“To Save Us All From Satan’s Power.”

Bringing Christ to Indigenous Peoples                                  Christmas, 2016

To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray

 

On August 5, 2010, an event occurred which drew the world’s attention and proved to be one of the best metaphors for God’s redemptive plan ever recorded.  On that afternoon 33 Chilean miners were trapped in a copper mine because of a cave-in and had absolutely no way of escaping.  Their only hope was someone else rescuing them; they had no way of rescuing themselves.

On the surface, there were teams of engineers working feverishly, figuring out a way to save them and finally after a little over two months in the cave, a drill broke though into the miner’s chamber and a basket was lowered to start lifting each one of the 33 out.  Each one had to get into the cage, which was just enough to squeeze into, and do nothing but let someone else pull them up through the shaft for about 30 minutes to realize their full rescue.

What a wonderful picture of the plight and rescue of mankind.  Adam was above ground at one time and decided to explore a cave called “Independence from God.”  While there, he and his wife experienced a cave-in and there was no way of escape unless someone else provided it.  All of their children were born in that cave and their only hope of escape was to hope that someone would come looking for them.  God bored a small hole down to them and told them that one day, He would rescue them and to trust Him that He would keep His word.

Nearly 4,000 years later, God broke through and lowered a basket to Earth and that basket was the only way that they could be rescued from that cave.  All they had to do was get into the basket and let the Lord pull them up and they would be saved.

Obviously, we get the metaphor.  On the morning that we celebrate as Christmas, the Lord let the basket down to Earth in the Person of Jesus Christ.  He was our only hope, the only “basket” by which we could be brought to God and He pulls us up, one at a time.  How wonderful it is that the Lord used simple people to fulfill His plan.  He still does.

Thank you

Cheryl and I want to thank you all for laboring together with us in the task of reaching the lost in the remotest areas of the world. Without your partnership, we could not have accomplished near as much as we have. We recently counted the number of those whose lives we have been involved in exposing this need and at least 33 people, married and single, are either overseas or in the training to reach the lost in one capacity or another. Thank you all and one day, those tribal people whom you have invested in will meet you in heaven and I am sure that they will want to thank you personally.

Our family

Our family is doing well. Cheryl and I are both healthy and the Lord is giving us all kinds of opportunities to share the needs of tribal people. I (Doug) am trying to eat better and Cheryl and I both walk. Cheryl has always been very disciplined in these areas so I am glad to start and continue down this path.

Our daughter, Leah, is doing well in her job in Mesquite, Texas. She comes back home quite often and we are glad to see her. Daniel and Jane and their two children, Maddie and Henry, are a joy to have around. Cheryl babysits one day a week for these kids. Joel and Katie and their daughter Lacey are also close by and Cheryl gets to look after her on another day during the week.  We so appreciate them and we are happy to announce that they are going to have a son in February. Two granddaughters and two grandsons. This will be nice. We thank the Lord for all of our children and grandchildren.

This past semester

After returning home from PNG in August and resting up a bit, I could start meeting again. I started off in September speaking at Collinsville Community Church near Tulsa and then traveled to Sanford, Florida for some meetings with NTM’s leadership. Then I taught a couple of Perspectives classes in Abilene and Brownwood, Texas and completed that trip at the Missionary Training Center in Missouri. The month closed in Tulsa again sharing with high-schoolers at New Beginnings Church and then meeting some future candidates at our MTC to show them how NTM trains their missionaries.

October was no less busy as I traveled to Manhattan, Kansas to visit some students who were getting married. The rest of October found me reconnecting with supporters, attending Moody Bible Institute’s Mission conference, speaking at Logos Baptist Church in Niles, Illinois, sharing at New Tribes Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin, giving a missions message at First Baptist Church in Independence, Kansas and heading for Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

You would have thought that I must have been really wicked since there is no rest for people like this but November proved me wrong again. I was even more so by the end of the month.

November started out in Indiana at Grace College. The second day I was there I received a call from Cheryl that three men were ringing the doorbell and knocking on the front door at 4:30 AM. They left the car running in the driveway and then evidently cut the screens in the back of the house looking for an unlocked window. She called the police and I came straight home to be with her and the next day put up security lights. She did well and we have worked out an emergency plan for when I am gone. The next week, at her urging, I went to Frontier School of the Bible in Wyoming, Northridge Church in Sabetha, Kansas, the MTC in Missouri and taught Perspectives in Wichita. Then Cheryl and I traveled to the Dallas area and spoke at a supporting church, Northside Baptist Church, and finished by teaching two Perspectives classes in Carrollton and Plano. I went to Tulsa the following week to share with some pastors.  All I need to do now to finish out the year is head to Baltimore after Christmas for a Chinese Mission Conference.

Well, if you were exhausted reading this, imagine having to write it. Cheryl and I are so grateful for your fellowship and partnership in making people aware of those who sit in darkness and need to see a great light.

We are asking the Lord for 100 people this year to give up everything to reach those who have nothing, spiritually speaking, that is. Would you ask the Lord to give us wisdom to present a clear message and to find the right people, faithful people who will labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun.

Thank you and we are looking forward to our progress report next year. (I will be writing in between then and now. (Ha)

May the Spirit of the Lord bless you all during this Christmas Season and help us all to remember that we were once in that cave and because of His Grace and Mercy, He sent His Son into that cave to rescue us.  Praying for you all.

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Keep the faith.

Doug & Cheryl Schaible