This post was originally sent to our email newsletter subscribers.
In just a month’s time a lot has happened and we’ve got some exciting news that we want to share with you all.
Application Approval
We shared in our last update that we submitted our applications for review by Josiah Venture. Well, now it’s officially official: we are missionaries with Josiah Venture (JV) to Czech Republic. We got word that our applications were approved by JV’s team and we’re taking huge steps forward in the process. Thank you for praying for this. Praise God for this great news!
Sending Church
Equally as exciting as our application approval is the news we received from our home church elders on September 10th. We attended the elder’s meeting that Monday night and they announced that we are the newest missionary family of Placerita Baptist Church! It is such a joy to be part of the global vision of PBC and to now be sent out by our home church. In the excitement, we recorded the public announcement to our church family and you can listen to the audio by clicking here. Again, praise the Lord for this fantastic news and for this affirmation!
Family Updates
In the midst of fun updates and news, we never want to lose sight of what the Lord is doing in our home. Bethany celebrated her 30th birthday at the end of September and we had a wonderful date night together thanks to the kindness of friends who watched our two kids. Our youngest, Avery, just turned 10-months old and we can’t believe how fast the time has gone. Our son Titus continues to grow like a weed and we’ve entered the world of potty training. This brings with it many joys and challenges and we definitely covet your prayers with that transition! I (Shay) have been busy with my job at Paul Mitchell, continue to do photography on the side, as well as preparing to preach again at PBC.
We continue to pray for God’s timing as to when we will head to Czech Republic, but our hope is that the Lord would provide the resources we need to leave by the summer of 2013. Our hearts long to join the work and see young people in Eastern Europe come to the knowledge of the Savior!
Prayer Requests
- On October 14th I (Shay) will have a second opportunity to teach at the Placerita Baptist Church evening service. I will be speaking on one of my favorite things: the local church. Life is full, so please pray for clear direction and that study time would be profitable.
- With application approval from JV, we will now be heading to the Chicago area on October 22-26 for a week long JV orientation. Please pray for us as we learn the ins-and-outs of JV and start the process of fundraising. Please pray for our kids as we have decided we will be leaving them home with a family from our church. Many thanks to the Fredericks’ family for taking our kids…again!
- Finally, we are praising the Lord for our friends Zach and Kara who just left today for full-time ministry in Czech Republic. They will be serving with JV as well and we are praying for a smooth transition for them.
One story that still breaks my (Shay) heart was while I was sitting in “cabin time” after the Wednesday night talk on sin. The young men I was with were asked a question about whether they have ever felt hopeless and what that was like for them. As they began to answer, and as the translator began to share what they were saying, tears started to roll down my cheeks. Five out of the six of these 14-year-olds shared how they all had gone through a difficult time at some point, and all of them had considered suicide as an answer to their problems. This is just an example of the despair and hopelessness in Czech Republic. The need for the Savior is great!
We asked you to pray for the Thursday night camp meeting (aka: “Gospel night”) as the students heard the gospel, many of them for the very first time. That same night they were given an opportunity to respond and by God’s amazing grace, 8 out of the 40 students professed Christ and a few others desired to know more–praise the Lord! 8 is an incredible number, especially in a country where God is a distant thought on the hearts of many. What a blessing to see God change the hearts of these young people! The following week (after we left), the Czech youth leaders (who were also the leaders at camp) invited these new believers to go to church with them the following Sunday, right after camp. This gave the students an oppurtunity to experience church without the intimidation of going alone, or not knowing anyone. We are excited about what the Lord will do with these changed lives in the future.
One of the blessings of camp was the we felt like we “fit” while we were there. Both with the leaders and the students, we saw a connection and trust that God was working through those relationships. This was a huge blessing to us and really helped confirm our ministry there. Everything from playing games, doing crazy things with the students (e.g. Shay and 9 other guys stuffing themselves into a shower to make a “steam room”…don’t worry, we were wearing shorts), and having open conversations which led to deeper relationships were all part of what made camp a great experience and a God glorifying time.