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.