It was quite nice.

Thanks so much for your continued prayer while I’m away. Please continue to pray:

• That I would be a blessing to the team


• That I would be able to build good relationships with the refugees I come in contact, and have opportunities to point them to Christ


• That I would be open to all God has to do in me while I’m here


• That God would continue to direct in next steps in ministry, and my relationship with Grace, and that I’d be willing to follow where He leads

Thanks again for your interest and involvement in my life. May God richly bless you.

For His glory,

Steve Van Bruwaene

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

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/

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.

Christmas 2002 Letter

Christmas, 2002

Greetings in the name of the Lord!

Isn’t this an exciting time of year? There are Christmas Cantatas, Sunday school Christmas programs and decorations going up in many places around us. There are even songs about Christ being played in our shopping malls and on the radio. For many, it’s a wonderful time to be preparing for great family times – shopping for gifts, baking great-tasting treats (or at least testing – often repeatedly). I remember the great anticipation I felt as a child to see what was contained in those boxes under the tree with my name on them. Christmas is also a hard time for some, as they remember the loved ones they used to share it with.

This Christmas season is a special one for me. It has been a time in which I have had to say good-bye to many coworkers, friends, people I’ve had the privilege to serve along side of. I’ve been hit by how blessed I’ve been in the last few years. God has brought so many special people into my life, from many different places, and given me the opportunity to do so many different things. I’ve had the privilege to serve and work with many great people at my church, on the streets and with a great board of directors. I’ve enjoyed working for a great company, with great people, and doing lots of cool stuff. I’ve had a great time skating with my inline skating club, and have gotten to know many amazing people there. God has been so good!

This Christmas is also a special one as it is likely the last one I’ll be able to celebrate with my family here in Canada for a while. As many of you know, I am now on staff with International Teams Canada (ITC). I will begin 4 months of training in mid-January and then will begin my role as a Team Leader for Encounter Teams, with my first team starting near the end of August.

The last month has been an exciting time for me as I begin to prepare for what is coming. Since I completed my last job at the end of November, I’ve been packing, writing letters, meeting with people to share what God has called me to, and taking care of many other details that have needed my attention during this transition. Please be praying for me that these things do not distract me from having good times with Christ.

It has been exciting to see how God is providing. Several churches and a bunch of individuals have become a part of my team – praying for me and supporting me financially. It has been humbling to see the generosity of a few that have very little, and yet have still wanted to give. Thanks so much to all of you who have responded. You are integral partners with me in this ministry. At the moment, I’m at 24% of my target budget, with 57% coming from individuals. It will be exciting to see God supply as more individuals come on board. For anyone who would like to join my team, let me know, and I’ll tell you more about how you can go about it – or you can use that blue form that was in my last letter.

As you might expect, what sustains every ministry is prayer. I’ve included a “prayer card” with this letter. You can put it up on a bulletin board or attach it to your fridge, as a reminder to remember me in your prayers. Thanks so much for your intercession on my behalf. Here are some things you can bring before the Lord:

• Praise God for how He has supplied, and blessed in so many ways


• Continue to pray that I would be focused on Christ in everything I do, and recognize the attacks of the evil one

Thanks so much! May you have a wonderful Christmas, and a great New Year.

For His glory,
Steve Van Bruwaene