What you’ll find below…
- Finding the edge of the church.
- Looking to expand the edge.
- Health Challenges again.
Hi Friends,
We are happy to be officially settled into the home/island where we relocated a few months back. Our reason for the move was to be closer to the people we are desiring to reach with the hope of Jesus Christ. Sadly, we have seen little tangible progress towards our goal of getting the official permission needed to be allowed to live and work amongst those people groups. However, we are seeing progress on another goal which we have had since our missionary training days back in Canada. As an organization, we want to find the “Edge of the Church” in these regions of the world and then help the Church “Expand the reach of the Gospel”.
Sometimes this goal can be hard to attain because the “Edge” is often challenging to find and can be a bit of a messy situation. By “Edge of the Church” we mean: wherever the furthest group of believers is in any given area. Honestly, it’s easier to just skip over the “Edge” and start fresh in an area that doesn’t have the Church at all. However, that which is easier at first is often not what is best in the long run. So, we are finding the “Edge” in this town, (the biggest town on the island) and are trying to get to know and invest in it. We don’t know how it will play out or if it will be ‘successful’ from our human perspective, but it seems to be what God is giving us as our current task. Meanwhile, we also work towards Step 2: “Expanding the Edge of the Church” by His grace and power.
Philippians 2:13 – For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Looking to Expand the Edge
The truth is, we don’t know what God has in mind here, but we do know that He has something planned. So, we will continue to invest in the body of believers that is already here in town, and also work to develop relationships with local officials and see how God might use all of it! At the same time, we are continuing our surveys and visits to different villages and kings on this island to see if God may open something up. Either way we hope and pray that the “Edge of the Church” and the “Reach of the Gospel” expands beyond where it currently stands. This is God’s work and it must be done by His power.
As a team we have plans to revisit some of the places that haven’t worked out in the past, as well as plans to check on some new areas. Please pray for clear direction in these efforts as well as unity about our strategy. We are praying that God would intervene and change the mind of one king in particular (he is the king over the territory of the “L” village).
Health Update –
– Tyler has been going through an odd health crash over the past couple months; primarily dealing with extreme fatigue. It has been challenging for all members of the family, so we have been thankful our schedule has allowed for some additional rest in the midst of it. Lately he has seen some improvement and seems to be coming out of it for which we are very grateful. His ACL is still healing as well.
– Allegra’s hair fallout has still been an issue.
– Our coworkers are all back to full health after their run in with Dengue Fever! Woohoo!
Thank you for your prayers in these areas!
Praise:
- For being fully settled into our new house and town.
- For a successful renewal of Moriah’s passport!
- For a sweet week-long visit with Tyler’s parents in April.
- For Team 2 (other coworkers) having a possible opportunity to work with the ‘M’ people.
- For there being believers in town here that we can connect with.
- For God’s faithfulness in family milestones: Moriah’s kindergarten graduation and our 9th wedding anniversary!
Prayer:
- For God to open the door for the Gospel amongst the unreached here.
- For opportunities, boldness and courage to reach out to people here in town and see the Church and the Gospel expand.
- For the health issues we’ve been facing.
- For peace as we face the unknowns of the future.