#e3partners

March 8, 2017

I recently attended a training geared toward equipping Christians to have a significant impact in their communities. It can seem like a daunting task for one person to make an impact on an entire community. But with a few simple, biblical, culturally relevant tools, this can be accomplished by anyone.

Simple disciple-making training in late January

Finding openness in my community

I have begun using these tools in my community and have already found a large number of people who are open to talking about Jesus.  Many are skeptical of God because of past experiences, but their walls begin to come down when they discover that Jesus may be different than they thought.

Desire to impact those close to you but not sure how?

I'd love to share these simple methods with you that can make it easy to have an impact on people nearby.  God has strategically placed people in our lives and put us on mission to bring his message to them! Sharing your testimony and the gospel with people around you can become a natural part of your life, and it will have a profound impact. Please contact me if you would like to learn more.

Future ministry plans

As mentioned in my previous newsletter, my ministry focus will be on my neighborhood and Front Range Colorado for the foreseeable future.  In seeking God's direction through my ongoing health journey, I feel He has guided me to place my vision and commitment in spreading the gospel locally, until the time comes when He calls me elsewhere. I will continue to help our SportReach division with minor tasks here and there. Please let me know if you have any questions when it comes to this.

Your prayers are heard!

Pray for open doors in Colorado for the gospel to spread through the many different segments of people in the area

Wisdom for me as I shift my focus to the Front Range

October 20, 2016

As promised in my last newsletter, I’d like to briefly share some of the lessons God has been revealing through my health journey.  The hardest times seem to be where God teaches me the most, and this season has been no different. 

God is worthy of glory for who he is, not because of the blessings he gives

As Job was stripped of almost everything he had (family, possessions, etc.), he still loved and glorified God, showing that we serve a great God not only because of the blessings he gives, but because of who he is and the characteristics that define him.  In the challenges of this past year, I have felt stripped of my skills and abilities, well-being, and intellect.  It can be easy to lose sight of God in these times. But when I talk to him, he reminds me of his compassion, love, and wisdom that go far beyond my understanding.

“For when I am weak, then I am strong”

By no means do I fully understand the implications of what Paul says here. But I know that the difficult times in my life force a reliance on the Lord, which brings a feeling of closeness to him, peace, and spiritual strength.  When life is going well, it’s easy to drift away from the Lord and rely more on myself.  I now appreciate the times when I feel mentally, emotionally, or physically crippled in a way, because it’s through these that I learn to rely more fully on God, drawing strength from him (I’m still working on appreciating each and every one of these moments!).

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus”

Looking back at the last couple years of my life, I can see two trends that have emerged based on the way I treated different struggles: 1) I grow closer to God and feel my strength and maturity increase, and 2) I spiral downward in a heap of self-pity and resentment.  The only difference between these two outcomes is where I have fixed my eyes.  If I fix my eyes on the struggle, I become negative and engrossed in a “woe is me” mentality.  But when I choose to focus on Jesus, my perspective changes, and I rely on God for strength and understanding, which also has brought much more peace and comfort in these situations.

Thank you for your continual prayers this year and the last couple years.  I have no doubt that they are bringing me strength and patience as God guides me through this season.

July 16, 2016

Just outside of a Digo fishing village - the remains of a German-built pier from the time of their occupation in Tanzania

April 8, 2016

Spring is in full swing in Denver, with a blizzard pounding the metro area a few weeks ago and now temperatures in the 60s and 70s.  Likewise, I have some mixed news of recent status and future plans for me and the ministry.

The Bad News...

Over the past five years I have been dealing with some health issues, and this past year they have taken a turn for the worse.  Unfortunately, I have had to cancel some of my plans of heading overseas later this year as I look for answers and try to let my health recover.  Would you be praying for me as I push through this recovery process?  The main issues have been stomach problems that seem to be affecting other parts of my body, most notably my cognitive function.  I feel very tired a lot of the time, am poorly affected by random foods, and have trouble completing simple tasks at times.  This has made it very difficult to perform my ministry role lately.

The Good News...

Although I won't be able to head overseas until July at the earliest, I have been focusing on doing outreach in my own neighborhood and city as I am able.  I, and sometimes a friend of mine, have been going to neighbors and starting spiritual conversations with them, and it's exciting to find people who are very open to God.  Depending on my capacity over the next couple months, I hope to begin working with the growing refugee population in Denver also.   A quick update on the Digo people in eastern Tanzania: other members of my Tanzania team are bringing a group over in May to begin training existing Tanzanian believers in the area to reach the Digo with the Gospel.  They will be conducting the trainings in a town near the Digo villages.  I hope to follow-up with a team in July, where we will take these believers to Digo villages and share the Gospel alongside of them.

How You Can Help...

Me with Ibraham, who grew up in a Muslim Digo village but became a Christ-follower a few years ago

January 31, 2016

While in Tanga, I was introduced to a young man who had a beaming smile.  Ibraham grew up in Nacupuende, a formerly fully Muslim village near Tanga on the east coast of Tanzania.  Almost 15 years ago, a follower of Jesus named Samuel began working as a schoolteacher in this village.  Because of their teacher-student relationship, Ibraham became a follower of Jesus a few years ago, withstanding rejection from his family and beatings from the Muslim leaders.  As Ibraham continues revisiting the village he grew up in, others have noticed.  Just last week, one of Ibraham’s neighbors decided to follow Christ because of his example!

Can you tell me what an elderly Thai Buddhist man and a middle-aged alcholic woman living on an island in Lake Victoria have in common?  Although thousands of miles apart and living very different lives, I saw these two be changed by Jesus, and the only way I can account for it is through the power of God's Spirit.

It's exciting to see God moving in people's lives around the world and hear stories of changed communities.  And in each of these stories there seems to be multiple common threads.  But the common thread that has been sticking out to me recently is the significance of prayer.  Every time I read about an amazing work of God somewhere, I find out that it all began with a large amount of dedicated prayer.

Would you commit to praying regularly for our work in Tanzania?  As a partner, you are such a crucial part of this ministry, and I need the help of your prayers.  As a starting point, would you commit to praying for me and several other staff as we head to Tanga, Tanzania for the next 2.5 weeks?  I have included a prayer calendar for our trip that will help you pray for daily needs.  Also, below are some general ongoing prayer requests.

Please pray!  General Requests: - I have had some health issues the last couple years.  Please pray for full healing. - God to raise up persons of peace among the Digo (Muslim people group in Tanzania) - God to raise up Digo pastors who take their words and actions from the Word of God - God to raise up North Americans to go with us - God to open the eyes of the Digo to the love of Jesus and His story - God to encourage and protect the small number of Digo Christians - God to raise up Digo missionaries to reach the Digo - God to raise a strong local church among the Digo

Thank you!