One Year Later

It has been one year since we officially began our ministry with Mission Aviation Fellowship. One year of learning, growing, being stretched out of our comfort zones and seeing God work in amazing ways. A year ago we looked at December 2014 and anticipated being fully funded and well on our way to serving overseas, but God had a different plan. A better plan. A plan that has involved us being able to travel around Ontario and even out to Alberta, meeting people that we may not have met if our ministry support had come in our timing. A plan that has helped us to learn more of our weaknesses and strengths as we accomplish tasks and share our story.
In the first 6 months we saw God work in amazing ways and our one time outgoing amount was fully funded. At 8 months our monthly support was at 50% and we celebrated again.  Now at 12 months we have been blessed with over 200 ministry partners who are behind us financially and in prayer and we have reached 75% of our monthly ministry support.  Wow.  God has moved in mighty ways and we thank each of you for listening to His call and giving to our MAF ministry.

What's next?

As we approach Christmas we have been sharing on our Facebook page the 12 Days of Christmas.  You can catch all the entries here as well, by clicking the tab at the top of the blog "12 Days of Christmas"  We have been highlighting some of the many reasons why MAF flies and are inviting you to considering giving these as gifts this Christmas.  We all have those hard to buy for people on our list so we want to make it easy for you.  By partnering with us in our MAF ministry for any monthly amount, you are giving an even greater gift to countless isolated communities around the world. Click the donate tab today to finish your Christmas shopping, all with out having to wait in long line ups.

Thanks to all who have partnered with us and for those who are yet to.  We are filled with gratefulness as we look back on the past year and filled with excitement as we look forward to the coming weeks when we will be able to finish this phase of our journey and prepare for serving the people of the DRC.

PPP-LEASE SSS-ENDDD US TTO AFFFF-RRR-ICCC-AA!!!

 

It was a great trip to Timmins but it was cold. Saturday night temperatures went down to -17C plus wind chill. The drive there was great but then it started to snow. The kids thought it was great fun as the first snow fall always is....

..... but later that Saturday evening we went to watch the Timmins Christmas parade that our friends were part of and it was soooooo cold. The wind was wild and whipped down the street. Lauren's outer mitts had a bit of moisture in them from not being completely dry after the morning snow fun,  they froze stiff and she couldn't even bend them. I was very glad I had put 2 pairs on her, but it still wasn't enough to keep her warm until the end of the parade. We stayed long enough to see our friends float and take home some candy, then we headed back to the van. Wow, that was a true welcome to the North. Sunday we shared our ministry and calling with the wonderful people of First Baptist Church who warmly welcomed us and encouraged us. This was the main stop of our trip north and we were grateful for the opportunity to share. Monday we headed to Kirkland Lake to spend the day with friends and take a tour of their newly renovated school turned church, in Swastika. An amazing testimony of God at work in this little church plant.
 We spent the night Monday in Kirkland Lake and headed out early Tuesday morning in hopes of beating the big storm of snow and freezing rain that was headed their way. Already Tuesday morning there was 6 inches of snow on the ground and more arrived after we left.

We were very glad that we were able to drive home away from the storm and grateful for God's provision of clear roads as we travelled.

So what's up next? A full weekend ahead with an opportunity to share at First Baptist Goderich on Sunday, Nov 16 and then a Co-Pilot Coffee and Dessert night at our friends in Forest on Monday night, Nov. 17. We are grateful for every door that is open before us to share about our ministry with MAF. We are excited to be progressing through the final 40% and are thankful for all those who have partnered with us thus far. There is always room for more, so if you haven't already done so, consider being a monthly or yearly partner and help ........

                                              .....SEND US TO AFFF-RRR-ICCCC-AAAA.

What a week!

Songs can have a big impact on our lives and for me this week I had a song that kept running through my head.  It was The City Harmonics song "Praise the Lord"  here are some of the lyrics;


"Praise the Lord when it comes out easy
Praise the Lord on top of the world....

Praise the Lord with the world on your shoulders
Praise the Lord when it seems too hard....

 Praise the Lord ‘cause in every moment Jesus Christ is Lord
Even in the middle of the long, dark night
There is always grace enough today to
Praise the Lord.....

 Won’t you praise the Lord?
There is grace for today so praise the Lord"


Wow,  that was just what I needed to hear.

 I begin the week by doing a number of follow up calls to churches and contacting some new ones, hoping to line up some new opportunities to share about our ministry with MAF.  Some were positive but a number already have their missionaries they support and were not looking to expand.  Don't read this wrong.  We are always excited to see churches involved in missions and passionate about reaching out to the world with the Gospel, supporting missionaries in their work around the world.  It's just hard when that is the most common response when we too are looking for support.
But this song kept playing through my head.

"Praise the Lord when it seems to hard..
There is grace for today so praise the Lord"

Yes even though it can be discouraging at times as we seek out new ministry partners, we are to praise the Lord in every circumstance.  And that is what I did.  Praise Him for what He is teaching me through this process, Praise Him for those who have already a part of our amazing sending team.  Praise Him that even when we are discouraged, He is faithful and in control.

Then today we received our weekly report from the MAF office notifying us of new donors this week.  And I was blown away with the amount of new ministry support.   Again the song came to mind, but this time the words, "Praise the Lord when it comes out easy, Praise the Lord on top of the world...."

So it has been a good week.  But it would have been a good week, even if it had only been the hard times, because instead of wallowing in the discouragements I chose to praise the Lord.  That perspective makes any week great.  

  "Praise the Lord 'cause in ever moment Jesus Christ is Lord" 

~~ Sarah

Next Question : When are you moving?

Now that our number one question of "Where are you going?" is answered, the question  that follows is


"WHEN are you moving?"


 We would love to answer that and say, next week, but that can't quite happen.  Before we can move to Africa and be a part of the MAF's ministry to the DRC people, we need to have our full support raised.  That means 100% of the monthly amount it takes for a family to live overseas, needs provided.  We are so grateful for each of you that have partnered with us on a monthly or yearly basis. It is so incredible to see God at work and hear how He has lead people to give and be a part of our ministry with MAF.
We are currently at 61% and would love to be on our way to Africa early 2015.  At this point that seems impossible to us.  To raise 39% in 3 months!!!!!   We have just about maxed out our contact base, approached as many churches as we could think of in our area and beyond, and appealed to everybody we know.  Yet this is not impossible for God.  He takes our limitations and makes it an opportunity for us to see His power and His hand at work in our lives and the people that He is working in to be a part of this ministry with us.  He has seen fit for us to be in this process of seeking out ministry partners, for just over 10 months now.  He has seen fit to use this time to continue to teach us to rely on Him, to grow as a family and to slowly prepare our family for the transitions ahead.  He has stretched us and been our strength as we presented and stepped out of our comfort zone and met so many wonderful people who share the same heart for missions and are part of the sending force behind not only us, but other missionaries as well.

So how can you help?

 We want to invite you again to consider being a part of reaching the people of the DRC with help and the hope of the Gospel by partnering with us in our MAF ministry.  We are looking for 40 people who can give $75 a monthly.  Each $75 gift moves us one percent closer towards our full funding.  Maybe you are feeling led to give a portion of that, and that is great.  We are so grateful for each gift and know that God has provided it and He speaks to each of us individually.

You can also help by passing on our story to your church or missions committee.  Asking that they consider having us come and share about the work of MAF and our upcoming ministry to the Congolese people.  We love to share how God has worked in our lives, even as teens, and began to prepare us for this ministry with MAF.   You can also host a small group in your home.  Gather some friends and invite us to come and share about MAF's ministry around the world.

So as we press on to the FINAL 40, prayerfully consider being a part of this ministry with us.  Your gift enables us to go and serve the people in DRC, bringing support to the Congolese churches as they reach out to their communities with the Gospel of Christ.

Nothing is impossible for God but all things are an opportunity for Him to show us His power and our need to rely on Him.

The Big News

Yes folks, the wait is finally over.   We are excited to share with you all that we will be moving to


 AFRICA!!!!!!!!













We will be serving as part of the East DRC program (Democratic Republic of the Congo)  but will be living in  Kampala, Uganda where the heavy maintenance is done for the East DRC program.

DRC has seen it's share of tribal activity and has had a slow recovery from the effects of a violent civil war.  The infrastructure in the country is poor and deteriorating which makes the need for MAF so vital.    EDRC is recovering and becoming more stable, but for now, the heavy maintenance is done in Uganda. 

We feel this is a great fit for our family.  For one, the language is English, so the girls, and us, will be able to adjust to a new culture with out the barrier of having to learn a new language as well.  There are also great schooling options for the girls.  As much as I am open to homeschooling, we feel they will thrive more if they are able to be involved in school as they are here, and interact with more kids as they adjust in to a new culture.

We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more about Kampala and what life will look like, as well as the needs of the people in DRC which we will be serving.

We are so grateful for each one of you who have come along side of us in this ministry.  We are just over 60% and gearing up for the final 40.  We are eager to go and serve full time in Kampala, and are trusting God for his provision in the months ahead. 

Join with us in praying for the people of the DRC and that God would move in peoples hearts to be a part of this ministry with us.

 

"The Lord himself goes before you"

We are just back from a great week in Alberta.  Not only did we get to enjoy some of the beautiful country side but also met with some wonderful people who have a heart for missions and are excited for people such as ourselves, who are going out to serve overseas.  Through out the whole trip we saw the evidence of God at work and His going before us.   As we were setting up the week to meet with churches and individuals, we had called a number of current MAF supporters to see if they would be interested in meeting a MAF family that is going to be heading overseas.  This was a bit of a stretch for us to make these phone calls but God is good.  He took our humble efforts and brought us together with a lovely couple who were willing to meet with us and hear our story.  It was such an encouragement to hear how they have been supporting MAF for a number of years and were thinking how it would be nice to partner with a family again.  Wow, only God could orchestrate that and we acknowledge Him for bringing us together with this couple.

On Sunday we were able to share at Northmount Baptist Church in Calgary.  The pastor there was a great advocate for us and shared how he had experienced the need for MAF, first hand while being in Irian Jaya, Indonesia a number of years ago.  His brother had broken his wrist and needed to be transported to hospital.  The MAF flight saved them a long trip over rough roads in order to get care at the nearest hospital.  The congregation in Calgary was very welcoming and we were encouraged by their interest in our calling and passion, and enjoyed worshiping with them. 

Another highlight from our trip was a small group dessert night at Caroline Nazarene church.  It was wonderful to get to know this group and to be able to share how God has brought us to be a part of the ministry of MAF.  Their encouragement and support was amazing and we are so thankful to have been able to meet with them.

A trip to Alberta would not be complete with out checking out the West Edmonton Mall and taking in the view of the mountains.  Although time did not permit us to travel into the mountains, we enjoyed the view of the foothills from Caroline.

 We also found a beautiful spot at Big Hill Springs, as we did a short hike along the trail through this Provincial Park.

We also met with friends living in Alberta and had a few other coffee or dinner chats and were overall encouraged as we continue through this phase of building our partnership team.  God is leading the way, if we will but follow His direction.

A great reminder for us this week was Deuteronomy 31:8 ^"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

At times, as we work through this phase of building our ministry team, we can get discouraged with how things work out differently then we planned.  We get focused on what isn't happening rather than what is.  This verse has been a reminder to us that God himself is going before us.  As we saw first hand in this trip, He went ahead and prepared peoples hearts to partner with us.  He is always with us and even when we feel stretched to do what is not comfortable, or when we have a different idea of how things should have worked out, God is with us.  He is going before us in all circumstances and we have no reason to fear, whatever the out come may be. 

So now it is on to more building of our ministry partnership team.  We are over 1/2 way in our monthly support and praise God for this milestone.   We know God has already planned out who will partner with us in this ministry and we look forward to the days ahead when this phase is complete and we move on to the next.   Knowing that we will continue to learn and see God move whether it is here as we build our partnership team or overseas serving the people in need there.

   

Alberta in September - Don't miss out

You don't want to miss out on this exciting opportunity to hear how God is working in reaching those in isolated parts of the world with His message of hope and salvation.  We will be in Red Deer Alberta on Monday, Sept. 22 sharing about the work of MAF and our ministry with them.  We are looking for churches and individuals, passionate about missions and hearing more about the ministry of MAF that would be willing to host us for an evening, either small group in their home or bring us to their church.  We are willing to drive to any city in the province and would love to meet with you.  MAF's work is life saving and life transforming and we don't want you to miss out on being a part of it with us.  Dates on either side of Sept 22 are still available so consider how you can be a part of this ministry.  Pass the word along to others you know that live out west too and feel free to send us a message if you'd like to know more.

Big News to Share

Ok, so we know we just posted a blog entry last night,  which makes it a new record to post 2 days in a row, but we just had to share with you.

As of today, our monthly percentage has climbed a little more and we are now at.....

 Yes we are now half way to being fully funded and being sent out to the field to serve with MAF.  We are so thankful for each of you that have come along side of us to get us to this point and can only wait with great anticipation to see how God is going to bring in the other half. 

We also have exciting news about our location of service.  We are soooo close to knowing where we will be moving to serve with MAF.  We have had some recent discussions with some of the office staff where we voiced some of our thoughts, concerns and views, and they responded to some of those thoughts and gave us locations where they thought we could fit in. So now, we begin to research those areas, and pray... and wait for a response.  And we request that all those who support us, financially, and/or in prayer, that you would pray for us now. Pray for God's direction, where He would have us serve. He's been in control from the get go, and there's no reason to think any different now.
Keep watching our blog.  The next post might just be about our destination country.

Ottawa trip Highlights

So after a week of vacation following our ministry trip to the Ottawa area, we are back to routine, well some what.  It is still summer so routine doesn't quite happen yet.  We had reported on Facebook during our time in Ottawa,  a little about how it went but wanted to be sure to share  some of the highlights on here as well, for those not on Facebook.
We were so thankful to be able to spend the week at Sarah's Aunt and Uncles.  The girls loved playing with their kittens and helping with the chores.  Thanks for your hospitality.

( A quick picture before we departed with those who were home that morning.

Aunt Nancy, Elisabeth and Gabrielle standing with our girls)

 

This trip was a little different than our trip north, with fewer events planned.   We had planned the trip in this time frame because we wanted to do it during the summer when the girls were out of school and could enjoy it with us, but what we didn't think about, was how everyone else is also on vacation.  So as much as we would have liked to have had a full week of ministry events planned, we were blessed by the 2 that we did have.

The congregation at Russell Reformed Presbyterian was very welcoming and we had some great conversations about the work of MAF and our ministry with them.  We were blessed by their giving and encouraged by their stories, of God at work and His faithfulness in all situations.   Now a very neat thing about this church is that they were holding their VBS a week after our visit.  After hearing our presentation on the Sunday, they decided to have us as their mission project and share about MAF and our calling to serve with the kids at their VBS.  How cool is that.

Our second event was at our friends house with their small group and again because it was summer, they had taken a break from their regular weekly meetings but invited everyone to come over to hear our story and ministry.  It was a small group but a great one non the less.  We were blessed to meet a great couple and also hear about the mission work that is happening in their church. 

A week in Ottawa would not be complete with out a visit to some of the museums in our nations capitol.  So we made sure to take in the sights of the Museum of Civilization and the Museum of Science and Technology.  The girls loved the hands on displays and the great Children's Museum that is part of the Civilization museum.

(Lauren taking Hannah for a motorbike ride. Not sure Hannah thinks it's a good idea)

 

(From the Quebec side of the river with the Parliament Buildings in the background)

 

So as we look back at the week, we can see that even though it didn't come together like we had first planned out, with a full slate of ministry events, it was still just the way God intended it to be.  Meeting the people that He wanted us to meet and growing us personally as we trust Him in all things.  Thank you for your prayers as we travelled and shared about the ministry of MAF.  Maybe it will be your town that we visit next. :-)

ADVOCATE Concert Friday, August 15, 7 pm

August is here and our fundraiser concert is fast approaching.  We have handed out posters to a number of area churches and local business, passed the word along through Facebook and email, and now we wait with anticipation of a great evening of worship.  Wyoming Baptist Church has graciously allowed us to use their facilities and we are so thankful.
ADVOCATE is a gospel music group from Simcoe, Ontario with a young southern gospel sound.  You can check them out on their website.  www.advocatemusicgroup.com

 

Make plans to join us Friday, Aug 15 at 7pm.  If you are unable to come, you can still be a part by helping us spread the word and be in prayer for the evening.  That God would be glorified and that many would financially come along side of us in our ministry with MAF.

 

You don't believe in coincidences???

     A few weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to have a bbq at the Forest Friday Market / Craft Day. We thought it could be a good way to get our name out into the community so we jumped at the chance.  The catch?  There was only a few days to prepare.  We ran around pricing burgers and hot dogs, buying the pop, water, buns, it made for a busy week, which yes, was a good thing. We tried to recruit some help, but being a Friday morning on short notice, the few people that we managed to ask were unavailable. We decided that we would try to make it work with the three of us.... myself, Sarah, and my uncle.
     When Friday came, we were all set, we were prepared for just about anything.... except the lines. Since we were more concerned about our exposure and getting our name out than we were about raising as much money as we could, we kept our prices low.... this made our booth popular.... and busy.  So busy, that the three of us who came prepared to serve would have been overwhelmed.
     However, as we were setting up in the morning wouldn't you know it, a friend from Church was mulling around the market (he also happened to have a reputation for being a great bbq'er) who was more than willing to help us out. He barbecued for the entire time we were there and turned what could have been a frustrating day into a great success. Even when he offered his assistance in the morning, we couldn't have known how much we'd need him later on.  It's almost like it was planned   What a coincidence....
         
          What, you don't believe in coincidences???  
                Neither do I! 

Trip Planning

We are doing it again.  This time we are planning a trip to the Ottawa area at the end of July.

We will be sharing at Russell Reformed Presbryterian Church on Sunday, July 27th but have space in the rest of the week to come share at your church or small group.  We are hoping to be in the Ottawa area from July 27 to Wed, July 30th then closer to Peterborough for July 31 and Aug 1.  We are flexible and would love to work something out with you.  Plan a BBQ or dessert night and have us come and share for about 20 minutes about the work of MAF and our call to serve with them.  Spread the word and help us connect.  Enjoy your summer with a group of friends and be a part of the work that God is doing around the world through MAF.

The Great Canadian North

How did our trip North go?  Well let me fill you in.

We headed out only slightly behind our departure time goal with the van loaded with luggage for a week for 6 people, as well as our MAF display and promotional materials.  We were excited to see this trip come together and we headed out with great anticipation, knowing God was at work in bringing our partnership team together.
After a couple short delays along the way, mostly traffic and construction, we arrived in Callander shortly after supper.  We were meeting and staying with Nathan's friends parents, who are part of a wonderful fellowship of believers at South Shores Community Church.  Though the timing didn't work out to host an event at their church, we were thrilled to be able to chat with the pastor and his wife as well as the new intern pastor.  This body of believers is a great example of living by faith and we look forward to connecting with them again in the months ahead.
After a restful sleep and a fabulous pancake breakfast, we headed out on the next leg of our journey to Porcupine.  This community is just outside Timmins so we passed lots of rocks, lakes and trees, (and construction)

Our first event was a dessert night at Porcupine Bible Fellowship Assembly.  We had a great turn out and enjoyed meeting so many new people who were interested in hearing about the work of MAF and our ministry with them.  We left there very encouraged and thankful for the new friends we made with a shared heart for mission work.  Thank you to Wally and his team for bringing the evening together.

(Sharing some reasons why MAF is so important)

(The back row guests)

From Porcupine it was onto King Kirkland to stay with friends and share our ministry with the fabulous people of Swastika, at Riverside Community Church.  This body of believers had just recently bought a school and it was exciting for us to hear how God had brought this to happen and how they intend to use this building to reach out to their community. 

We enjoyed staying with our friends the Hardwicks and the girls especially liked hanging out with their kids.  Nathan even helped mow the grass at the church and then the school yard the next day.  Getting a true initiation to northern living and dealing with the black flies. It was great to relax with our friends and enjoy life at their house.  Thanks for having us.

We traveled south for our weekend stay at Marsh Bay Resort in Cobalt.  Among all the traveling and sharing about our ministry, we were so grateful to be able to stay at a cottage here and enjoy some family time. 

 

The weather was amazing and it felt like a little vacation.  Swimming and exploring were on the agenda for the weekend.  We found some cool playgrounds and swam in Lake Timiskaming in Haileybury. 

The spinner.

Checking out part of the mining heritage of Cobalt

A little rock climbing.

Sunday we worshiped at First Baptist New Liskeard and shared our passion and calling to serve with MAF with the congregation there.  Giving them a glimps of how God has been at work in our lives, but inviting them to come out to Marsh Bay Resort that evening to hear the full story.  And they came.  Along with a few from the resort we had a great evening.  Sharing our calling but also meeting some wonderful people who blessed and encouraged in this journey.  The rhubarb pies were also a delicious contribution to the evening  and many thanks to Mrs. Siemens for making them.

(A little Sunday afternoon fun)

(A little windy and cool to swim, but perfect for a water fight)

As we headed home on Monday and thought back over the week, we were so grateful for the many people that God saw fit to bring into our path.  Grateful for those that partnered with us in our MAF ministry, for those who were praying for us, and for who gave us an encouraging word and made us feel so welcomed, thank you. The details came together, not because of our efforts, but because God was at work and we give thanks to Him for giving us such an encouraging week.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples. - 1 Chronicles 16:8

Celebrating 100!!!!!

At school the girls celebrated the 100th day of school when they were in the primary grades, and we agree that 100 is definitely a number to be celebrated.  Can you guess why???

This week we are celebrating because we reached 100% in our outgoing one time fund.
That is amazing!!!   In just 6 months God has seen fit to provide our full outgoing amount.  We are so encouraged and know that He will continue to provide for our support needs.  These funds will be used to cover the cost of our visas, vaccines, plane tickets, language training and other things involved in just getting us overseas and launching us into ministry

So what does this mean?

It means that now we will strongly emphasize our monthly support, encouraging everyone to consider even a small monthly gift.  $20 or $30 a month is an incredible encouragement to us and helps us out greatly.

 Maybe monthly isn't do able, but an annual gift would better suit you.  That is wonderful too and will equally count towards our monthly fund, just be sure to mention with your gift that it is annual so it can be recorded accordingly.

And for those able to contribute once, we continue to invite you to do so.  We are grateful and your funds will top us up as we get closer to our full monthly support.

This week we reached 42% of our monthly goal, which is also amazing and we are so grateful to each one that God has brought into our path, that has chosen to partner with us monthly.  We are so close to being half way and that inspires us to keep pressing on.   Another celebration could be right around the corner!!!  We would be thrilled if we could reach 50% of our monthly MAF ministry goal in the next week and a half.  We know God is at work and we have seen Him do some amazing things,  we invite you to be a part of it. 

May is for Missions Results

I realize we have neglected to write any blog posts over the past month and I can only attribute it to the fact that we were busy writing posts on Facebook for our May is for Missions Challenge.  For those on our email list you hopefully received update emails through out the month alerting you to our challenge and goal of 30 new ministry partners in 30 days. 

We had a great start and met the half way point with 15 new partners.  The last half of the month took in our trip to northern Ontario (which I will fill you in on in once we return home) and allowed us to meet some amazing people, bringing our 30 day total to 29 new ministry partners.

We are so thankful for all those who have come along side of us this month in our ministry with MAF.  The right hand column of this blog shows our % increase.  Wow, 40.5% monthly and 99.5% of our one time out going amount.  It is so encouraging to be only 5% away from 100% of our out going.  Thank you so much. We have been blessed beyond measure and continue to praise God for His work in our lives and give Him all the glory for opening doors ahead of us to share about this work and our calling to serve.

 

 

Our Most Asked Question.

I am sure you can guess what our most asked question is.

That's right, "Where will you be serving?"
 This question has been on our minds too and we would love to have an answer.  But we don't.  In short, the MAF staff can't make a final decision until we are closer to being fully supported in our MAF ministry.  Why, because things are changing all the time, with new missionaries going overseas and others moving around, the countries that need mechanics keeps changing too.   There may be an urgent need for a mechanic in a certain country but until we have our full ministry amount raised, we aren't able to go, and there may be another mechanic that is fully funded before us, that is ready and can fill the need right away.
So.... when we reach over 50% (give or take) of our monthly ministry support things begin to change and they can begin to fit us into a timeline of a possible departure date, which then translates to being able to fit us into a need in an MAF program in one of the 30 countries around the world where MAF serves.  We are currently at 32% of our monthly ministry support.
Now as much as we don't like asking for money, we do, really want to be out there serving the people that are isolated from physical help and the hope of the Gospel.   We need you to consider if God is calling you to support MAF by partnering with us as a monthly supporter and be a part of keeping the planes running that provide this lifeline to the many people in these remote areas.  Help us jump over the 50% of ministry support, so that we can finally answer our most asked question.

Live on The Radio

Listen to RetroSwitch Live on Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm on 94.3 Faith FM, Kitchener.  Our friend Parker, is the host of the show and has invited us to come and share about life and our ministry with MAF.  If you aren't in the Kitchener area, no worries, listen online at http://retroswitch.blogspot.ca/p/listen-live-now.html

Tracking our Monthly Ministry Support

We have been so blessed and encouraged by all of those who have partnered with us in this ministry.  Our one time, out going fund is up to 90%, which is so amazing.  Thank you so much for coming along side of us with your gifts for our ministry with MAF.  We are also excited to see how God is at work in providing for our monthly support as well.  Recently we came up with a new way to track our monthly ministry support progress and encourage our supporters as well.

$7200, that is the amount it takes to support the average MAF family for a month while overseas (and we are as average as they come J).  Divide this by a rough average of 30 days in a month and it takes $240 to support us for one day. What does this mean? It means that for every $20/month of support for our MAF ministry that we receive ($20 x 12 months = $240), we can “mark off” one day of the year as having been “supported”. When 365 days are marked off, our MAF ministry is fully supported and we can head into the field.

Part of the relationship with our supporters is prayer, they pray for us and we pray for them. So as someone commits to support us in our ministry with MAF, one (or more) of these stickers will symbolically represent the day they are supporting us, and the day we will be praying for them.  Most people like to choose birthdays, anniversaries, and other special or significant days, the options are endless…. well up to 365 anyways J. The number of stickers on the calendar is fairly accurate but most of them are placed there arbitrarily because they represent supporters before we developed the calendar, so if you are a supporter, one of these stickers represents you. We’d encourage you to pick a day and let us know, we’ll be happy to move the sticker and add that day to our prayer list.  We will be praying for every financial and prayer supporter whether you give us a day or not, so you’d might as well give us a day that’s important to you ;)

 

Invited to Share

On April 13th we will be sharing at Emmanuel Bible Church in Simcoe as part of their evening service.  The church is located at 24 Churchill Circle, Simcoe and the service starts at 6:30pm.  If you are in the area or know of anyone interested in the work of  MAF and want to hear more, we would love to meet you.   We are excited to see God open this door for us to share and know that He is at work in putting the pieces together as we build our team of ministry partners.  We are encouraged by those who have come alongside us and look forward with excitement for those we have yet to meet.

MAF Multiplies the Effectiveness of over 1500 organizations . 

As we began our ministry with MAF only 3 short months ago, we had a fairly good knowledge of the work they did around the globe. But as we research ministry stories for our newsletters and for sharing with the small groups that we have met, we continue to learn more of the big picture and what MAF is a part of. We knew that MAF partners with over 1500 organizations and that's a big deal. But what are those organizations and how do we enable them to do their task. The Halo Trust is one of them. The work of The Halo Trust is incredible as they decommission land mines in countries like Angola that have been hurt by years of civil war.  Mission Aviation Fellowship partners with The Halo Trust in Angola to safely bring their workers and supplies to and from the land mine areas.  

Community Dessert Night and Connecting

Hey we are excited to tell you about our upcoming Community Dessert Night happening Tuesday, March 25 at the Forest Fairgrounds Banquet Hall.  It will be from 7:30 pm to 8:45pm with yummy desserts as well as an informative time, learning how God is using the ministry of MAF to reach isolated people around the world and how we fit into that picture.  Invite your friends and neighbours and come out for a great evening.  It is a free event but we would appreciate if you to let us know if you are coming so we can plan accordingly.
We are also working on connecting with other churches and groups in our community as well as those in a greater geographical area.  We don't mind travelling, and are looking to meet more of the people that God is already at work in calling to be partners with us in this ministry with MAF.
So we have a job for you.
 If you are part of a church or community group that would be interested in hearing about the work of MAF and the help and hope that they bring to isolated people, then we want to hear from you.    Even getting a group of your friends together and having us come and chat over coffee ( or tea :-) would be so helpful to us in getting the word out.   Maybe your church or parent's church, a group of friends you work with, or sports team you are on.  Maybe even just your extended family that has a heart for missions and seeing people helped in time of need.  Pass our name along and keep the connections coming.

Do Not be Anxious

We have had some great Co-Pilot Coffee and Dessert Nights and have been able to share with friends and church members, our excitement of how God has called us to serve with MAF.  Thank you to all who came out and for those who have expressed their intentions to be a part of our ministry team, either through prayer or finances.
As we began this week we had the task of going out and making contact with other churches specifically those in our area, with the goal of finding opportunities to share about MAF and our ministry. We were a little anxious as we went out, knowing what we had to do but not sure how to word it or who we would encounter.  We started with the closest church and went in.  We were greeted by a friendly secretary and after introducing ourselves, she was very engaging and asked us questions about MAF and our family.   She was excited about our ministry and offered information on groups in her church that may be interested in having us come and share.  We were so encouraged.  God had gone before us and made the way smooth.  We didn't have to stumble over what to say, it just came naturally.
So the next day we went out again and although there was nobody at the first 2 churches we stopped at,   the 3rd was another encouraging contact.  We met another friendly secretary as well as a retired elementary teacher who had taught Nathan and some of my siblings.   We were encouraged again by the positive response and the ease at which the contact was made.  Giving full credit to God who had gone before us and had helped us take a task that was out of our comfort zone, and make it easy.

Isaiah 41:10   Do not fear for I am with you; Do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

So in the coming week we will be making more contacts with area churches, trusting God to prepare before us churches and individuals that want to know more about the ministry of MAF and our part with them.  We know that it may not always be the positive response we have received so far, but we know He has a plan and will work things out in His timing.

If you are part of a organization or church that would be interested in hearing about the work of MAF, let us know.  We can send you an information sheet that summarizes who we are and what our goals are.

Continue to pray for us this week as we connect with more churches and that God will use our words to be effective in reaching new ministry partners.   ~~ Sarah

I Love Fridays!!!!!!

I am sure your first thought is "Of course, who doesn't love Fridays?" But my love for Fridays has taken on a new meaning as we have been part of MAF and began building our support team. Each Friday we receive a report from the MAF office of the donors that have come along side us in the week and have given support to our out going or monthly fund. Sometimes it is just one new supporter, sometimes more. But each Friday I am reminded anew of God's faithfulness in bringing people along side us in this ministry. Throughout the week we share our story and the exciting ministry that MAF does around the world. Then on Friday, He is faithful to show us again, how He is using our words and our time to encourage people to be a part of this ministry with us. As Psalms 36:5 states: "Your loving kindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." and Psalm 100:5 "For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations." He truly is a faithful God and we are privileged to serve and honour Him in all we do and say. ~~~ Sarah

Not a whole lot has changed since my last post, we've had a couple more co-pilot coffees which were very encouraging. However, there are a few things that I wanted to post about that are up-coming sometime in the not too distant future.
  
     First we are going to begin an online campaign that will hopefully bring in more supporters with whom our most common connection is online (facebook mostly).  We're still trying to come up with a catchy name for this campaign, any suggestions are welcome.
   
     Secondly, we are planning a larger than normal co-pilot coffee designed to catch  anyone within our local Church (Forest Baptist) that may be interested in our journey and what we're doing, with whom we haven't been able to connect with personally yet. Sarah and I are most comfortable with the smaller (8-10ish people), but we REALLY want to make sure that NO ONE feels overlooked or missed. So we have decided to hold this larger coffee night in a larger venue.... the fellowship hall at Forest Baptist. Here we hope that ALL feel welcome and can come and get excited with us about what God is doing with MAF.
    
     Thirdly, we are in the planning stages of doing a community wide (Forest area) event. A more formal dessert night actually put on by MAF (date yet to be determined, end of March Break?). For this we hope to contact other local Churches, put an ad in the local paper, posters in shops, etc. So if you're in the Forest area, keep a lookout for these notices, spread the word, and please attend if you can. If you're reading this and you're not from the Forest area, we are always itching to meet with others in other communities.... yes we'll come to you! MAF is up to some exciting things, we're excited to be a part of it.... we're looking for others to get excited with us.

     And THAT is what is on our minds for the near future. Till our next post... Nathan and Family out.

Hope everyone has had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.... Welcome to twenty fourteen!
Our holidays have been extremely busy this year, things are finally beginning to level out. We have had our first co-pilot coffee (basically a dessert/coffee get together).  It was a great evening, and was a good first run at our "presentation". It also confirmed why God has called me to MAF as a mechanic, and not PR :) However, despite my ineptitudes, God has continued to provide new members to our ministry partnership team. Thank you to all who have joined us so far. We have now hit 5% on our monthly support and 11% of our outgoing amount. We will be having another (probably small) dessert night tomorrow night, Jan 3/2014 at 6:30 at our house... all are welcome.