Joshua and Tamara Mathew
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mathewmeanderings

We've been part of God's plan to share the Gospel with the unreached for a while now… this is what that looks like, sometimes.

Our friends, Adam and Rachel serve in West Africa. Our friends, Adam and Rachel serve in West Africa. “We were given the opportunity to visit the village of the team we are hoping to join! … It gave us a much better idea of what the needs are and the breadth of the work there among the ‘B’ people.” There are a few believers in this village of 1,200, and the missionary team is working to strengthen these believers in the Word. They would also like to go through the chronological teaching again. Pray as, "...there has been much opposition to this in the past.” The team meets together this month to determine if Adam and Rachel will be joining the team in this village. Join us in praying for them, that they will be ready for whatever God is doing!
Our team has just launched a new resource called t Our team has just launched a new resource called the Great Commission Course, created for small groups, large groups or individuals. The course is completely free and open to everyone. There are eight sessions, including videos, with guided notes and discussion times. They're designed to answer questions such as: What is missions? What does God have to say about those who have never heard? How can I be a part of it? How can my church be a part of it? Pray that this course will be a beneficial tool for churches and small groups as they explore the Great Commission. Pray that God will use this to stir people’s hearts towards missions — the harvest is plentiful. Access this (and 7other GREAT classes, all free!) at learn.e360bible.org
None of Them Have Heard Bobby and Sandy Jank, serv None of Them Have Heard
Bobby and Sandy Jank, serving remotely, minister to the Yanomamö people of Latin America. Praise God that despite some big changes throughout the country, the Yanomamö are still able to do Bible studies with Bobby over video call. One participant, Pepi, recently had this to say, “I still don’t know very much. And all the people here around me (he names off eight different villages) none of them — none of them — have heard about God, about salvation, or about Jesus. They don’t know anything at all, but even so, would you pray for all of them? Jesus died for them too, and they are alive because of God. They don’t know this, but God knows everything.” Pray that God would continue to work in Pepi’s heart and that He would make a way for these eight villages to hear and understand His Word.

How will God use you to bring the gospel to the unreached? ethnos360.org/find-your-fit
Just completed reading the Bible in one year. What Just completed reading the Bible in one year. What an amazing experience! 
Obviously, I've been able to be a student of the Word for many years. Probably even could honestly say that I've read every book in the Bible, multiples of times, but this would have to be the first time I've read it through chronologically. Wow, what a story! 
Once again, I'd be remiss to state that it should be obvious that the Bible is a "shoe-in" for inspired story telling.  And it is! With as crazy as our summer has been, I genuinely believe that the pieces of my mind have only held together by the continual renewing of my mind by reading and meditating on the Word of God. If you haven't read through chronologically, I'd highly recommend that you start.  Message me if you'd like my sequence that I shamelessly borrowed from other, smarter people!
What have you guys been doing? Lot's of stuff… b What have you guys been doing? Lot's of stuff...
bit.ly/mathewmeanderings
Celebrating 20 Years of Ministry! It has been qui Celebrating 20 Years of Ministry!  It has been quite a while!

On a sunny afternoon in June 2005, Tamara and I officially became missionaries with New Tribes Mission.  20 years (and some other things!) later, we’re still trying to make sure that people that have never heard of Jesus can have the opportunity to hear that God loves them. 

2025 has been busy and looking back is sometimes harder than I think it should be, but God is good and protects those who trust in His name. Psalm 91 tells me so!
They'll probably kill me for the pic, but this is They'll probably kill me for the pic, but this is what it sounds like when they're home together.  We love it, and it IS loud.  2024 has been a year full of the stuff of life.  We enjoyed some of it and didn't enjoy some of it, too.  But the constant through it all was (and always has been!) God's love and we know that and want those that never got to hear that, KNOW that.
It's June 2024 and here's another update! Click th It's June 2024 and here's another update! Click the link in the bio...
I wish I had a more fun update to give you all tod I wish I had a more fun update to give you all today, but…  I had to send this out this morning: “Hey everybody, I've got some bad news for the chat. Addie and I will not be able to make this trip due to health concerns (for myself.) I went into the ER on Sunday evening to deal with a surprise case of cellulitis (and concerns of potential sepsis!) They've pumped me full of antibiotics and prescribed 10 more days of 2 more of them (they don't mess around with this one.) Needless to say, the "awesomeness" of this trip (being outside the city, on location) made it a clear decision, for the doctors, that I had no business being in the far out places of SE Africa. Addie, being a minor still, was an unacceptable complication for the rest of the team to take on.  While both of us dislike the way this works out, we know that God is not surprised or limited by our frailty, and we will make plans for the future, ASAP.” 
At this point, the rest of the group is still able to go.  There are other leaders that are able to meet them in-country and guide them through the sessions and make sure the all the travel is as safe as possible. 
Please keep Addie in your prayers.  She’s been VERY excited about this opportunity to “see what it looks like.” We’ve always tried to explain what Ethnos360 does, but words and two-dimensional pictures, can’t compete with sights and sounds and smells and tastes of what it is to know who it is that has never heard of God.  That Encounter changes lives.  She’s disappointed (but taking it like a champ on the outside, maybe so that Dad doesn’t feel worse?) that she can’t make the trip.  Maybe ask that Addie would find contentment in God’s provision through it?  I think it’s safe to say that it was profoundly impactful for her to see God’s provision through His people.  I know she’ll be sending out her own update, PDQ. 
In the meantime, please keep my health in your prayers as well.  Cellulitis is no joke, and I’m too familiar with the proposed punchline to continue enjoying it.  I’m already talking to doctors to try and minimize further recurrences.
A broken arm, a mangled tongue, and a leaky baseme A broken arm, a mangled tongue, and a leaky basement. Also Thanksgiving and a wee bit of Christmas.
A couple of the new experiences in this place: Ou A couple of the new experiences in this place:  Our oldest daughter is a student at the same place we work and we get to go "church shopping." Painful privileges of living in a peaceful province... 
wow, that was cheesy!
All the latest updates! "Mayflowers bring Junebugs All the latest updates! "Mayflowers bring Junebugs? Maybe not, but it has been busy!"
We learned a lot, but we still don't know when thi We learned a lot, but we still don't know when this will happen.  We're pretty sure that, what we do know, until we learn more, is this: 
1.	I need to have a partial nephrectomy.
2.	Dr. Weizer prefers robotic surgery, so this will most likely be robotic.
3.	We will have the surgery after Memorial Day.
4.	The surgery will likely take about 2-3 hours.
5.	Recovery could require 4 to 12 weeks.
6.	Our move date may need to be pushed back, due to the surgical timeline.
7.	We should have a surgery date within the next few days.
Want to know when we're moving to Wisconsin? Here Want to know when we're moving to Wisconsin?

Here's “just the bullets” version: 

•	A Good Word from God’s Word! Our outlook will be determined by our “uplook.” Ps. 43 & Philippians & Revelation 21
•	Ministry Partner Development (MPD) Update: Praise! 64% Supported.  Still looking for prayer partners AND monthly financial donors.
•	Ethnos360 Gen. Update:  Many more brothers and sisters in Christ around the world!  Students at the BI and online!
•	Family Update: We are looking forward to being “moved in.” Not necessarily, "looking forward to..." all the other parts of that process, though.
•	Next Qtr MPD Forecast: More meetings, more opportunities to share the ministry of Ethnos360 and what God is doing. We’re trying to stay busy with MPD through May.
•	Movin’ News:  Waukesha ETA- Mid July.  Got any moving boxes?
Since March is Reading Month, maybe now is a good Since March is Reading Month, maybe now is a good time to share this:
Quick PNG Literacy Project Update

Tobi Magill ministers as a nurse in Papua New Guinea. “As many of you heard me talk during my 2019 home assignment, the development of literacy stepping stones has been an important project for NTM-PNG. None of us learned how to read and then jumped from Dick and Jane to encyclopedic knowledge and reading comprehension all at once. We needed lots of opportunities to practice and grow our reading speed, comprehension and skill levels. In the same way, for our new learners here in their heart languages, we are developing a library of books from which their translators can select and translate from the trade language of Tok Pisin into the heart language. And several of you are participating in this through your writing, art and editing skills. So, a quick update for you all: Over 70 books are currently in progress; all areas of the process still need personnel; but some areas more than others. [There is] so much for people to learn and know, so much more yet to be written and translated and published.” #ethnos360 #millionsunreachednoneunreachable
It’s always hard to know where to start a story, It’s always hard to know where to start a story, especially for me… 
Do any of you remember what you were doing in 1996? Me? Early winter? It was my senior year and I wanted to be done. I was getting ready to punch in at the Stockbridge IGA...
But Tamara (yet to be known as my beautiful wife!) was already thinking about how she was going to serve God that summer! In 1996 she went to Venezuela and began to see some of the ways that God was drawing hearts to Christ. Through street evangelism and dramas that drew in parents and children, her ministry team was able to connect local evangelical churches with people who had questions.  Back in the USA, Tamara was an active member of her youth group at church and a “living epistle” in her high school hallways.  While I may be a little biased, I am aware that she isn’t perfect.  God was continuing to grow her up in her daily walk with Him, and our family is certainly glad that she was looking for more ways to share the love of Christ.
There is sweet, sweet fellowship in the communion There is sweet, sweet fellowship in the communion of saints!  Thank you @jasonwilliamsonpng for sharing the work that God is doing through @ethnos360 to share the love of Christ!  What a joy to be on the same team as this guy and his family.  And to have partners like @fbccharlottemi holding the ropes so faithfully!
September flew by! It seems like each week we kee September flew by!  It seems like each week we keep waiting to hear that normal is returning goes by twice as fast… 
God is faithful!  I know this isn’t a shocking statement, but His faithfulness continues to amaze us!  We remain encouraged and challenged by His mercies (camping revelations) and generous provision (ministry partners)
I’m going to ramble a bit, and then we can shake it all out…
I was surprised as I sat next to the campfire.  It was country dark in the campground, and I could hear the faint hum of the highway 5 miles south.  I rocked back in my chair and the number of stars that I could see stunned me.  It had been too long since the last time I just looked at them and pondered their creator. I flashed to the thought of my brothers in Christ in Magkalungkay and Simbari.  Sure, they looked at stars in the southern hemisphere, but they were still stars that I had seen, in quantities that appeared to surpass even this!  And then I thought how many years had passed as humankind sat around fires and wondered about those stars, and the stories they told and the things they planned and the conversations they had about all the mundane details of life.  When THE fire was THE place to gather at the end of the day because there was no other place that offered warmth and light.  And then I started thinking that if I didn’t go get some sleep the boys would run me ragged the next day, so I climbed into my 23yo camper and fell asleep in my fluffy flannel sheets on the lumpy innerspring mattress. 
In the morning when I dragged my carcass out of bed, and got the ‘cowboy coffee’ all brewed, and hurried back to the firepit because it was all of 41 degrees ‘warm’ outside, I began to think about how much like fire we humans really are.
Good times with family and great times in God's co Good times with family and great times in God's country!  Summertime in MI.  God is always doing something bigger than we can ask or imagine!  Do you have the faith to trust Him, to use YOU, to accomplish His plans? It's never a dull ride!
This woman: I still don't know how she can study w This woman: I still don't know how she can study with 3 boys running around her, 2 daughters singing showtunes, and the 3rd asking questions, but she does!
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Joshua and Tamara Mathew

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