Stirring Up Interest? Sure Hope So!

Greetings once again in the lovely name of Jesus!

Our first spring in Albuquerque has been quite a dry time…it has rained maybe twice since February. now we are in June…and so far this month we have gotten 1/10th of an inch. They say monsoon season started a couple weeks ago. OK… …let the rains come. We can surely use them since the last week has seen a number of days hit 100!

We continue to get news from the fields of God doing great things. Tribal people are teaching other tribal people and seeing more and more trust Christ. Recent graduates from NTM’s training program are arriving on the field, getting prepared and moving into locations where they are starting to learn the tribal language and culture. More folks are being trained to go too. A few names follow so you can pray for them. (We can’t include too much information these days, but God knows what is going on in each people group.) Believe it or not, many people who have no access to the Bible in a language they understand actually have access to the internet. Search as they might, they cannot find eternal life. Thanks for praying for them and our laborers as they do all they can to get the Word of God into the heart language of the people.

Some of the people groups with missionaries in various stages of the work:
Dem… Pei … Amdu … Iski … Menya … Bali … Bru … Isnag …  Ga’dang.
Please pray that relationships will be built and trust established so that when the missionaries begin to teach, people will be quick to believe the Word of God and trust in Christ. Pray that the Spirit of God will be drawing people to Himself through the testimonies of the missionaries as they live out daily the truth of the Scriptures.

Some of the many missionary candidates wanting to complete the NTM training and get to the field:
Kent and Brenda, Stephen and Candice, Ray and Jessica…others not shown…Josh and Felicia, Evan, David, Caleb and Emily, Caleb and Jessica, Jephunneh, Jotham and Marie…many others as well are being trained and prepared to go and reach a people group who HAVE NO HOPE with the good news that God loves them and that Christ died for them. Please pray nothing stops them!

God has given me a number of  opportunities this month to introduce people to NTM or continue to build relationships with others I have met this past year. They include:

• Connected with an organization which focuses on short term missions trips. I’m hoping to be able to share more with young people who come back excited and wonder if God wants them in missions full time.
• Talked with another organization which assists churches with information about missions sending agencies. Hope this leads to more interaction between NTM and potential missionaries.
• Assisted a Pastor with some demolition of a classroom at their Christian school.
  Communicated and/or met with about 12 Pastors in the area.
• Continued meeting with a Bible study group on Mondays; this has led to a couple of good interactions outside the scheduled time. We’re studying the book of James.
• Scheduled missions club meetings for the coming school year at one school. I have a meeting with another school in a few weeks to do the same. I hope to set up at least two more clubs by the end of the summer. Please pray for open doors for those.
• Expanding my research beyond ABQ now…into Santa Fe and the eastern mountains. A few churches out there. May the Lord give open doors and compatibility.

Shirley continues to get rave reviews at True Value as she “lights” the place up. Challenges abound as she interacts with coworkers, but little by little she is planting seeds and revealing what it is like to do all things as unto the Lord.

Our summer plans include a trip to MO to see our newest grandson Hudson (born June 12) and Aaron, Megan and Stella. Shortly after that, we head out to CA to see Rico, Megan, Olivia and Luke. A few weeks after we return, Rachel should be about ready to deliver Maxwell here in ABQ. We’re excited for she and Mike to say the least!

We truly appreciate your prayers for our family and for us as we wrap up our first year here in Albuquerque. It has been a great year being closer to family, making many new contacts and building new friendships. Lord willing this next year will find us developing deeper relationships and bring many chances to talk with people about God’s plan for eternity. We appreciate your prayers as we trust God for direction and enablement.

Have a great summer seeing the goodness and grace of our great God!
For those still waiting to hear,
Rex and Shirley

photo credit – http://4cminews.com/