“Be very careful, then how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”(Ephesians 5:16) One does not have to look far to see the truth of those words. This world is a troubled place, and its people need to hear and take to heart God’s message of love, hope and new life in Jesus. God gives us many opportunities to share that message. Our prayer is that our eyes would be open to recognize the opportunities when they come our way. We also want to be faithful and obedient to seize those opportunities in a way that is honoring to God, and uplifting and encouraging to everyone we meet.
This past summer was filled with many such opportunities. We started off the summer with a short trip to Belize. At the invitation of the Gospel Fellowship Chapel, in Shipyard, we spent approximately a week in the community. It was such a blessing to see the church still growing in the knowledge of God and being faithful in spite of opposition. We received a warm and loving welcome and were superbly hosted. It was Mennonite hospitality at its best!Our purpose was to do a series of evening services, consisting mostly of singing and short little “sermonettes” between songs. The services were held outdoors at the local park,and they were very well attended. There were of course many from the church itself, from Blue Creek and Spanish Lookout, but what surprised us was the number of people from the colony. What an opportunity! Many indicated to us that they were searching for the truth and we truly sensed God at work in the colony. Our prayer is that many more would come to see the freedom and life they can have in Jesus Christ!
Much of the rest of our summer was spent “on the road” singing and preaching at various events and churches in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Everywhere we go, we see people in need of the transforming power of God in their lives. We also see God very much at work. There are many Low German speaking Mennonites in all these places and we feel a special bond with them. We are blessed and honored to be doing this work, and we love being able to partner with many ministries that are reaching out to those around them.
Something new for us this summer was having Andrew work half-time for the ministry of D’Friesens. We are thankful that God provided the needed funds for that. He was a real help with the countless“behind the scenes” tasks both in the office and on the road. Besides all the packing, unpacking, setting up, taking down, working the sound system, driving, designing posters and prayer cards, emailing, scheduling, distributing CD’s, selling CD’s, recording etc, etc…we were also able to lay the foundations for several future projects. With the busy summer we had, we don’t know how we would have managed without him!
As many of you know, we joined Multi-Nation Missions Foundation (MMF) in January of this year. We have been building a solid relationship with them over the past months. It is good to be able to offer tax-deductible receipts for donations. It is also a blessing to have someone experienced and knowledgeable taking care of the finances and legalities. And so, after much prayer and discussion,we have taken a new leap of faith. It has not been an easy decision, but we believe a necessary one. Diedrich has given his notice at work, that he is resigning his position effective January 1, 2016. We will be working full-time with the ministry of D’Friesens Music and More, in partnership with MMF. Many have asked us if this means we are moving out of the country again. And the answer to that is no. We believe our calling is to continue what we have been doing, just do it full-time. This might mean we will travel more, as many of our invitations come from far away, but Reinland will continue to be our home-base. We plan to continue singing, preaching and traveling as the Lord leads, and to spend more time in translation work. Diedrich has also been asked to work on putting together a radio program for the Low German people of Central and South America.
We cannot do this alone and we thank you each and every one for the encouragement and support you are to us. This is totally a faith venture, and we will now be fully dependent on donor support. A good portion of our support is in place, but some is still needed. If after prayer and consideration, you feel led to be a part of our support team, feel free to contact us directly, or contact MMF. We are also heavily dependent on your prayers. We can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ, and need His strength every day. We are trusting that God will provide. He is more than able!
Praise:
1) For God’s leading and peace in our venture to go full-time in the ministry.
2) For the financial support that has already been pledged.
3) For the good health we experienced throughout the summer.
4) For God’s protection in our travels.
5) For the many opportunities out there to serve the Lord.
6) For those who have been encouraged through this work, and take the time to let us know.
Prayer:
1) For wisdom in setting priorities, planning and scheduling of the ministry.
2) For continued family unity, as well as energyand passion for the work.
3) For full financial support.
4) Open doors and open hearts.
5) Continued safety in travel.
6) That we could be people of integrity, true followers of Jesus in all that we do.