December 2013

Jake is back to work.  The physical therapy has done the job on his leg muscles so no surgery is needed.  The body of believers he has been meeting with has divided.  Jake and Naomi are very sad about that and did their best to hold things together, but that isn't always possible.  They are thankful they still have other families to meet with on a regular basis.

Chet's job ended this week.  The work involved some heavy pulling, and his shoulder was not up to the task.  He is actively working on finding something else so keep him in your prayers.  Mai and Jaz are still doing well.

Praise the Lord for a great trip to India for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am thankful for all the prayers.  Often people get "Delhi Belly" when going to India, but God graciously spared me any digestive trouble.  Praise the Lord!

Mikah is heading to Ireland next week for Christmas.  She is excited!  Her brother was kind enough to think of her being it is the first Christmas so far away from Morgan.

October 24th Update

Big news that Mai is home and doing well!  She is a blessing to have around the house and is taking some of the load off of me as far as housework.  Jasmine loves having her birth mommy around and spends as much time as she can with her Daddy and Mommy!  We are about through our first round of doctor's appointments, and the initial testing I am doing with Mai for some home educating we'll be doing.  Praise the Lord for blessing and working.  Thank-you for your prayers!

Another praise is that I have heard through the grapevine that Charles Bryce is healed in the body and can now play violin again!  Glory to God!  He is seeking more steady work with the violin in the Cleveland area, and Sharon is working full time on her master's degree.

Jake is still off work for torn something in his leg (ligaments?).  He is receiving physical therapy and is slowly improving.  This was a work related injury so his costs are covered, thankfully.   He yet has to see the surgeon to know if they will do surgery after the therapy or not.  God is helping at his church and is definitely bringing in people.  This has brought it's challenges in that there are different visions of how things are to work, but God is helping nonetheless.

Jordan and Naomi had their legal hearing yesterday for Naomi's dad's estate and it was not as profitable as we all had hoped.  Things are still in gridlock so we are trusting for God's work and timing.

We're trusting that Morgan's baby took a head first dive this past week during a tumultuous night.  That is yet to be confirmed by ultrasound, but we're believing.

Don and I are heading off this evening for a couple days away to celebrate our 30th anniversary.  Mai's mother, Lon, will stay at our home to help hold down the fort!

October Happenings

It is exciting to see God working and moving!

On our end, we are happy to report that Chet's wife, Mai, should be coming home next Thursday, October the 7th!  It's been 3 years.  I enjoy hearing her excited questions and anticipation as we talk each week.  We hope to have a welcome home party with our church family.  Continue to pray for all of this on this new adventure!

Ariana and her friend were baptized in our pond recently and it was a joyous occasion.  My father also shared his story with a few in the community of Defiance.  God is working with individuals in the church and it is a joy to see.

 The body of believers in Maine has a couple more families who are now attending and there are 2 more families moving up to join the church who now live in Tennessee.  This Sunday they are having a brother's meeting to try to establish some foundations to prevent potential divisions and misunderstandings.  Please pray for them in this endeavor for oneness of mind and heart.

Jordan's family needs prayer for wisdom in pastoring their little church, and also for the settling of Naomi's father's estate in the next few weeks.

I am planning a trip to India on November 12 to be with Morgan around the time the baby is born....and to spend time with Amos and Justice as well.  And Andrew. :-)   Thankful for my husband's self sacrificial love to let me go and leave our expanding family to fend for themselves during this time.  He would love to go too, but now doesn't seem the time.

Streets 4th week

September 16, 2013

Fourth Week Happenings

Here we are – into our second week of classes. Andrew and I are enjoying them. I missed half of

mine today because of a prenatal checkup. I’ve lost weight, instead of gained, but all my blood

work and tests came back great. The doctor was surprisingly favorable towards a home birth

– she just said that we will need to make sure everything is going normal. The boys have heat

rashes – especially Justice – and so we are trying to let his skin air out today. Thus he is wearing

bib-overalls with no shirt.

Our shipment came in on Saturday!!! It is very exciting to have all our stuff here. The clothes

came just in time for Justice, who was growing out of his provisions we had in our suitcases for

him. Amos is thrilled to have his toys and books back. The hammock is hanging temporarily in

the living room, and all three guys are enjoying that quite a bit. Although I can’t unpack all my

kitchen supplies yet (for lack of shelving to put them on), I am still very happy to have some pots

and quality utensils in hand to cook with again. The computer is already set up. Andrew is out

shopping now with Sundara Raj for furniture, and the furniture here in the guesthouse should

be swapped out soon for what is provided by the school for us. Two men are presently cleaning

out our storeroom as well. For those of you who don’t know yet, it has been settled that we will

make the “guesthouse” our apartment, and the guesthouse will be in the bungalow.

Last Friday there was a day of prayer held here on campus. It started at 2pm, and went until 6am

Saturday morning. Andrew was able to participate in a few hours of it, including preaching one

of the messages on prayer. He said there was a wonderful, unhurried spirit during the prayer

times. I have been very busy, especially with the shipment coming in, and will continue to be

so probably for a little while. Thankfully yesterday we had a good rest, and purposefully made

sure that that could happen. In the evening we all got our instruments out that just came in the

shipment (Andrew, trumpet; me, viola; and I gave Amos and Justice each a recorder) and played

a few songs together. That was fun. J I enjoy our singing times together, and it’s nice to have

our instruments back now too. I tried playing in church, but it didn’t go as well as I was hoping

– between my being rusty, and the viola slipping out of tune because of lack of use. I think next

time should go better.

Cooking has been going well. I’m still learning a lot – and making mistakes along the way – but

I’m definitely more comfortable with things now. I have not yet learned the right way to make

homemade butter and yogurt, but I did find out how easy it was to do it the wrong way! Leave

milk in the fridge a day too long, and it automatically turns into yogurt, and leave cream in the

fridge for too long, and it becomes the consistency of butter….I didn’t taste them to make sure,

so I can’t say that it really works. J

Please continue to pray for adjustment with grace and a Christ-like spirit….we seemed to have a

more peaceful lull in the storm of culture shock the past week or two, but now we’re entering a

second wave of it – and not just me this time, but Andrew too.

Joanna's Review

Here's a note we received from Joanna Paulus that is encouraging.

 I was thinking back today on all the connections with different people that have been made because you moved to Ft. Wayne and we came back from China (I wanted/hoped to go back within a few years) and stayed in Ft. Wayne rather than moving to CA. (I was wanting to move to CA,as had been planned, as we had friends there with similar values and almost none in Ft. Wayne.)  So we meet you, and then through Andrew meet McCulfors [whom the Pauluses churched with for several years]. McCulfors hear from us about the Training for Triumph speech and debate classes, which Anna then goes to and Grace is in her class. So the McIntoshs come to the youth meetings, and now you've started a church together. And after about 8 years of meeting one great family after another and being part of each other's lives, Father has brought us back here to China. And I'm leaving out plenty of details. That was a good reminder to me that He certainly has a better plan than we do. When I can't see what's going on (why the visa agency didn't ship our passports back overnight like we asked...why Fed Ex sent them to Europe instead of Hong Kong...why once the problem was reported, it couldn't be solved faster...why we're stuck in Hong Kong when we had things planned for this weekend in GZ...why we can't be there for the unexpected overnight company Daddy has) Father does see the big see picture and his plans are the best.   -Joanna Paulus

One Week for the Streets

Thursday, August 29, 2013

One Week Mark!

By this point we now have a working phone, our own internet, a refrigerator, and a washing

machine (that we can’t use yet). Amos and Justice have made their ways into many hearts on

campus. I’ve been able to visit in four other apartments, chatting with very wonderful ladies.

Anim has helped us with our laundry and is planning on taking me grocery shopping. Sharda has

put me more at ease with having a home birth, and took me to her OB/GYN doctor today for a

regular checkup. Akim is all alone in her apartment and was very glad, I think, that I knocked on

the “wrong” door trying to find Sharda’s apartment. J I think we will have very good visits in

the future. Preety is very outgoing and is fun to talk to.

Amos asks every day, “Are the kids outside?” He is thriving on the little school books we

brought with us in our backpacks, and I think he’ll be ready for the curriculum that is being

shipped once it gets here. I’ve been asked almost every day about Amos going to school, so I

have started turning that into an opportunity to explain why we feel it is important and that it

is our responsibility, biblically, to teach our children about the Lord all throughout each day.

So far I haven’t had any response to that. I’m learning how to manage my days between two

active boys, the hot afternoon, and the evening visiting time. I think there is a routine slowly

developing, although a good deal of that will change once we begin language classes and I start

to cook.

On that note – we get to meet with the language school director, Rollee Narrain, and another

American couple next week! Yay! We will have a meet and greet time, and then we will talk

about our schedules for doing classes, which should start next week. We found out about a lady

who sweeps and mops the floors daily for several apartments on campus, and we might enlist her

help (with money, of course) in our apartment as well. It’s about six US dollars a month. Yeah –

wow. And that’s helping her out.

I found out that prenatal care is also very cheap – and it is considered expensive here in India.

Around 3 dollars will pay for a checkup, 6 dollars for an ultrasound, and about 300 dollars for

delivery. My checkup went well. Everyone here was very nervous about me, so I think they

will be relieved now that I have seen the doctor. After being at the maternity home, though, I’m

pretty sure I want to stick with a home birth if possible, especially since I don’t speak Hindi. The

doctor could speak English, but I could tell she is much more comfortable with Hindi, and I’m

afraid that might cause problems in the middle of delivery and things may not go like I would

want them to.

Andrew has found out more than he ever would want to know about Indian mechanisms so far –

or the lack of them. After 5 visits to the phone store and many hours later, he has finally got our

cell phone working, but is still wrestling with getting the internet package working that he signed

up for. (News flash: he got it.)

Andrew has been to chapel once this week, and was very impressed with the message on the

book of  Joel. He wants to be more regular in attending those if he can. He was also able to help

Sundara Raj by taking pictures of all of the 1

purposes. I had my first motorcycle ride today to the maternity home. J That was fun. One of

the staff took me, since there was some confusion on having a driver available. We have found

that (1) you can’t count on anything happening the way it’s planned, (2) relationships are very

important here, and (3) the Lord is faithful to keep His promises and His word to us – as we seek

Him, He is found, and satisfies our hunger for Him.

nd

st

 and 2

 year students. This is for fundraising

Shopping & Scrubbing

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Scrubbing and shopping – the two things we’ve been doing the most in the past 36 hours. I’ve been cleaning windows and getting the kitchen in order, and Andrew is out buying a refrigerator right now. We still aren’t quite ready to eat here at the guesthouse, but it’s getting a lot closer. J Okay…later: Andrew picked out a refrigerator, but couldn’t buy it today. He also purchased a cell phone but couldn’t get it activated today. Very warm-culture. Amos has been playing very well today by himself. Please pray for Justice – he has been very tired today and may be having some intestinal issues.

Andrew saw our apartment today – it’s quite large. It takes up the whole bottom floor of a building. The ceilings are REALLY high – like you could put a second floor in. We feel a little weird moving in there when the guesthouse is much more standard for faculty here. We would be happy staying in the guesthouse and making that our home. We’ll see what they say.

We can hear the Muslim call to prayer multiple times a day. In Allahabad, 20% are Muslims – a larger than average percentage.

I’ve seen a couple mice in Sundar Raj’s house, but none in ours so far. J We have one screen that needs replaced in our bathroom, so a lizard and mosquitoes have gotten in through there, but other than that, the house is pretty well closed in.

Today I have really missed talking and working with friends. There is so much to do, and it takes me so long to accomplish things on my own with two boys and the heat, that it’s kind of depressing if I think about it too much. We went out this evening again though, around the time when the children and adults come out (when it’s cooler – about 5:30-7pm), and I had a very nice time talking to two other mothers who live in the same apartment building. I’m really thankful for that. Amos and Justice had fun, too, with the kids. I also was encouraged by what I read in A Chance to Die, the biography on Amy Carmichael that I’m reading through. It was talking about when Amy’s mother and a close and trusted fellow worker both died in the same year – and how she had to accept the Lord’s will as being “to do without” for the time being.

So far, the topics of homeschooling and home births are very weird and “unacceptable” to the people here – we ask if it is okay to do, and they say, “No, everyone goes to the doctor,” or “No, homeschooling is not recognized.” This is really hard for me to deal with – I would really appreciate your prayers that we would have wisdom to know how to handle both situations. It also seems very much the norm for both the husband and wife to work outside of the home. They probably won’t understand that I want to stay home and take care of my family first and foremost. I’m thankful that both EFM and OMS, the mission organizations that we are working for/with, understand us and sent us anyway. J It’s just going to be interesting dealing with the subjects here on the field.

All for now – I need to get back and help get the boys ready for bed and spend some family time together. 

The Streets in Ireland

As you all know, we are now - finally - en route to India!!! It's still a little weird to be past the farewells at the airport that I've been dreading for so long, and to realize that the time changes are not going to be "changing back" for quite a long time, etc. We are VERY much enjoying our time with Jordan, Naomi, Nathanael, and Anna-Joy!! I just relish being able to watch Nathanael stomp his feet in excitement, smile, laugh, or just take everything in with his intense demeanor. Anna-Joy is so beautiful, sweet, and alert, and loves to be held, which I have enjoyed. :) Amos and Justice are having a really good time, as well. Being able to visit with Jordan and Naomi has been so refreshing too, especially since we hardly ever get to see them. Naomi and I connect in many ways through our husbands being pastors of small churches, and through having little children, and so we've had a really good time talking together.
Last night the boys were having a hard time getting to sleep, which gave both Andrew and I some extra individual prayer times. While holding Justice, I decided to sing to him, and the Lord brought to mind the song, "Day by Day." It was so encouraging in this transition time. One part that sticks out to me is where it says something like the Lord mixes toil with joy and peace. During my prayer time the Lord reminded me that while I'm in India, just like when I've gone through trials before, He will give His presence, He will mix joy with hardships, and He won't throw anything at me that I cannot handle. It has been so easy for me to picture this first year as something almost impossible that I will hardly be able to handle - and maybe that will sometimes be the case, but at times I have also forgotten the love, care, and presence of our Lord. I am so thankful for how He does take care of us, and ministers to us exactly what we need in each moment. 
Anyway, we love you ALL and you are all welcome in India!!! 

Pray for Charles and Sharon.  Charles is back from Taiwan however, he still is not able to practice or perform well enough on his violin.  They are trusting the Lord for guidance.

Praise the Lord that Chet is starting a new job this Tuesday.  The company is called Old Castle and it is in Napolean, OH.  They do plastic molding and make cases for underground communications.  When they first offered him a job, he would have had to work nights on Saturdays and Sundays every other week....which would mean he would need to sleep most of the day on Sunday.  He balked and told them he would need to think about it and check out another company.  When he called them back a few days later, Old Castle said they were setting him up for an interview with a M-F job at $2 more per hour.  So, we are praising the Lord for that!
Chet's wife, Mai, may be coming home soon.  Sara McIntosh has been working hard at figuring out ways her prescriptions and medical care can be covered in an affordable way.  Mai is excited and we are too!  We're thankful for the work God is doing in this family.  To have positive anticipation from all sides about her moving home is a miraculous answer to prayer!

We have had some visitors at our new church.  At times, we have had up to 31 people in the McIntosh home.  We're trusting the Lord to build the church as He wants it.  We have purchased a nice prayer stand which we need prayer for that it would be used for souls and His glory.
Tom's widow has been attending some and was in tears several times last service.  Pete (Tom's son) and Angie are still hungry and have attended some as well.  They continue to need prayer in all the decisions that come with seeking the Lord.  Their daughter, who is 11, has expressed to us her desire to live a more godly lifestyle and to be faithful to church.  She gave her heart to the Lord at Salvation Army camp a few weeks ago.  Today, we were able to take her shopping for some more modest clothes as that is one of her desires.

Jordan and Naomi are coming to visit the first two weeks of September so we are excited about that!

Jordan in the hospital

Pray for Jordan as he is in the hospital in Ireland.  They are running tests.  Monday, he should have a colonoscopy.  Other test results should be back Monday or Tuesday.  Jordan is on IV for nutrition as he hasn't been able to eat for a few days and he is feeling better with that little boost.

Coda Mountain Music Academy, 2013

There are no words to describe Coda Academy 2013!  One of the amazing things to me was the rest, enjoyment and camaraderie amongst the students and staff in the midst of very hard work. The students seemed relaxed and safe, laughter ringing out everywhere, yet they were working their little tails off from 7:30   am until 9:30 pm each day. We began each morning and ended most days with optional devotions and every last one attended.

Out of forty-eight students, about thirty received partial or full scholarships thanks to the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, The Beckley Area Foundation, the County Commission and Senator Laird, BB&T as well as other private and civic donors.  

Forty-eight students came through the door on June 16; some surly and looking for mischief, some terrified, some confused about life, some shy, and everything in between.  In just a few days, forty-seven students, ages 9 to nineteen, and 15 faculty/staff knit together like a family and the overall culture of the camp was one of cooperation and mutual respect for where each one was in their journey.  The musical accomplishments were incredible, but as director, I have to marvel at this aspect first!  It made my job so much easier!  It wasn't long until kids were opening up spiritually both in devotional moments and in one-on-one discussions. We had some kids who didn't have a church background who were really searching.

Congressman Nick Rahall, County Commissioners and the media were amazed at the music pouring out of almost every room!  Sometimes there were over twenty rooms with private lessons, chamber coachings, private practice and bluegrass jams happening at the same time!  One county commissioner came for twenty minutes and stayed for 2 ½ hours. His response was, “This exceeds my wildest expectations.” 

Tommy Siner from WSAZ came out and filmed for several hours.  He is amazed at what is happening and has offered to create a mini-documentary that will air several times in West Virginia, and parts of Kentucky and Ohio.  The Charleston Daily mail ran an amazing article for us full of color pics and a great write-up.  It was 1 ¼ pages!  We are so grateful for this!  http://www.dailymail.com/News/201306270097  To God be the glory.

Coda bluegrass and classical ambassador groups did at least 9 run-out performances in churches, Summersville bluegrass festival, the unveiling of the wall of honor ceremony and at Smokey’s on the Gorge for Leadership West Virginia just to name a few.

In addition to the run-out gigs, Coda Academy and Coda Kidz provided 6 concerts and 2 master-classes which were open to the public within a two week span.  The final concerts of the Academy and the Kidz were packed out with standing room only (about 230 people).  We are considering a larger venue next year.  

I wish you could have experienced the quality daily workshops that the faculty prepared.  They dealt with everything from electronic looping to musical careers to how to protect your body while playing your instrument.  The piano improv class was a real hit as we had 8 digital pianos in one room learning and improvising praise and worship songs together.  They did so well! Too much fun!

Three companies did some amazing ‘in kind’ donations.  Harry Gillum at Showtime Music provided, transported and set up 8 large quality digital keyboards at NO cost to us.  Shane Lowther of CSA pianos provided and transported 6 real pianos including a brand new baby grand for only the cost of the truck and the driver. Class VI provided an incredible evening of recreation with Timber Trek, swimming and disc golf for only $29 per student.

The good news is that it seems that 100% of the faculty want to return next year with several more waiting in line to be hired (including two teachers interested in opening a percussion track).  All of the students said they had a wonderful experience and almost all left camp assuring us that they will be back.  Parents/students expressed interest in siblings and/or friends coming next year.  This is great news and evidence of the grace of God and the excellence of the team and their work.

Oh – and the food.  Jenny Robinson and her amazing crew wowed us each and every day with cuisine such as cappuccino pancakes, Indian curry, Mexican dishes, giant mixed green salads with blue berries, strawberries and scallions on top, etc.  And she did this for under $8 per person per DAY.  All homemade.  Am I fooling myself to think these kids come for the music….?!  A recent facebook post by one of student cellists:  “I'm gonna miss the Coda food. For the past two weeks I've been eating potato soup, quiche, cappuccino pancakes, chicken curry and chocolate mocha cake. This morning I sat down alone with a bowl of cheerios. It's just not the same.”  Community and parent volunteers sunk elbow deep in dish water, set up the food table and served us all with generosity and love.

The New River Gorge Gateway facility was loved by all.  After surveying the faculty and many students, the consensus is to stay in Fayetteville rather than pursuing a college campus.  Everyone loves the natural setting and the awesome community support that Fayetteville gives.  The huge drawback to this is that we have almost maxed out the facility’s capacity already.  I truly believe that we will have at least 80 – 100 students next year and none of us are keen on turning students away.

Soooo much more to tell, but this hopefully gives you a taste of our incredible experience at Coda Academy 2013.  There is much to tell about Coda Kidz day camp as well.  It was the best ever.

God’s grace and the dedication of the team and community were so evident and appreciated beyond words.  Thank you for your prayers.

Esther 

Praise and Prayer

1)  Mikah is home for the summer and is trusting to get a job to help pay for school next year.  Nothing has opened up so keep praying!  She has sold things on the internet and is doing some work for a lady and making a little bit of money.
2) Chet is home and looking for work.
3) Praise the Lord that we had the first baptismal in our pond last night.  Joy McIntosh, 11 years old, testified that Jesus told her a few months ago that she was to be baptized.  Both sets of grandparents were able to be there, and her father participated in the baptism.  We could feel God's presence.  It was a sweet time.  We had some neighbors quietly watching from a distance.
4) Praise the Lord that Pastor Don has started a weekly Bible study with the son of Tom Ankney (the neighbor of the McIntoshes who was saved on his deathbed).  This last week, Pete invited an unsaved employee and a believing neighbor to the study as well.  Pete's wife may attend next week.  Appreciate continued prayers for this.
5)  We're rejoicing in the meaningful times of prayer we have had with the McIntosh family on Thursday nights.
6) Next week, Mikah, Grace and Hannah McIntosh will be doing a backyard Bible club at our home for an hour each evening.  We're praying the children in our neighborhoods will attend and be moved by the Lord to give all to Him.
7)  Next weekend, we will have a seminar in our homes on evangelizing.  Trusting the Lord to use that for His glory.

Continuing to trust the Lord that we will not miss anything the Lord has for us.

Big News for the Streets

Here's what's been going on around here, for those who haven't already heard:

1. First off, I think most everyone (if not everyone) has heard that we are expecting another little bundle of joy this year! It's kinda reworked our plans, but the Lord seems to have a special way of doing that. November 20th is the due date, so the baby will be born in India as long as all goes well (which is expected).  I have yet to research exactly how that's all going to work out, but my midwife assured us that she thinks we would do fine as an unattended home birth if it comes to that, although we are hoping to find a midwife to assist if possible. Grandma Schultze is always welcome to come over and help if she wants to stay for a couple weeks and pay for the flight over...:)

2. As Mom may have already mentioned, the visas did come in on May 6th, I think it was. We are very excited about the Lord paving that way for us! They are one year student visas, so we will need to renew them in India next spring. We have heard that it is really easy to renew them - hopefully that will prove true.

3. After we found out the above news, Andrew got right onto purchasing tickets. It has worked out that, en route to India, we will be able to stay a week at Jordan and Naomi's in Ireland, and the following week in Corsica, France, with Andrew's sister, Anna, and her family!!! I'm thrilled!!! Our departure date is Wednesday, August 7, and we are due to arrive in Allahabad, India, on the 22nd of August I think it is.

Monday, May 6th

Today Andrew and Morgan should find out if their visa was accepted for India.

Grandma Schultze is at Cleveland Clinic being checked for an irregular heartbeat.

Charles has prolonged his stay in Taiwan.  His knee joints are getting much more help than his elbow.  They are looking into the cause of his pain as well.

New Handmaiden for the Lord

Anna-Joy Naomi Litchfield was born this morning around 9am Irish time.  She is 6 pounds, 8oz, and has a good amount of brown or auburn hair.  Mama and baby are doing well.  Now, doesn't this mean I need to start looking at plane tickets to Ireland??  That's my job, right??
Anna-Joy is our 6th grandchild and 2nd granddaughter.  The 7th will arrive this year as well.  Woohoo!

Anna-Joy on the Way

I talked to Jordan this morning and they had just left doctor's office.  The doctor said it was time to take the baby so Naomi will be admitted today, and they will do the C-section tomorrow morning.  

Green Card Progress

Chet and Mai had an interview yesterday with Immigration Services regarding her green card.  The hospital had started the process last fall.  We were hoping she would get approval at that meeting.
Here to find out that the wrong form was used so it will now be another 2- 6 months plus more cash before a card is issued. This is disappointing to us, but it is encouraging that the officer sounded positive about the end result.  It has also been encouraging that Mai now wants to be Chet and with us.  Praise the Lord!

Visa Progress - through Prayers Answered!

A little over a week ago we had been waiting for a couple months - and were still waiting - for our visa papers from the language school in India to arrive. We then received an email from a student at the school who was communicating for the tutor there, Rolee, since her  internet was having problems. Johnny, the contact person, told us that Rolee had the papers, but that she wouldn't be sending them until May or June, since she didn't want us to start the visa process sooner than that. This was the third delay we had had, and we were getting frustrated. Especially since other travel plans depended on us getting our visas, and the airline tickets keep rising as we get closer to our departure date. So Andrew wrote Johnny back, expressing our concerns, and we then mentioned the situation as a prayer request to several people and to the church we were speaking at. Just a few days later, another email came from Johnny, and this one had way better news! He said that Rolee was very apologetic after hearing our concerns, and would give the papers to Johnny to scan and send to us. That same day, after waiting for months, we received the scanned copies of our visa request forms from the language school! We are so thankful for people's prayers and for the Lord's quick answer to those prayers. Andrew is getting the scanned papers together today to send off to the agency in Chicago to request our visas, so we would appreciate your continued prayers in the next few days as they review or papers there. Hopefully we will be posting more news soon of the next developments.

Our Move and the church in Maine

We are now living in Defiance.  We had wonderful friends and family who helped us move.  Don has a truckload to get out of the pole barn yet this week.  It will be nice to worry about only one house for awhile! Although I am thinking of getting another one soon, but it will be much closer to the house we're now in and I won't feel like I'm moving at the same time I'm fixing up as I have with the houses in New Haven and Defiance.
God is continuing to help in Maine.  Some of the ones who left the Holdeman church have been excommunicated and the rest are on repentance except for one lady.  There is a third family who has started attending with Jake's group.  They haven't been Holdeman for some time, but there is a connection in the past, I believe.  They are Canadian and the primary language of at least the parents is French.  They can understand a fair amount of English and the 5 children speak English well.  It is amazing to see that this group of believers was just 6 people a couple months ago, but now is 22.  Praise the Lord.  With midweek and Sunday services, they rotate around to the different homes for the meetings.

Arm therapy

Charles is going to Taiwan, I believe, to get therapy for his arm.

Funeral

Neighbor Tom passed away last Tuesday.  Don has the funeral which is Friday at 11am.  Pray for the Lord to work in the family.

Jake/Charles Change of plans

Jake and Naomi have postponed their month long training for the mission field until this coming fall.  They felt like they needed to be in Maine to support the couples who have separated from the Holdeman church during and after their excommunication (which could be this Sunday).  The couples are currently on 'repentance' with the church which is a pre-excommunication level.

Charles has trouble with an elbow which has kept him from playing violin for the Rochester orchestra for some time now.  He needs prayer for direction and healing.

Update

We're painting, tearing out, building and putting down flooring in the new home so we can move out of our present home by April 17th.  It's crazy around here....but things are looking purdier all the time....

We're glad for the McIntoshes help, Streets, Troyers, Delagranges, Mom......

Report on Neighbors

Some of you have joined us in prayer for the salvation of Tom and Cindy, a couple who are neighbors with our church family, the McIntoshes.  Tom was put in hospice last week and may not make it for any more than a few more days.
Don stopped by on Tuesday night.  Tom can't talk much but Don reviewed the gospel with him and asked him if he would nod his head if he wanted to put his trust in Jesus.  Don thought he saw a slight nod.  So Don took his hand and said that Tom should squeeze his hand if he wanted to pray to turn his life over to the Lord - Don felt a slight squeeze.  Don told Tom to pray along with him as he prayed the prayer of commitment.  He then asked Tom if he had prayed the prayer with him.  At that point, Don felt a good squeeze!  Don has felt the Lord witnessing in his heart that the Lord did a work in Tom at that time.  We praise the Lord greatly for this!!  It has been such a burden on our hearts.
Cindy wanted Tom baptized so Don took a little water and did that as well.
Don then mentioned to Cindy that this would be a good time for her to put her trust in the Lord as well.  She responded in such a way that she didn't feel the need for any more commitment than she already had so we will continue to pray for her.  

well two weeks down at Columbus Culinary Institute and I am loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!yesterday i recieved word when i called about a job at fedex night job in the warehouse that i was hired start the 2nd of april,a big BIG BIG answer to prayer and i have found a place to live instead of a hotel which i have been staying at while trying to find a job 3 weeks is enough for living in a hotel keep me in prayers as the job is 2am---6am or 8am deepends how busy they are so sleep may be a factor i have classes from 1130 am until 6pm monday thru wednesday and 1130am until 430 thrusday and friday the job is monday am thru thrus am so i can come home on weekends and spend time with the family and Jasmine another answer to prayer  

A Cult Challenged

WHAT A DAY! There are two young families who have left  a “Mennonite” cult in the last two months. This group is called the “Holdemans.”

The Lord has truly set them free from bondage and has given them joy and boldness in the Lord!

This Holdemans they left have two major heretical doctrines: 1. They believe that they are the One True Church and 2. They don’t believe that Jesus had the same flesh as us.

Any believers outside of their “church” are only in the kingdom and won’t be a part of the Bride of Christ till Jesus returns.

Because these men (Tim and Isaac) and their families have renounced those false teachings, they have been in serious trouble with that “church.”

I hope I can get all the facts straight here…

Yesterday we had a suspicion that the ministers were coming to visit them and then the church would pass judgment on them this weekend. If a member of the One True Church leaves that church, they will be considered hell bound people. If you leave the church you have left Jesus.

So, Naomi and I and the kids went over to one of the men’s houses to split wood and wait for the expected visit. Three of the ministers showed up that afternoon, and I won’t get into details.
It’s enough to say that they were being unbiblical in the way that they carried out discipline and were wiggling out of responsibility. It was somewhat of a circus.

They ended up saying that the two families were lifted up with pride to the point of being deceived and they also accused them Tim and Isaac and their wives of holding their “light” (truth) above the light of the brotherhood.

Last night they had a council meeting to vote about what to do with them. Tim and Isaac were invited to go, and we decided that they should go and seek for an opportunity to speak the truth.

A while before we left, Tim, Isaac and I went to a side room in Tim’s house and knelt together to pray for strength. How can one describe the presence of the Lord coming down and filling a room!?! Right away when we began to pray I sensed that the Lord was with us. And then one of the men began praying that all remaining ties to evil spirits from the church would be broken. When he prayed that, I sensed the presence of the Lord descend on us in a strong way. I lifted my hands and began praising the Lord. Later Isaac said that he didn’t hear the “rushing mighty wind” but he felt it’s effects. He also said later that he didn’t know exactly what he saw in the prayer time, but he saw something in the Spirit, something that was so wonderful he wanted to keep gazing at it! The Lord was there!

It reminded me of the apostles in Acts 4 coming back to the assembly and praying together that “with all boldness” they might speak the word and that signs and wonders might be done in Jesus Name and the place was shaken where they were assembled.

The council was a members only meeting so I sat in the car and walked around on the property and prayed for them. The Holy Spirit helped me to pray in such a way that I felt that a gush of words and examples from Scripture were coming out of me. Hallelujah! I told the Lord that this was mount Carmel and may that God who is God answer by fire.
I boldly told the Lord that this was His opportunity to show Himself strong on the behalf of two men whose hearts were perfect toward Him.

Anyway, I ended up just praising the Lord toward the end.

After a while I saw my two brothers coming out of the church alone. With raised hands they sang part of “I’ve found a friend in Jesus, he’s everything to me, he’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.”

They were pretty shook up but they were encouraged as well. Almost all of them were put “on repentance” which one could call purgatory because you are not quite relegated to Hell fire, you just go through the ringer-washer till you are excommunicated or till you repent. It would actually be easier to just be excommunicated rather than to be on repentance.

One of the ministers named the sins before the congregation and they voted on each of them. Sarah was the only one who was not put “on repentance.” They lied about her saying that they didn’t believe that she really stood 100% with her husband Tim, EVEN THOUGH she clearly said that she did.

Then they gave Isaac and Tim the opportunity to speak. Isaac got up and spoke for a few minutes about how weak he was and then talked about false doctrine and the fear of man in the church.

Tim talked for maybe 10-15 min and boldly layed out the heresy and idolatry of the church. The church people basically put the church at the same level as Jesus and the church was started by a man who didn’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh, which means that the foundation of the church is antichrist not Jesus Christ! Tim said afterward that he didn’t remember really what all he said, but I believe that because he didn’t premeditate what he was going to say, God was faithful to His promise to give him a “mouth and wisdom.”

While Tim spoke, Isaac observed men bowed over in their seats and heard women saying things like “there are evil spirits in here, there’s an evil spirit here.”  After Tim sat down one of the ministers stood up and said “This is the kind spirit we are dealing with here” and some of the men in the congregation spoke up together saying things like “We’re with you minister” or “that’s true.” I don’t know if the Holdemans have ever given such a reaction before. They are so quiet and peaceful, too peaceful. There is a certain slumbering peace that has gripped many modern-day Anabaptists, it isn’t of the Lord!

I think that by the Spirit of Truth, the foundation of that church was shaken which is why there were such strong responses.
Tim shared with beaming face afterward and said “I feel so free!”

We rejoiced together!

Both men need prayer for protection and strength during this time. Thank you to those in Kokomo who prayed last night!

Psalm 85:6-13 says:

⁶ Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? ⁷ Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

⁸I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. ⁹ Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. ¹⁰ Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ¹¹ Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. ¹² Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. ¹³ Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Hallelujah! There is so much more that has happened up till yesterday that I don’t have time to share, these men are ON FIRE for Jesus! The Lamb is receiving the reward of His suffering in the lives of these families!

Jake

Add-ons

Some musings related to a couple recent posts....when we let a realtor list our house, we had no idea the interest that would be there, and I don't think he did either.  In less than two weeks, we had to show the house 17 times!!  Of course, the fact that we just bought a house in Defiance was motivating us to sell, but trying to get the showings to stop was also motivation to accept offers!!  It seemed like all I could do was clean house and then try to find somewhere to go for an hour or two or three every day!!  Praise the Lord for the response, right?  :-)

It was also interesting that the former owners of our house in Defiance had put some new laminate flooring down in the living room and one bedroom, and when they moved out decided to take it all with them!!  Plus carpet in one bedroom and a long row of cabinets in the garage!!  That threw us and our budget for a little loop, but God helped us through it and we're working on finding good replacements.  Who knows....maybe the Lord is helping us get rid of more things that could be ridden with cat hair anyway!

Lastly, we are rejoicing with Jake and Naomi in the new couples He has brought into their fellowship.  When Jake was praying about where to move, I couldn't pray about it because I just wanted him in New Haven with us (of course!).  Don and Jake were getting Holy Spirit nudges toward Maine...a place of spiritual desolation....and a long, long way away.  Now, Naomi's mother and friend are good spiritual people, but there wasn't much else.  I was thankful they got to enjoy each other, but I knew especially Jake was hungry for more fellowship and was hitting a wall when reaching out to Christians in churches in the area.  Now this wonderful event where there are two on fire couples who need Jake and Naomi's fellowship as much or more than the Litchfields need theirs!  So TJIS is what God had in mind!  When Naomi wrote about it in this blog, and when I heard her share on the phone with us about it, I was stirred at what was coming out of her! I felt like it  resembled the song of praise that Miriam sang when God moved on behalf of the Israelites!  God's leading is always good and will prove itself, bearing the fruit God intends for it to bear!

Houses and Lands

God continues to bring things together for our move to Defiance.  Last week we closed on our new home in Defiance.   It's a ranch on a basement on an acre and a half, and also has a nice pond with it.  We can't say it was our favorite house, but our favorites the Lord would check Don or it would get sold out from under us.  But, this one is a little unexciting and is a foreclosure, and the Lord is saying yes.  We have already started cleaning and painting.  The former owners were cat lovers...but not very good cat caretakers.  Need I say more??  We have torn out all the carpet in the house and had windows open today to air it out.  Already, after working there twice, we are starting to fall in love with it.  Now, that is amazing considering our attitude before!  The Lord knows.
On the same day that we closed on the new house, we had an accepted counteroffer on our home in New Haven!  So, assuming the inspection goes well next week, this house is sold too!  Thank-you to all who prayed for our housing situation!
Those are our 'houses' and their stories.
As for 'lands',  Don and I are excited and blessed to be able to go to Ireland this Tuesday to visit Jordan's sweet family for a week!  Naomi's new baby won't be born for a couple months, but we have a looooooot of catching up to do with Nathanael as I haven't seen him in person since he was a month old, and Don hasn't seen him in person at all!  He is almost a year and a half.
So, yes, God is providing houses and lands for us.  It is an adventure - that's for sure.  I keep pinching myself to see if we really are moving by faith to Defiance, OH....and if we really do have family in Ireland that we just HAVE to see every once in awhile.  Amazing.  And the story isn't over yet.

well about three weeks ago i was deciding what to do with my buick lesabre it needs some serious help and has a salvage title also. well my boss had passed away from cancer right after christmas and Rocky who i work with had talked with Robin my bosses wife in buying their 1999 chevy astro van from her. well i prayed that night on a sunday night for help with the car situation because i need a better car with school and did not feel the investment in the buick would be benificial. monday i walk in work have not even clocked in and Rocky says are you intrested in purchasing the astro van because he just bought a mobile home and can not aford the van also i was thrilled i asked how much he said 1000.00 but go talk with Robin so on break i asked her if i could buy the van and i could test drive it she said sure and on thusday brought the keys in so i could drive it it is a conveersion astro van well maintained  a little millage but way better then i was driving i drove it home and had Don drive it. took her the keys back. well monday i came back into work and Rocky told me that the price may go up because of Robin son in law said she should get more for it, so after work i went to the front office and asked her what price she wanted  she told me that she had forgot the paper with the number her son in  law said well phone range she answered it when she got of the phone she leaned over to were i was waiting and said 1100.00 i told her yes, then the next week  i was driving to get a rental car  so i could finish paperwork at school in columbus and hit black ice and hit the wall on 469 i was not hurt just shooken up. well when i found that i was going to buy the van i told Cliff who works second shift he told me he wanted to buy my car i said 750.00 , well then ice road and banged up the front end of my buick i talked with Cliff who as of this friday will still buy it for 500.00 thank you Jesus and today the 19th i got the van  God answered prayer two fold soldf my car and got a beter one .

Wonderful Details from Naomi on the Work in Maine

I had it on my mind this afternoon to write a report to send out to
different people who would be interested in what the Lord is doing in
our little fellowship. My heart is full! The Lord’s work is AMAZING!!

As all of you are probably aware of, we have been fellowshipping with
my mother and another single older lady since we’ve moved to Maine.
The Lord has definitely been blessing us and growing us in Him and has
given us sweet fellowship even in our tiny group.  God has been so
faithful to us! Of course we wished for more believers to join us and
our desire and hope and prayer would be that revival would take place
in this area and a holy, Spirit filled church would be established.
How this area desperately needs such a church – to be a light and also
to be a harbor that believers around us, who are in the clutches of
dead religion, can turn too. With that said, let me share how the Lord
brought two more families into our fellowship! 

Let me give some background…There is a Holdeman Mennonite church here
in our town and also one not too far across the Canadian border from
us. Most people would  see them as just another Mennonite church, but
once you start to dig you find out about the heretical doctrine that
validates them as a cult. They believe they are the one true church
and have a fishy view on the humanity of Jesus. The members are in a
lot of bondage to the fear of man: fitting in with each other and not
offending the church lest they be excommunicated. Over all
spirituality is suppressed, along with originality, individuality, and
thinking and questioning.  My parents had visited this church before I
was in my teens and seeing the dangers they left without joining. PTL!
But two of my brothers joined and have been members for fifteen years
now. Needless to say, many have been the prayers for their
deliverance. Lest I paint too negative a picture of these Holdemans,
let me say that they are a gracious, kind people with definite
positive values which I’m sure draws people in who are looking for
something different than main stream “Christianity”. We have been
praying for a work of God among the Holdemans along with praying for
my brothers. Well, just two weeks ago yesterday we found out that two
families from the Canadian Holdeman church left because they no longer
believe in the one true church doctrine! Glory to God! The Lord has
done an amazing work in their hearts – their testimonies are
tremendous! Their names are Tim and Sara Friesen and Isaac and
Stephanie Villeneuve – Sara and Isaac are brother and sister and they
and their parents and siblings used to home church  with us when I was
about  11 and 12. Unfortunately,  we separated and a host of things
have happened in between, including the Lord working in all of our
lives and also Sara and Isaac joining the Holdeman church and marrying
in there.  Three Saturdays ago Sara and Isaac’s parents , who were
visiting from Ontario, stopped by our house and told us the wonderful
news that their children and their spouses were leaving the Holdeman
church. What an exciting, rejoicing time we had! And we were so
surprised! We had no idea what was going on! Needless to say, we got
in contact with the two families inviting them to fellowship with us
which they were so willing to do. Last Sunday we were not able to get
together because of so much sickness in both families, but PTL this
Sunday worked out and we had a wonderful time of fellowship! I wish I
could somehow convey all the ramifications of this situation to give a
clearer picture of the work of God.  My mother isn’t exactly on the
good list with the Holdemans having come in contact with the “one true
church” and having rejected it all these years.  Jake and I aren’t
much better with our apparent  verbal and non -verbal communication
that we have no desire to be a part of them.  In many ways we would be
a threat. So to see Tim Friesen, who was a “Holdeman of the Holdemans”
(comparable to Paul being a Pharisee of the Pharisees ) sitting in my
mother’s living room testifying of how the Lord has been working in
his heart is just about jaw dropping! Never underestimate the power of
GOD! And what boldness and truth the Lord has already given to this
man. His wife sat by and testified that he was a new man and I believe
it! The change is very obvious!  Isaac and Stephanie’s testimonies
have likewise been so encouraging.  We had visited with them at an
earlier date and had heard their hearts and to see the change in
Stephanie was amazing - a multi-generational Holdeman freely talking
about the Lord and the truth He has imparted to her. Jesus can make
people so beautiful! And that’s what we are seeing! And to be able to
home fellowship with Isaac and Sara again is a blessing dropped from
heaven. How wonderful it is to be reunited with these dear friends.

There is a dark spirit that pervades this Holdeman church and keeps
the people in bondage. It’s very hard to talk to them about spiritual
matters and this one true church doctrine pretty much over shadows
everything.  So to see these two families freely talking about the
Lord was so beautiful. May their stand for the truth shake these two
churches to the core and may many others be delivered including my
brothers. Please keep these two couples in your prayers and us too.
The devil has been dealt a blow and he most certainly will retaliate.
These couples need our prayers that they will keep their hearts and
minds staid on Jesus.  The fears and doubts will come. The spirit of
fear is a trade mark of the Holdemans. After all, if you leave their
church, you’re most likely on your way to hell. Excommunication is
most definitely coming and can be very painful. And for Tim and
Stephanie they are leaving behind everything they are familiar with,
and most likely inviting estranged relationships with family. We need
to hold them up! I already love these brothers and sisters  - how the
Holy Spirit knits the hearts of God’s people together! Please pray for
us too. We have already experienced the attacks of the evil one since
we’ve been living here and it can be intense. We need the Lord’s help
– we are no match for the adversary.  The battle is raging in unseen
places and,  glory to Jesus, HE is the victor already and our Captain!
 The Lord has been teaching Jake and I more about the battle between
light and darkness and how our prayers should be directed. Satan has
people bound by his lies and deception, but Jesus can break those
bonds and turn their hearts from darkness to light. Please pray that
all those in our fellowship will remain blameless before God and man.
The gossip may fly, but may there be no sin accounted to anyone. Also
another prayer matter: there is another family in the Holdeman church
right here in our town that is on the verge of leaving too. They
visited us last Sunday for lunch and shared their hearts…so our
fellowship may be expanding yet some more in hopefully the near
future! Glory to Jesus!

This ALL has been a work of God and a tremendous blessing from His
hand! How blessed we are to have more believers to fellowship with.
May we never forget what He has done, but look back on it to bolster
our faith for mountains in the future. God CAN change he

Answers to Prayer in Maine

Jake, Naomi and Laurel have all carried a burden for the Holdeman Mennonites in the area.  There are things which are concerning as believing that they are the one true church and not believing that Jesus came in the flesh.  As you can guess, it is difficult for a family to break away from a group like this because of the resulting disapproval of the church and the belief they have left the one true church.  Well, this past week, there have been two couples who have left.  They have made contact with Jake's group and at least one couple will be with them on Sunday.  Praise the Lord for answering this prayer, and we'll keep believing for more changes in this area.

GTO Board Accepts Jacob and Naomi

This week Jacob was notified that their family has been accepted to go to L. with Global Tribes Outreach http://www.globaltribesoutreach.org/.  They are praising the Lord for this answer to prayer.  In April, they will go to a month long training in New York City.  There also may be an exploratory trip to the area coming up too.  Of course, they will need continued prayer and support.

Visit from Grandparents

Here's some pictures Grandma took when she was here. The girl is my roommate. She's studied German, so she and Grandpa had a blast talking with each other! Her name is Karen Olson, and she's super sweet! God definitely blessed me when He put us together. :) And yes, that's my dorm room.

While they were here, Grandpa also got into a divine appointment with one of the Korean students. He shared with her about walking in the Spirit.

Prayer for Moves

Continue to pray for Don and I as well as Jordan's family as we both, ironically, are endeavoring to move at the same to a place closer to our place of ministry.  Jordan's family has a home they are moving into.  We still need to sell and buy a place.  Both families feel the 'engaging in battle' that happens when one discerns God's will and endeavors to follow it.  That is mainly where we need prayer.

Wrapping it Up in Guyana

Guyana Report

Swinging in hammocks, enjoying the warm tropics, and eating unusual but delicious food
definitely are physical things we’ve enjoyed on this trip, but the spiritual blessings have been so
much greater!! We are very thankful for the Lord’s working in hearts. It’s hard to believe our
time here is almost gone.

In the last couple of days, we’ve continued visiting schools, conducting children’s crusades, and
holding regular evening crusades. In all, we’ve visited 8 schools, have led children’s crusades
in 7 churches, and the men have preached in 16 churches. There were 8 students in the Prison
Epistles class.

We’ve loved seeing the school children run to us, surround us, and give hugs and cheery
greetings. Nick Armstrong has shared his testimony in some of the schools, and the children
have enjoyed meeting Eddie, the monkey, who taught them very important lessons. We also told
the story of Daniel, and how his relationship with God was more important than death itself, and
the story of the unforgiving servant, illustrating how crucial it is to forgive and to be forgiven.
We’ve also had tons of fun playing various review games with the children, such as Zonk,
Memory Pays, and Random Points, and we can tell that they’ve picked up a lot from the stories
they were taught.

One series of children’s crusades was held in the neighborhood where we’ve been staying. We
began showing Voice of the Martyrs DVDs on different heroes of the faith – William Booth,
Perpetua, Amy Carmichael, and Richard Wurmbrand. The numbers grew, and most of the nights
we had between 40-50 children! It was so exciting to share these true-life stories with the kids,
and then challenge them to go all out for God like the people they had just watched.

Another place members of the team were able to minister at was Cange – a ghetto area where the
church has been struggling recently and needed some encouragement. The team fell in love with
the children, and children with the team. The pastor there is a young man named Balram. He was
the only willing person to take the church, and has only been pastoring there four months.

In the Bloomfield church, Andrew preached a very pointed message at the youth, exhorting
them to have a purpose worth living and dying for – serving Jesus Christ! Hearts were being
convicted, and several expressed their need for more commitment to Christ. The young people
here in Guyana definitely need our prayers, because worldliness is rampant, and complacency
dominates most of their lives. One youth that stands out against the others is Jo-el, whom Grace
mentioned in the last newsletter. He is Balram’s younger brother, and wants to be a pastor
himself. Please pray for both Balram and Jo-el, that they will hold strong and continue to grow in
the Lord.

Thank you so much to those who have prayed for physical healing – almost everyone is back
up to speed and doing great. Grace has her voice back, and others have recovered from their

fevers. Justice is the only one with an eye infection left, and we have medicine for him, which is
helping.

Our time here has been very fulfilling, and I hope we have been able to communicate to you a
little bit of what the Lord has done. Today is our last day in Guyana, and we’ll be flying out of
Georgetown at 6am tomorrow. We really appreciate everyone’s support through prayer! Thank
you so much.