Note from Neil Ostrander

Dear Friends of Steve Van Bruwaene,

I am writing you today on behalf of Steve to inform you of some major changes we're making at International Teams of Canada.  As you know, Steve has been working under the leadership of Craig Bauman who is the director of our Encounter Teams program.  After a series of meetings with Craig, we've made the decision to close down Encounter Teams. 

As you can imagine, this is a difficult decision for us.  However, there are several elements that we counted on to “feed” interns into Encounter Teams that have simply not materialized.  After much consultation we've concluded that we as an organization are just ahead-of-our-time in the development of such a program.  While we may pick up this approach sometime in the future, I need to state unequivocally that we are no longer pursuing interns for Encounter Teams.  We continue to mobilize individual interns with our teams around the world, but the Encounter Teams approach will not be pursued. 

Also, Craig and Steve's leadership is so valuable to us that we are eager to deploy them in areas where they can be more effective and leverage their personal strengths.  So, while it is difficult to let go of a dream, we are confident that God is leading us in these decisions. 

Steve has demonstrated his Godly character and his ministry skills to us and other leaders within IT. During his time in the Philippines he was able to offer practical help while learning some valuable lessons in cross-cultural ministry. Gani Sison, our East Asian director said to me; “Steve is a real hero around here! He has helped us with problems that we’ve been trying to get fixed for months!”

Steve is also heading to Athens to work with our Refugee Team there. I know they will be thrilled to have Steve’s help. I was just there with a team and I was reminded that our Athens Team needs dedicated young men like Steve. I would be excited to see Steve get “grounded” there as we will be sending a number of short-term teams to Athens this next year. Steve would then be available to join some of these teams and help them be more effective in their ministry in Athens.

While the Athens trip is “set” and we have some initial ideas about how Steve can be used in the future, we want to seek the input and advice of leaders from Steve’s home church. I expect the process to unfold during the first part of the New Year.

Can I ask you to join with me in praying for Steve? He is a quality young man with a genuine desire to serve God. He will need our encouragement during this time of transition and re-deployment.

If you have questions about International Teams Canada please do not hesitate to call Craig or me at (519) 669-8844.

Blessings to you,

Neil Ostrander

President & CEO

Important Update

Wednesday January 7, 2004

Greetings Friends!

I trust you have all had a good Christmas break.  Mine has been rather different than normal, with lots to share.

Many of you have been praying for the next Encounter Teams program – that God would raise up participants for that program, so we’d be able to have a team this summer.  Well, it seems that God has other plans, and we are again faced with not having any participants.  As a result of this, and other things we are working through as an organization, the leadership here at International Teams Canada (ITC) has decided to bring Encounter Teams to a close.  I’ve included a letter from Neil Ostrander, the President of ITC, which will give you some more info on this.

As a result of this change, I find myself in a position where I am still excited about missions and International Teams (IT), but needing to work through where I can fit now.

At the same time, there are other developments in my own life.  This past fall, I've been getting to know a nice girl at the church I'm attending here in Waterloo.   Grace and I started dating in mid-December.  This has actually been quite a surprise to me – the whole thing has been very unlike anything I had expected, or sought after, but instead something that God seems to have orchestrated.  One of many surprises for me is that she’s a single mom.  A while back, through a series of bad situations and choices, she ended up getting pregnant.  Her pregnancy and subsequent birth of Aris (her daughter) has given Grace the drive to get her life back on track with God, and she is becoming a great woman of God.

Obviously things are still fairly new, so we'll see where God takes this relationship, but it is beginning to look like another development in my life that's likely to have an impact on the process of reshaping my role in the coming months and years.

I recall a year and a half ago when I was working through where God was calling me, it became clear that He was pointing me in the direction I ended up heading this past year.  But the destination was never clear.  It was more like God was saying, “start walking in that direction.  I’ll tell you what you need to know as you go along.”  It seems Encounter Teams was not the final destination, but simply something He placed in the path for a time to help prepare me for whatever He has in store.  It will be exciting to see what He continues to do along the way.

Would you pray for all of us (leaders at ITC, Grace, myself, church leaders, etc.) as we seek God’s direction in the coming months?  We are considering several possibilities in the area of mobilization, short-term teams, local ministries, and perhaps other things as well. Please be praying that it would become clear where God would have me serve next, and that we would all get excited about it.

Long before the decision to close down Encounter Teams, I was planning to join our Athens Refugee Team for a month.  I’ll be leaving this Saturday.  Among many other things, this should be a great time to think through and even explore various possibilities for future ministry, and to learn more about myself as well.  Please be praying that I would be a real blessing to the team there, and that I would be open to all God has to teach me while I’m away.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers, especially during this time.

For His Glory,

Steve.

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/