Burn Mortgage Burn

Last Sunday was our sending church's 40th Anniversary & Mortgage Burning Weekend. Both are important milestones in the life of any local church. Our family was privileged and excited to be able to attend and celebrate the Lord's Faithfulness in the local church we love.

The festivities started on Saturday evening with a cookout on the church property. Many we in attendance from near and far. Former pastors, missionaries, and former members came to celebrate. The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed several hours of eating, playing games, and fellowshipping around the tables.

Games for families and individuals to participate in included:
Bocce Ball
9 Hole Chipping Course
Bouncy Slide for kids
Badminton

Sunday School was taught by Pastor Flinck
and included a 9 min. DVD covering the church's history.

The congregational music and special music
focused on God's Provision and Faithfulness.
Above: The Berean men's group

Pastor Gerald Stephens (former Berean youth pastor in the 80's)
was the main speaker for the AM service.

Pastor & Mrs. Duane Gray (founding pastor)
drove from Arkansas to celebrate.
The church honored them by giving them a beautiful clock.

The Wells Fargo Bank representative, Pastor Flinck,
and Sherri Veenstra (daughter of a charter member)
burned the mortgage during the 2 pm service.

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Please pray for Berean Baptist Church
as it sets out on a new phase of ministry.

May God continue to bless Berean with opportunities
for ministry in their community and around the world.

FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

On the way home from Marshall, MN, it became very clear to us that we couldn't "baby" our sputtering transmission any longer. The next day we brought it into the shop to repair the transmission.

After many miles, cars break down.
That's life.
That's life on the road.
That's life on the deputation road.

+ We are very thankful that our van did not break down while on the road.

+ We were able to fix the problem during a week that we were going to be at David's parent's house.

+ We continue to trust in God to not only provide, but protect us as we travel to local churches.

Continue to pray for us as we have a full summer of travel in MN and WI.

Reporting at Marshall, MN

First Baptist Church of Marshall, MN called a new pastor this last winter. Pastor Greg Linscott and his family accepted the call to serve. They previously had been serving in the pastorate in Maine. We felt it important to personally visit the church this summer and get to know Pastor Linscott in a better way.

The weekend was a blessing to our family as we were able to reconnect with families and individuals in the church and report back to them on what God has been doing in our family and ministry since we last visited them over a year ago. Our family also was able to personally hear of many prayer requests and ministry opportunities of the church. For example, the week following our visit, the church was having neighborhood children's club each day at the pastor's house.

Pastor's children and our children hit it off during the weekend and had a great time playing in the yard. Our children have the unique privilege of meeting many new people each week and we are thankful that they make friends quickly and enjoy others.

Please continue to pray for not only our family, but also for our supporting churches.


Prayer Items for our Supporting Churches:

-A Godly testimony in their community
-Continued numerical and spiritual growth
-Wisdom and discernment in their outreach
-Faithfully proclaim the Word of God
-See a vision of planting churches in nearby communities

Goodbyes, Departures, and New Beginnings

Several days after arriving back in MN, our dear friends and GMSA co-workers, the Kunnari family stopped by to see us for 45 minutes. They were traveling back to South Dakota and were in the Twin Cities. Our friendship with Dan & Diana have grown tremendously this past winter and spring since our families were both studying Spanish in Texas.

Their short visit was going to be the last time that we would physically say goodbye before they flew to Chile for their first term. We will miss them a lot during our second semester at RGBI (language school). With our departure goal of Jan. 2009, we look forward to re-joining the Kunnari's and other GMSA co-workers in the task of sharing Christ and establishing local churches in Chile.

L to R: Leah, Dan, Diana, & Troy Kunnari

The Kunnari family flew to Chile on Monday night (June 23rd) and arrived on Tues. morning. Please join us in prayer for the Kunnari family as they adjust to life and ministry in Chile.

Above: The GMSA missionary party welcoming the Kunnari Family to Chile.

Prayer Items for the Kunnari's:
-A vehicle
-A place to rent (at a reasonable price)
-Continued language study
-Paperwork process
-Physical & Mental adjustments

Individual Partnerships

During our travels, we often make it a point to stop in and visit with individual supporters.

It is important to us not only to develop our partner relationship with supporting churches, but with our individual supporters. On the way back to MN from Madison, WI, we stopped and visited a family who has been supporting us for several years now.

The several hours we spent with this family was a great break from the bumps on the highway. A great chance for the kids to play outside, and the adults to talk. Friendships run deep and we are getting closer to the day when we will leave for Chile and will not have a chance to see these friends for many years. With each opportunity to visit, this reality is hitting closer to home. Leaving home, family, friends, and our local church will be one of the hardest things we will ever face.

During our recent time in WI, we were able to have an evening cookout with the McLain family. The kids enjoyed "steaming" their own hot dogs and marshmallows.

Jordan especially enjoys time out of the van. He is a lot like his dad, in that he can't sit still for too long. He spent most of the time bonding with the new kittens by the shed.

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A very big thank you to the 21 families (or individuals) who faithfully pray and support our ministry. These individuals are a vital part of our team! Our commitment to communication in this partnership is taken seriously and we desire to know how we could improve.

For more information on how you or your family can partner with us in the ministry in Chile, please contact me through email (go to my profile link on this blog) or contact our mission board (Gospel Mission of South America)

Madison, WI

Our next stop was in west Madison, WI to visit with friends and minister at Calvary Bible Fellowship. This ministry is also a new church plant. There are many open doors but difficult challenges in this liberal university city. Pastor Adam Love and family moved here last March and are embarking on the exciting task of being usable vessels in God's plan for the local church .

Pastor Adam Love

The Love boys and our kids signing "Here Am I, Lord"
during the evening service.

We were able to stay in the Madison area for 5 days. Activities during the week included going to soccer games, the zoo, a neighborhood block picnic, a round of golf, three church services and playtime at the Love's house.

Thanks for your continued prayer for our family as we raise our remaining support in order to be ready for our goal of a Jan. 2009 departure date.

The King's Pathway

I watched a 5 min. video today that reminded me about the Christian's walk of Faith. The Christian walk of Faith is not a smooth paved downhill slope where strides are always the same. In reality, the walk of Faith is rocky, sometimes full of holes, slippery, extremely varied in elevation, but full of excitement, and worth the effort.

Continue to pray for our family in that we may continue to have the courage to Press On in our walk of Faith and not get all caught up in looking at the many distractions and chasms that could be around any corner.

Additional Information:

El Camino del Ray (Wikipedia)

Indiana

On the way back to MN (from Florida) we ministered in Lafayette, IN at a new church plant called Berean Baptist Church. After three straight days of travel we were very happy to be at our hotel for the weekend.

On Saturday evening, the church held a cookout on a nearby farm. It was a great opportunity to meet many of the members, play games, and fellowship.

The kids made friends quickly and played the many games in the big yard.

Thank you Berean BC for your hospitality,
gifts, gas, and opportunity to
share about the ministry in Chile!

Back on the Road

After two weeks in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, we got back into the mode of road warriors by traveling back up to the Upper Mid-West for the months of June & July.


Day #1 - Tifton, GA (hotel)
Day #2 - Louisville, KY (hotel)
Day #3 - Lafayette, IN (for a meeting)
Day #4 - Fairmont, MN (for a funeral)
Day #5 - Brooklyn Park, MN (for one night at David's parents)
Day # 6 - Madison, WI (for a meeting)

Enter Exhaustion Here!!!!

Thank goodness we don't travel on deputation around the whole country! We are happy to be back up in the Upper Mid-West and are looking forward to reporting to many supporting churches and individuals, as well as serving in new churches in MN and WI.

Items to specifically pray about:

-Safety on the road

-To be a blessing to people and churches this summer

-To raise the remaining support needed to go to the field

-Our time with extended family to be sweet and relaxing

-David's study of Spanish throughout our busy summer travel and ministry schedule

We Ask for Wisdom

Our family asks for wisdom pertaining to a recent development.

While in Florida last week, we learned of a couple who desires to sell their 2005 Town & Country mini van. We had not been searching for a vehicle...we weren't even currently praying about a vehicle. Originally, we had thought that we would buy a vehicle once we arrived in Chile, in order to buy something that looks for "Chilean". But after talking to several people from our mission, we were told that American made mini vans are common now in Chile.

We need wisdom to know what to do with this opportunity to buy this mini van and for the process of shipping it to Chile and getting all the paperwork in place for us to drive it once we (Lord willing) arrive in Chile in Jan. 2009.

A Chilean national pastor is buying a mini van in the Miami area and would like to split the shipping costs with someone else. Two mini vans can fit into a 40 ft. shipping container. This would be a great blessing and savings of 50% on shipping if we able to buy this van. If bought, we would try to ship the mini van down this summer and start the legal paperwork to have it "road ready" by the time we arrive.

Please pray specifically for these items:
1. Wisdom to know if this is THE van for our family and ministry.

2. That the owner will sell it to us for a reasonable trade-in value price.

3. For the shipping process to Chile to go smooth

4. In obtaining all the appropriate Chilean paperwork

5. That our vehicle will be used of the Lord in the work of the ministry