12-22-10
To all of our love ones:
Nora & I want to take this moment just before we all celebrate the birth of our precious Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, to express our sincere appreciation to all of you for your prayers & financial support! The work in Malawi we are involved with is what God is accomplishing and His desire to pour out His blessings upon that country & all its people! As all of you are aware, we are in the States now with our family & friends here in America on our annual furlough. We have been totally blessed with our time home, & all the opportunities we have been privileged to share in many churches about what the Lord is doing in Malawi.
We have had the pleasure of being with our son Tom & his family during Thanksgiving week, then up to Vacaville near Sacramento with our daughter Natalie & her family ;last week.This week we are in Seattle, Washington with our daughter Kelly & her family to celebrate Christmas together! PTL!!!! Then we return to California to share a few days with our daughter Erin & her family in Yosemite through January 1st, then back to Salinas to share with our good friends Pastor Ben & Joni Sobels at Cypress Community Church on January 2, 2011. Then we leave early on Monday to attend the Annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta Ca. from the 3-6th. We return to Salinas on the 9th & we will try to get some rest before we head back to Malawi on the 17th.
We recognize full well, we cannot do what the Lord has called us to do in Malawi, without all of your love, prayers, & support! We do not take this support lightly or for granted! We want to say,"Zikomo Kwambiri" (Thank you very much!) to each one of you from the bottom of our hearts!. May our Lord continue to bless & keep you in His loving arms as we keep looking up as Jesus is coming back soon! In the meantime, He commanded us to occupy until He does come back, so keep listening for the Holy Spirit's sweet voice and be obedient to His calling in your lives! (Ephesians 3:20)
Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year!
In Him,
Steve & Nora Braselton
Steve & Nora
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Home Sweet Home
We arrived in San Francisco on Saturday November 20th after 32 hours of traveling! Tired, but so looking forward to seeing our family and our extended church family.Our first stop after leaving the airport in S.F. was at a In & Out Burger, oh what a treat!!!! Then on to Salinas, Ca. to the condo which has been so graciously provided to us by Bob & Sharon Treat. A warm shower and then to bed, oh so tired!
The following day we had the privilege of sharing at Calvary Chapel Salinas with Pastor Don Scott as our host. What a warm & encouraging greeting we received by all in attendance. Thank you CC Salinas, one & all, we so very much appreciate you!
Yesterday, we ran errands and today more errands to take care of before Thursday arrives for Thanksgiving with our son Tom & his family. It is also our grandson's Birthday,Ty,who will be 30 on the 25th and another of our grandson's, Jaeden, who turns 18 on the 26th.We have missed our family so much and we are so glad we get to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at home!
We have a very full schedule while we are here on furlough as we have the blessed opportunity to share each week-end at different churches about what God is accomplishing in Malawi. We are truly humbled by the number of churches who are allowing us to share with the fellowship's. We are also taking time with each of our children(4) & their families that include 13 grandchildren & 4 great grandchildren. We are truly blessed beyond measure!!
We will also be attending the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta Ca. the first week of January. This conference has missionaries from all over the world congregating together once a year & it is always a blessing to a part of with all the different saints serving in foreign lands!
Then we will be heading back to Malawi on January 17th to resume what God has called us to be doing for His kingdom. We want to wish all of you a most wonderful Thanksgiving and a blessed Christmas. As well, to thank each of you for your love, prayers, & support. We could not do what God has called us to do without each of you! You are a part of all that is accomplished by the Lord in Malawi as we are all a team, being obedient to His calling.
As our brethren say in Malawi, Zikomo Kwambiri! We love & appreciate you all. May the Lord bless & keep you close to Himself!
Agape,
Steve & Nora
The following day we had the privilege of sharing at Calvary Chapel Salinas with Pastor Don Scott as our host. What a warm & encouraging greeting we received by all in attendance. Thank you CC Salinas, one & all, we so very much appreciate you!
Yesterday, we ran errands and today more errands to take care of before Thursday arrives for Thanksgiving with our son Tom & his family. It is also our grandson's Birthday,Ty,who will be 30 on the 25th and another of our grandson's, Jaeden, who turns 18 on the 26th.We have missed our family so much and we are so glad we get to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at home!
We have a very full schedule while we are here on furlough as we have the blessed opportunity to share each week-end at different churches about what God is accomplishing in Malawi. We are truly humbled by the number of churches who are allowing us to share with the fellowship's. We are also taking time with each of our children(4) & their families that include 13 grandchildren & 4 great grandchildren. We are truly blessed beyond measure!!
We will also be attending the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta Ca. the first week of January. This conference has missionaries from all over the world congregating together once a year & it is always a blessing to a part of with all the different saints serving in foreign lands!
Then we will be heading back to Malawi on January 17th to resume what God has called us to be doing for His kingdom. We want to wish all of you a most wonderful Thanksgiving and a blessed Christmas. As well, to thank each of you for your love, prayers, & support. We could not do what God has called us to do without each of you! You are a part of all that is accomplished by the Lord in Malawi as we are all a team, being obedient to His calling.
As our brethren say in Malawi, Zikomo Kwambiri! We love & appreciate you all. May the Lord bless & keep you close to Himself!
Agape,
Steve & Nora
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Home for the Holidays
Nora & I will be leaving Lilongwe Malawi on November 19th and going home for the holidays with our family & friends! This has been a rather pressure pack year for us, with a number of opportunities to trust our Lord through difficult circumstances, and at the same time a very gratifying year.
But, as we head back to the States, we so look forward to being with our children,(4) grandchildren(13) & great-grandchildren (4) along with our extended church family as well. We will have the opportunity to be sharing in a few churches while we are home, sharing about what God has accomplished here in Malawi in 2010 and what we look forward to what can & might be happening in 2011, God willing.
We would ask that you pray for us that we will be able to spend quality time with all our family, special time with our friends, get some needed rest, and generally just enjoy our time being home. I believe that the hardest part of being involved as missionaries is our time away from our family & friends. We miss not seeing the grandchildren growing up, missing their special events, birthdays, and etc. So, as you think of us, pray that Jesus will bless our time home and anoint our sharing time about what our Lord is doing and what we believe He wants to do in Malawi in 2011.
Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support over the past two years while we have been serving Jesus in Malawi. As we have stated many times before, we cannot do what the Lord has called us to do without you! So, from the bottom of hearts, we say to each of you,
Zikomo Kwambiri! (Thank you very much in the Chichewa language)
Steve & Nora
But, as we head back to the States, we so look forward to being with our children,(4) grandchildren(13) & great-grandchildren (4) along with our extended church family as well. We will have the opportunity to be sharing in a few churches while we are home, sharing about what God has accomplished here in Malawi in 2010 and what we look forward to what can & might be happening in 2011, God willing.
We would ask that you pray for us that we will be able to spend quality time with all our family, special time with our friends, get some needed rest, and generally just enjoy our time being home. I believe that the hardest part of being involved as missionaries is our time away from our family & friends. We miss not seeing the grandchildren growing up, missing their special events, birthdays, and etc. So, as you think of us, pray that Jesus will bless our time home and anoint our sharing time about what our Lord is doing and what we believe He wants to do in Malawi in 2011.
Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support over the past two years while we have been serving Jesus in Malawi. As we have stated many times before, we cannot do what the Lord has called us to do without you! So, from the bottom of hearts, we say to each of you,
Zikomo Kwambiri! (Thank you very much in the Chichewa language)
Steve & Nora
Saturday, October 9, 2010
CC African Pastors Conference
We head off to South Africa tomorrow (10-10-10) to attend the Pastors Conference for all the CC's in the continent of Africa. Barry & Teri Stagner of CC Tustin, Phil Pechonis from England, Joey Buran of CC Costa Mesa, Rob Dingman, Michael & Golden leading worship, & some guy named Steve Braselton will be sharing also about the work of God in Malawi.
Please pray that all goes well at the conference, that all the speakers will be anointed, and that all those attending will be blessed & encouraged! We are then taking a few days (Saturday & Sunday) following the conference to see more of Cape Town and then on Monday morning flying to Johannesburg to spend three days with Chad & Heather Naakenborgen, Pastor & family of CC Johannesburg South African, whom we love dearly. And on Thursday morning we fly back to Lilongwe, getting "home" at 12:15PM and start preparing for the next three weeks wrap up of the School of Ministry for 2010.
On November 19th, we load up our clothes again to head back to Monterey/Salinas for our furlough just in time for Thanksgiving celebration with part of our family. We will be home through the Christmas holidays, then in early January will attend the annual Missions Conference at Murrieta before we head back to Malawi.
This has been a year of great joys as well as some unpleasant difficulties, but our God...... We rejoice that Jesus has been faithful as usual, has never wavered in His desire to bless the people of Malawi, and we have witnessed some unbelievable miracles He has bestowed upon this land & its people. We are blessed beyond words that He has allowed us to be a part of what He is accomplishing here in Malawi! And each of you that have prayed, written words of encouragement to us, and those whom the Lord has directed to support all this financially, we say Zikomo Kambiri! (Thank you so very much) Without all of you, we would not be able to be here to try to be obedient to His calling on our lives!
Please continue to pray for us for the work yet to be done in 2010, as well as looking to the future and what He wants to do in 2011 here in Malawi. We would humbly ask that you prayerfully consider, through prayer, what financial support He might desire for you to be involved with the Malawi Outreach Ministry in 2011. It is His work and we are looking to Him to supply all our needs, so our trust is in Him to work all these matters out according to His perfect will.
May Jesus richly bless and keep all of you close to Himself as we continue to look up, for our redemption is drawing very near!!
Love,
Steve & Nora
Malawi Outreach Ministry
Please pray that all goes well at the conference, that all the speakers will be anointed, and that all those attending will be blessed & encouraged! We are then taking a few days (Saturday & Sunday) following the conference to see more of Cape Town and then on Monday morning flying to Johannesburg to spend three days with Chad & Heather Naakenborgen, Pastor & family of CC Johannesburg South African, whom we love dearly. And on Thursday morning we fly back to Lilongwe, getting "home" at 12:15PM and start preparing for the next three weeks wrap up of the School of Ministry for 2010.
On November 19th, we load up our clothes again to head back to Monterey/Salinas for our furlough just in time for Thanksgiving celebration with part of our family. We will be home through the Christmas holidays, then in early January will attend the annual Missions Conference at Murrieta before we head back to Malawi.
This has been a year of great joys as well as some unpleasant difficulties, but our God...... We rejoice that Jesus has been faithful as usual, has never wavered in His desire to bless the people of Malawi, and we have witnessed some unbelievable miracles He has bestowed upon this land & its people. We are blessed beyond words that He has allowed us to be a part of what He is accomplishing here in Malawi! And each of you that have prayed, written words of encouragement to us, and those whom the Lord has directed to support all this financially, we say Zikomo Kambiri! (Thank you so very much) Without all of you, we would not be able to be here to try to be obedient to His calling on our lives!
Please continue to pray for us for the work yet to be done in 2010, as well as looking to the future and what He wants to do in 2011 here in Malawi. We would humbly ask that you prayerfully consider, through prayer, what financial support He might desire for you to be involved with the Malawi Outreach Ministry in 2011. It is His work and we are looking to Him to supply all our needs, so our trust is in Him to work all these matters out according to His perfect will.
May Jesus richly bless and keep all of you close to Himself as we continue to look up, for our redemption is drawing very near!!
Love,
Steve & Nora
Malawi Outreach Ministry
Sunday, September 26, 2010
6th Week of School of Ministry
We have just completed our sixth week of studying through the Calvary Distinctives book by Pastor Chuck Smith. It has been a wonderful journey with these men as they have learned so much about the Lord, Calvary Chapel Distinctives, and have expanded their horizons where they are ready to take a step of faith to Venture Out to see if our God might be willing to bless their steps of faith! What a joy to witness their transformation, to God be the glory!!
We will be beginning the Basic course of the Inductive Bible Study by Pastor Dan Finfrock sometime early this next week, so please pray that each Pastor will be able to grasp the material and then be able to study & teach using this method in their own church services. They are all a bunch of sponges, soaking in as much as they possibly can, asking all kinds of good questions, and desiring to grow in their knowledge of the Word of God!
We have two weeks before we take off for the African Pastors Conference in Cape Town South Africa, then we will have an additional three weeks to wrap up this first 90 day session with this first 15 Pastors. Then in Feb. 2011, we will continue with the next 15 additional Pastors, covering the same materials we have covered since August with our first group. Please be praying for all of us, as it has been very hard at times, for the men as well as myself. Also be praying for all the speakers at the Pastors Conference & all the attendees!
We have not nothing but trials with our 4 x 4 Pajero vehicle since we purchased it from a private party. It is now back in the garage with a broken rear axle, this after spending almost an additional $7,000 in repairs to keep it running. Suffice to say, we were sold a bill of goods when we made this purchase, with fraud and deceit. We now have a court date on October 8th with a court Mediator to see if we can get some form of satisfaction from the seller. This date with the mediator has take 18 months to arrange on the court agenda, so please be praying for a just verdict to be rendered.
Our health is good, & our joy in the Lord is our strength. We love serving our Lord here in Malawi! There are days when we pray that we could see beyond all the difficulties we face daily, but God..............! We return home to Monterey on November 20th for our annual furlough & we are looking forward to being with our immediate family members as well as our extended church family. Time flies by so fast, so please be praying for us, that we are able to accomplish all that is needed while we are home.
May our Lord Jesus continue to bless & keep you in His loving arms, as we look heavenward for His soon return, but we also need to continue to occupy in & for Him!
Love,
Steve & Nora
We will be beginning the Basic course of the Inductive Bible Study by Pastor Dan Finfrock sometime early this next week, so please pray that each Pastor will be able to grasp the material and then be able to study & teach using this method in their own church services. They are all a bunch of sponges, soaking in as much as they possibly can, asking all kinds of good questions, and desiring to grow in their knowledge of the Word of God!
We have two weeks before we take off for the African Pastors Conference in Cape Town South Africa, then we will have an additional three weeks to wrap up this first 90 day session with this first 15 Pastors. Then in Feb. 2011, we will continue with the next 15 additional Pastors, covering the same materials we have covered since August with our first group. Please be praying for all of us, as it has been very hard at times, for the men as well as myself. Also be praying for all the speakers at the Pastors Conference & all the attendees!
We have not nothing but trials with our 4 x 4 Pajero vehicle since we purchased it from a private party. It is now back in the garage with a broken rear axle, this after spending almost an additional $7,000 in repairs to keep it running. Suffice to say, we were sold a bill of goods when we made this purchase, with fraud and deceit. We now have a court date on October 8th with a court Mediator to see if we can get some form of satisfaction from the seller. This date with the mediator has take 18 months to arrange on the court agenda, so please be praying for a just verdict to be rendered.
Our health is good, & our joy in the Lord is our strength. We love serving our Lord here in Malawi! There are days when we pray that we could see beyond all the difficulties we face daily, but God..............! We return home to Monterey on November 20th for our annual furlough & we are looking forward to being with our immediate family members as well as our extended church family. Time flies by so fast, so please be praying for us, that we are able to accomplish all that is needed while we are home.
May our Lord Jesus continue to bless & keep you in His loving arms, as we look heavenward for His soon return, but we also need to continue to occupy in & for Him!
Love,
Steve & Nora
Saturday, September 18, 2010
5th Week of School of Ministry
We have just concluded our 5th week of classes & completed the first 11 Chapters of Calvary Distinctives. It has been both awesome, & also very challenging! But, the bottom line is that we have made wonderful progress, they are excited about they are learning, & the Holy Spirit presence is very obvious to us all! We begin Chapter 12 this coming week, "Ventures of Faith", which I am sure is going to be an eye opener for most of them!
Then we begin our journey through the Inductive Bible Study by Dan Finfrock of Intensive Care Ministries. I can hardly wait to see how these men will be able to assimilate the study material, which they all need so desperately! We have not found one church in all of Lilongwe who teaches systematically through the whole Bible, Book by Book, Chapter by Chapter, & verse by verse, not one! The style of teaching across the board here in Malawi is, Preaching, & so there are so many weird doctrines being dumped upon so many beautiful Malawian Christians, it is so gut wrenching!!!
Please be praying for all 15 of our CC Pastors, that they will be able to grasp a hold of the new material they will be studying, being able to assimilate it & then be able to start teaching it to their fellowships. Also be praying for the upcoming CC All African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa from October 11th to 15th. There are a number of speakers, Barry & Terry Stagner of CC Tustin, Ca. Joey Buran, from CC Costa Mesa, Phil Pechonis, from a CC in England, Michael & Golden Preciado, & I will also be sharing a little at the conference. Pray for the anointing of all those sharing, as well as , all the attendees, so we are all able to hear what the Spirit of God has to say to us all!
Check out what is currently happening with the widow & orphan ministry here in Lilongwe with Nora & Timothy at www.ruthsshawl.org it is very exciting to see all that God is working in this ministry!
God bless you all for your love, prayer, & support! We love & appreciate you all. Remember to be praying for Nora & I, as we will be returning home to Monterey for our furlough on November 19th, for the holidays & then the CC Missions Conference the first week of January, 2011. Can you believe it will 2011 this soon? Wow, and remember, Jesus is coming for His bride soon, very soon! Let's be ready and for Him to find us doing His work on earth until that wonderful, glorious day!!!!!!!!!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Then we begin our journey through the Inductive Bible Study by Dan Finfrock of Intensive Care Ministries. I can hardly wait to see how these men will be able to assimilate the study material, which they all need so desperately! We have not found one church in all of Lilongwe who teaches systematically through the whole Bible, Book by Book, Chapter by Chapter, & verse by verse, not one! The style of teaching across the board here in Malawi is, Preaching, & so there are so many weird doctrines being dumped upon so many beautiful Malawian Christians, it is so gut wrenching!!!
Please be praying for all 15 of our CC Pastors, that they will be able to grasp a hold of the new material they will be studying, being able to assimilate it & then be able to start teaching it to their fellowships. Also be praying for the upcoming CC All African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa from October 11th to 15th. There are a number of speakers, Barry & Terry Stagner of CC Tustin, Ca. Joey Buran, from CC Costa Mesa, Phil Pechonis, from a CC in England, Michael & Golden Preciado, & I will also be sharing a little at the conference. Pray for the anointing of all those sharing, as well as , all the attendees, so we are all able to hear what the Spirit of God has to say to us all!
Check out what is currently happening with the widow & orphan ministry here in Lilongwe with Nora & Timothy at www.ruthsshawl.org it is very exciting to see all that God is working in this ministry!
God bless you all for your love, prayer, & support! We love & appreciate you all. Remember to be praying for Nora & I, as we will be returning home to Monterey for our furlough on November 19th, for the holidays & then the CC Missions Conference the first week of January, 2011. Can you believe it will 2011 this soon? Wow, and remember, Jesus is coming for His bride soon, very soon! Let's be ready and for Him to find us doing His work on earth until that wonderful, glorious day!!!!!!!!!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Sunday, September 12, 2010
School of Ministry - 4th Week
We have just concluded our 4th week of classes, and we have covered 8 Chapters of the Calvary Distinctives. It has been both painstaking at times, as all these Pastors have never been afforded any training in many of the subjects being covered! But it has also been so rewarding seeing the lights go on as they grasp a hold of the subjects being shared!
Please continue to pray for all of us as we continue our journey on to complete this study. Tomorrow we begin Chapter 9, "Having Begun in The Spirit", a very important subject for all these Pastors to understand & be willing to apply in their respective ministries. They are truly getting a firm grip & a much better understanding of all the chapter subjects to date. We want this to continue & improve! Oh Lord Jesus, let your Holy Spirit continue to fall upon this place & these men in a mighty way!
I have put a lot of work upon these men, both in class study as well as doing their homework each night to be prepared for the class discussions for the next day. Something they have not had to deal with in a long time, or maybe never in some cases. They are handling it well and the class discussions are a large part of the activity for each day, and they ask a lot of good questions. Their questions & answers are a good indicator of what they are dealing with in their village churches, so we are scratching where they are itching!
Please also be praying for the Lord to supply more of the tools, we use as a matter of daily practice and take for granted, for them as they have no resources to assist them. It would be a true blessing for them to have some additional basic tools to make use of in their ministry.
So the bottom line of this report is that we are progressing very well, yet, there is so much yet ahead of us to accomplish. But our God is faithful and He desires to see these men grow further in their knowledge of Him and His Word!
Nora & I are also doing well, staying very busy and enjoying all our Lord is accomplishing both in the School of Ministry and the ministry to the Ruth's Shawl widows and orphans in Area 44. For an update on the activities of Ruth's Shawl, go to ruthsshawl.org for that information. You will be blessed to see more details of God's work in this area of ministry.
God bless you all and many thanks for your prayers & support. God is good, all the time!
Please continue to pray for all of us as we continue our journey on to complete this study. Tomorrow we begin Chapter 9, "Having Begun in The Spirit", a very important subject for all these Pastors to understand & be willing to apply in their respective ministries. They are truly getting a firm grip & a much better understanding of all the chapter subjects to date. We want this to continue & improve! Oh Lord Jesus, let your Holy Spirit continue to fall upon this place & these men in a mighty way!
I have put a lot of work upon these men, both in class study as well as doing their homework each night to be prepared for the class discussions for the next day. Something they have not had to deal with in a long time, or maybe never in some cases. They are handling it well and the class discussions are a large part of the activity for each day, and they ask a lot of good questions. Their questions & answers are a good indicator of what they are dealing with in their village churches, so we are scratching where they are itching!
Please also be praying for the Lord to supply more of the tools, we use as a matter of daily practice and take for granted, for them as they have no resources to assist them. It would be a true blessing for them to have some additional basic tools to make use of in their ministry.
So the bottom line of this report is that we are progressing very well, yet, there is so much yet ahead of us to accomplish. But our God is faithful and He desires to see these men grow further in their knowledge of Him and His Word!
Nora & I are also doing well, staying very busy and enjoying all our Lord is accomplishing both in the School of Ministry and the ministry to the Ruth's Shawl widows and orphans in Area 44. For an update on the activities of Ruth's Shawl, go to ruthsshawl.org for that information. You will be blessed to see more details of God's work in this area of ministry.
God bless you all and many thanks for your prayers & support. God is good, all the time!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Week 3 of School of Ministry
We have just completed our third week of classes and the 15 Pastors continue to do very well in their studies & class participation. We have completed 7 Chapters of Calvary Distinctives & have embarked well on Chapter 8," The Rapture of The Church". These fine men have never studied about this subject because they have never had anyone teach them & they have avoided teaching on the subject as a consequence. I only wish all of you could be here to see the excitement & joy they are experiencing as they have developed a much better understanding through this process to date! At the same time, they are facing some culture & traditionally struggles as they deal with these Biblical truths! Please pray for them in this Spiritual battle!
Each of these 15 Pastors are here to learn & to grow in their knowledge of their Lord & His Word. It is a privilege to watch what the Holy Spirit is doing in these men! Please continue to pray for them as well as for myself that the Holy Spirit will lead, guide, & direct us so we are teaching & learning what He wants us all to learn!
Pray also for their families while they are absent from their homes & from their fellowships up to two weeks at a time. They have the option to go home early Friday afternoon or to stay here over the weekend. Most of them stay here for two weeks and go home on the third weekend. All but 5 have gone home this weekend & they return Monday morning in time for class.
There are so many needs & these men have so little. Just some basic tools that they could use which we have in abundance in the US would be such an asset to them to be able to minister to their flocks. Join us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to meet their needs, to be able to reach the unsaved in Malawi!
I will be adding some more photos as well as some video clips in our next post. Thank you all for caring & praying, God is listening, but we need to continue to knock, seek, and ask! May the Lord bless & keep you all in His care!
Each of these 15 Pastors are here to learn & to grow in their knowledge of their Lord & His Word. It is a privilege to watch what the Holy Spirit is doing in these men! Please continue to pray for them as well as for myself that the Holy Spirit will lead, guide, & direct us so we are teaching & learning what He wants us all to learn!
Pray also for their families while they are absent from their homes & from their fellowships up to two weeks at a time. They have the option to go home early Friday afternoon or to stay here over the weekend. Most of them stay here for two weeks and go home on the third weekend. All but 5 have gone home this weekend & they return Monday morning in time for class.
There are so many needs & these men have so little. Just some basic tools that they could use which we have in abundance in the US would be such an asset to them to be able to minister to their flocks. Join us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to meet their needs, to be able to reach the unsaved in Malawi!
I will be adding some more photos as well as some video clips in our next post. Thank you all for caring & praying, God is listening, but we need to continue to knock, seek, and ask! May the Lord bless & keep you all in His care!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Calvary Chapel School of Ministry Lilongwe Malawi
We are so blessed with the way the school has begun. Our first week started 8-16-10 and we just concluded the second week on 8-28-10. We have 15 Pastors from a variety of village churches with many of them located in very remote areas. All of them have come prepared to study & learn, they are doing all of their required written exams, they are participating very well in class sessions, taking copious notes, asking great questions, & performing well above my original expectations. All but a couple of them have never attended any higher education schooling, & all of them have never attended any Bible Colleges or Schools dealing with Ministry.
So as you can probably deduce, we are all so very excited about the Lord is accomplishing to & through these men who have very wonderful, teachable hearts & minds! All we can add is, that we need all of your prayers that all of us, the men & myself, will continue to apply ourselves so we finish as well as we have started!
I am adding a few pictures above so you can get a glimpse of the men in the class setting,which is in our Living Room in our rented house, in the area where they sleep & eat, taking their breaks in the yard,Carmella Cuva giving eye exams for reading glasses, praise & worship time, one of the Pastors given a daily devotion & one photo of their food ready to be served. These men attending are all so very enjoyable individuals, who love the Lord & are committed to learning about they need to know about what it means to be a CC Pastor & how to study the Bible to teach, not preach, the whole counsel of God by teaching Book by Book, Chapter by Chapter & Verse by Verse.
We have completed six chapters of the Calvary Distinctives & God willing, we will be able to wrap up the book in the next two to three weeks weeks. But, as we go through each chapter, I am encouraging them to ask questions relative to the text we are studying, & as it pertains to the issues they are having to deal with in their villages. So, we will see what happens in the next three weeks. Then we will begin the Inductive Bible Study course written by Dan Finfrock , of Intensive Care Ministries.
The men are so thrilled about having all these materials in Chichewa language, as 94% do not read or write in English. It has been somewhat expensive to have these books translated, but oh, so worth the expense!! We will be needing to translate additional books in the near future, & each book to date we have had translated is costing between $550 to $670 USD. So, if anyone has a heart to donate to this endeavor, please send your contributions to Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay located at 3001 Monterey-Salinas Hwy., Monterey, Ca. 93940 & attach a note (Not on Check) that the gift is for the Malawi School of Ministry. At year end, CCMB will send you a tax receipt for your donation.
We still have 15 additional Pastors who will be in the next 12 week course, starting in February 2011. So, also be praying for this next group of Pastors, that they will be mentally and spiritually prepare to begin in the same attitude as the first group.
Also, please be praying with all of us about the Lord providing a vehicle to carry up to 24 passengers. This vehicle will be used by Calvary Chapel Lilongwe, the School of Ministry, & by Ruth's Shawl Ministry, with the widows & orphans. We are having to make multiple trips with the current vehicle which can carry 7 passengers, but we have regular needs of 20+ each week. The price of petrol is $8.50 a gallon when converted from liters as sold here. Ephesians 3:20 is a prayer verse. Zikomo Kambiri. (Thank you very much in English)
God bless you all & please continue to be praying for the School , the Pastors attending, as well as for me that the Holy Spirit will truly be our teacher.
So as you can probably deduce, we are all so very excited about the Lord is accomplishing to & through these men who have very wonderful, teachable hearts & minds! All we can add is, that we need all of your prayers that all of us, the men & myself, will continue to apply ourselves so we finish as well as we have started!
I am adding a few pictures above so you can get a glimpse of the men in the class setting,which is in our Living Room in our rented house, in the area where they sleep & eat, taking their breaks in the yard,Carmella Cuva giving eye exams for reading glasses, praise & worship time, one of the Pastors given a daily devotion & one photo of their food ready to be served. These men attending are all so very enjoyable individuals, who love the Lord & are committed to learning about they need to know about what it means to be a CC Pastor & how to study the Bible to teach, not preach, the whole counsel of God by teaching Book by Book, Chapter by Chapter & Verse by Verse.
We have completed six chapters of the Calvary Distinctives & God willing, we will be able to wrap up the book in the next two to three weeks weeks. But, as we go through each chapter, I am encouraging them to ask questions relative to the text we are studying, & as it pertains to the issues they are having to deal with in their villages. So, we will see what happens in the next three weeks. Then we will begin the Inductive Bible Study course written by Dan Finfrock , of Intensive Care Ministries.
The men are so thrilled about having all these materials in Chichewa language, as 94% do not read or write in English. It has been somewhat expensive to have these books translated, but oh, so worth the expense!! We will be needing to translate additional books in the near future, & each book to date we have had translated is costing between $550 to $670 USD. So, if anyone has a heart to donate to this endeavor, please send your contributions to Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay located at 3001 Monterey-Salinas Hwy., Monterey, Ca. 93940 & attach a note (Not on Check) that the gift is for the Malawi School of Ministry. At year end, CCMB will send you a tax receipt for your donation.
We still have 15 additional Pastors who will be in the next 12 week course, starting in February 2011. So, also be praying for this next group of Pastors, that they will be mentally and spiritually prepare to begin in the same attitude as the first group.
Also, please be praying with all of us about the Lord providing a vehicle to carry up to 24 passengers. This vehicle will be used by Calvary Chapel Lilongwe, the School of Ministry, & by Ruth's Shawl Ministry, with the widows & orphans. We are having to make multiple trips with the current vehicle which can carry 7 passengers, but we have regular needs of 20+ each week. The price of petrol is $8.50 a gallon when converted from liters as sold here. Ephesians 3:20 is a prayer verse. Zikomo Kambiri. (Thank you very much in English)
God bless you all & please continue to be praying for the School , the Pastors attending, as well as for me that the Holy Spirit will truly be our teacher.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
August 3, 2010 Update
The past few weeks have been a blast with a team from Glennview Baptist out of North Carolina led by Pastor Brad Wright along with Casey & Cathy were here for a week. We had outreaches to the Ruth Shawl widows & orphans in Area 44; Nsambeta School;Church services at Pastor Joseph Kazembe's church in Area 24; Training Seminar with 15 young men & women ministering in the Public School System along with trips to ABC Medical Clinic & to Lake Malawi. Great job and a great big thank you to this wonderful team. You always have a home here in Lilongwe, so ya'll come back real soon!
We then said hello to Pastor Demitri Nikiforos & Walter Kohrs from CC Cape Town South Africa along with Jason Simpson & the team od ten from Northshore Christian Fellowship from Hawaii. A week long Pastors Conference was held at CC Lilongwe with over two hundred participants attending; ministry to the youth in Mtslizia Village, outreaches to several outlining villages; a trip to Lake Malawi with Children of The Nations School & Orphanage; and a little sight seeing was accomplished also.
The South African team left today and the Hawaii team is coming over tonight following an village outreach for dinner, so we are expecting of night of good food & great fellowship! The team has an additional outreach tomorrow and then pack up to leave for home on Friday. Just a tremendous thank you to all of these wonderful servants of God who have ministered their hearts out to the people of Malawi!
We are expecting Carmella & Micah Cuva to arrive on 8-13-10 and will be with us until 8-24-10, so we will be doing Medical Outreaches in villages as well as ministering the widows & orphans. Carmella is also bringing with her a kit where we are able to give Eye examinations & fit up to 150 sets of reading glasses for those in need. PTL!!!!!!!
Then 8-16-10, we are starting the School of Ministry with 15 Pastors attending for a 12 week semester course, so please be praying for these Pastors that they will be able to attend without worrying about their respective fellowships, that they will be able to apply themselves fully to their studies, and that there will be great comprehension of the material being offered!
Also be praying for the CC African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa from October 11-16th, that all the scheduled speakers will be able to come and that all the pastors will be able to have the finances to be able to attend. For Pastor Demitri & his staff as they organize the entire event!
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and all the encouragement being offered in our behalf. We truly appreciate all of you so much!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
We then said hello to Pastor Demitri Nikiforos & Walter Kohrs from CC Cape Town South Africa along with Jason Simpson & the team od ten from Northshore Christian Fellowship from Hawaii. A week long Pastors Conference was held at CC Lilongwe with over two hundred participants attending; ministry to the youth in Mtslizia Village, outreaches to several outlining villages; a trip to Lake Malawi with Children of The Nations School & Orphanage; and a little sight seeing was accomplished also.
The South African team left today and the Hawaii team is coming over tonight following an village outreach for dinner, so we are expecting of night of good food & great fellowship! The team has an additional outreach tomorrow and then pack up to leave for home on Friday. Just a tremendous thank you to all of these wonderful servants of God who have ministered their hearts out to the people of Malawi!
We are expecting Carmella & Micah Cuva to arrive on 8-13-10 and will be with us until 8-24-10, so we will be doing Medical Outreaches in villages as well as ministering the widows & orphans. Carmella is also bringing with her a kit where we are able to give Eye examinations & fit up to 150 sets of reading glasses for those in need. PTL!!!!!!!
Then 8-16-10, we are starting the School of Ministry with 15 Pastors attending for a 12 week semester course, so please be praying for these Pastors that they will be able to attend without worrying about their respective fellowships, that they will be able to apply themselves fully to their studies, and that there will be great comprehension of the material being offered!
Also be praying for the CC African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa from October 11-16th, that all the scheduled speakers will be able to come and that all the pastors will be able to have the finances to be able to attend. For Pastor Demitri & his staff as they organize the entire event!
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and all the encouragement being offered in our behalf. We truly appreciate all of you so much!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Malawi Outreach Update July 31, 2010
It has been a couple of months since we last posted here on our blog, as we have been incurring some major spiritual warfare battles! We thought we were all ready to begin the School of Ministry on May 3rd, only to find out on the evening of May 2nd that we were not going to be able to begin as planned. We have been trying to work out all the problems at hand, and we are delighted to be able to now report that these obstacles appear to have been removed.
We have had 30 very disappointed Pastors, who have been waiting anxiously for this training and we had our final briefing on April 14th, distributed all the paperwork needed for them to complete, answered all their questions, and we all left with joyful anticipation of the start of the School of Ministry on May 3rd as outlined. However, our common enemy raised his ugly head and caused some further delays in the start of this most needed training. But the Word of God says in James Chapter 4:7,"Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you." So, that is what we have done, we drew near to God and He drew near to us!
Due to the delays we have experienced, the start of the School of Ministry cannot now to begin until August 16th due to the facts we have had visiting teams coming throughout July and continuing through the first half of August, which we will be hosting, and coordinating the ministry outreaches & ministering with these teams. So,God willing, we will see the beginning of the Malawi School of Ministry start August 16, 2010. Please be praying for all the visiting teams, their ministry opportunities, and of course, the School of Ministry. The teams coming are from Hawaii, North Carolina, and California.
These are exciting times ahead of us and the opportunity to minister in so many different venues is very encouraging, filled with great expectation of what the Lord is going to accomplish the next few months ahead of us! Ministry to children, Jesus Video Outreaches, Leadership Conference to Pastors, Training of young adults to better prepare them as they minister in the Public Schools, and some medical outreaches, just to name a few.
We have felt at times like what Paul the Apostle wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-9, but we are experiencing the reality of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. So, please join with us in the joy of what God has accomplished and pray that we will continue to be able to minister as He gives us strength and wisdom to do so. Thank you for all your faithful prayers and support for this ministry and for Nora & myself personally. We sincerely appreciate each one of you as you stand in the gap for us . We will keep you updated as we progress ahead during these very busy next few months.
We have had 30 very disappointed Pastors, who have been waiting anxiously for this training and we had our final briefing on April 14th, distributed all the paperwork needed for them to complete, answered all their questions, and we all left with joyful anticipation of the start of the School of Ministry on May 3rd as outlined. However, our common enemy raised his ugly head and caused some further delays in the start of this most needed training. But the Word of God says in James Chapter 4:7,"Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you." So, that is what we have done, we drew near to God and He drew near to us!
Due to the delays we have experienced, the start of the School of Ministry cannot now to begin until August 16th due to the facts we have had visiting teams coming throughout July and continuing through the first half of August, which we will be hosting, and coordinating the ministry outreaches & ministering with these teams. So,God willing, we will see the beginning of the Malawi School of Ministry start August 16, 2010. Please be praying for all the visiting teams, their ministry opportunities, and of course, the School of Ministry. The teams coming are from Hawaii, North Carolina, and California.
These are exciting times ahead of us and the opportunity to minister in so many different venues is very encouraging, filled with great expectation of what the Lord is going to accomplish the next few months ahead of us! Ministry to children, Jesus Video Outreaches, Leadership Conference to Pastors, Training of young adults to better prepare them as they minister in the Public Schools, and some medical outreaches, just to name a few.
We have felt at times like what Paul the Apostle wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-9, but we are experiencing the reality of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. So, please join with us in the joy of what God has accomplished and pray that we will continue to be able to minister as He gives us strength and wisdom to do so. Thank you for all your faithful prayers and support for this ministry and for Nora & myself personally. We sincerely appreciate each one of you as you stand in the gap for us . We will keep you updated as we progress ahead during these very busy next few months.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Malawi Outreach Update – April 2010
We have been on a rollercoaster since our last update. But, we have good news, in spite of Government regulations that has caused us to reconfigure the School of Ministry location, we are happy to report after much prayer that the school will begin its first session on May 3rd with the initial 15 Pastors in attendance. The second session following will be with the next group of Pastors.
So, here is what we have concluded that the Lord has shown us to do. Since we have already rented a house here in Lilongwe where Nora & I reside, that is on a large lot, we have decided to hold classes here at our home. In addition to the main house, it has guest quarters with three rooms large enough to house up to 10-12 men along with bathroom facilities. The living room in the house is quite large and we have very little furniture, so it is easily converted into a good size classroom. We have hired a cook to do all the cooking, Malawian style. We will also have to provide bedding for them, blankets, etc., as they cannot afford an extra blanket to bring with them from home. This will provide an environment where we are all together during the day for regular classes, and then allow for evening discussions, fellowship and worship. They will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personal prayer & attention, which they would not receive otherwise on a regular school campus.
The class schedule for the School of Ministry is Monday through Thursday. The Pastors will return to their homes and churches for Friday through Sunday and return back to Lilongwe on Monday ready to begin the new week of school. The main expense will be transportation and food costs along with some initial front end purchases for bedding and supplies. So, we met with the first set of Pastors this last Thursday, 15 in all, and they are all set to begin classes on May 3rd. Please be praying that they will be able to get everything arranged so they can make this commitment to attend class without financial hardships to their families & the church Body. The level of poverty with these village Pastors forces them to trust God as they leave their families & churches to place the high priority & value on what the Lord is doing for them to provide this School of Ministry to increase their knowledge of the Lord and His Word!
To all of you who have contributed financially to specifically assist these Pastors who can obtain additional training, please know that every dollar is being spent to maximize the benefit of those who will be attending classes. To all of you who are contributing to the Malawi Outreach Ministry, also know we are doing all we can to stretch every dollar, so that these men can receive this teaching & training, that they may be discipled and become mature disciplers themselves in their respective village churches.
And needless to say, all of us need to be praying for the success of this very important outreach, as the depth of teaching in Malawi is so shallow, and we have the opportunity to make a significant impact in this extremely poor country. The people of Malawi need to know so much more about the Lord Jesus and the Holy Word of God! Thank you for partnering with us and holding the rope on your end, so that these men can grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and make a dramatic difference in the depth of knowledge within their churches, their communities, and in their country!
May our Lord bless you for your participation in the Malawi Outreach Ministry, you are making a difference in peoples lives today and for eternity. There are always additional unexpected expense needs that arise daily, so if the Lord puts it on your heart to make additional financial gifting, rest assured it will be put to good use for the kingdom of God.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Matthew 25:40
We have been on a rollercoaster since our last update. But, we have good news, in spite of Government regulations that has caused us to reconfigure the School of Ministry location, we are happy to report after much prayer that the school will begin its first session on May 3rd with the initial 15 Pastors in attendance. The second session following will be with the next group of Pastors.
So, here is what we have concluded that the Lord has shown us to do. Since we have already rented a house here in Lilongwe where Nora & I reside, that is on a large lot, we have decided to hold classes here at our home. In addition to the main house, it has guest quarters with three rooms large enough to house up to 10-12 men along with bathroom facilities. The living room in the house is quite large and we have very little furniture, so it is easily converted into a good size classroom. We have hired a cook to do all the cooking, Malawian style. We will also have to provide bedding for them, blankets, etc., as they cannot afford an extra blanket to bring with them from home. This will provide an environment where we are all together during the day for regular classes, and then allow for evening discussions, fellowship and worship. They will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personal prayer & attention, which they would not receive otherwise on a regular school campus.
The class schedule for the School of Ministry is Monday through Thursday. The Pastors will return to their homes and churches for Friday through Sunday and return back to Lilongwe on Monday ready to begin the new week of school. The main expense will be transportation and food costs along with some initial front end purchases for bedding and supplies. So, we met with the first set of Pastors this last Thursday, 15 in all, and they are all set to begin classes on May 3rd. Please be praying that they will be able to get everything arranged so they can make this commitment to attend class without financial hardships to their families & the church Body. The level of poverty with these village Pastors forces them to trust God as they leave their families & churches to place the high priority & value on what the Lord is doing for them to provide this School of Ministry to increase their knowledge of the Lord and His Word!
To all of you who have contributed financially to specifically assist these Pastors who can obtain additional training, please know that every dollar is being spent to maximize the benefit of those who will be attending classes. To all of you who are contributing to the Malawi Outreach Ministry, also know we are doing all we can to stretch every dollar, so that these men can receive this teaching & training, that they may be discipled and become mature disciplers themselves in their respective village churches.
And needless to say, all of us need to be praying for the success of this very important outreach, as the depth of teaching in Malawi is so shallow, and we have the opportunity to make a significant impact in this extremely poor country. The people of Malawi need to know so much more about the Lord Jesus and the Holy Word of God! Thank you for partnering with us and holding the rope on your end, so that these men can grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and make a dramatic difference in the depth of knowledge within their churches, their communities, and in their country!
May our Lord bless you for your participation in the Malawi Outreach Ministry, you are making a difference in peoples lives today and for eternity. There are always additional unexpected expense needs that arise daily, so if the Lord puts it on your heart to make additional financial gifting, rest assured it will be put to good use for the kingdom of God.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Matthew 25:40
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Malawi Outreah Update for March 2010
Two months of 2010 are already behind us, and it seems as though January 1st was only last week. How times flies, and yet, we are all given the same 24 hours a day to accomplish that which our Lord has given us to do. How we spend the time is the difference between satisfaction, or, possibly dissatisfaction over regretting our failures. With all that is happening in the world today; earthquakes, tsunamis, disease, pestilence, societies falling apart as a result of godlessness and sin, can the return of our Lord be far away?
Personally, I believe Jesus will be coming back in my lifetime and it could be at any minute! But, He said “occupy until He returns.” So, let us all be aware of the signs of the times and “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour the Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42) Let us all be sober minded as we are about the Lord’s work, wherever we are serving Him!
We are rapidly gearing up for the start of the Calvary Chapel School of Ministry, now scheduled to begin March 15th, with four different centers located in strategic locations in central and southern Malawi. We will be rotating the classes from month to month to each center, until such time as the good Lord provides us the funding to build a centralized location in Lilongwe. We are truly excited about the beginning of the school which is so desperately needed in order to properly train these pastors! So, please be holding this up in prayer, and be also praying for traveling mercies for our travels to each of these centers and for the pastors attending. That they will be able to fully give of themselves to this opportunity to learn and be trained, so that they can be the shepherds of their flocks that God has called them to be! The raining season has been very heavy this year and all the so called roads of Malawi are nothing more than mud tracks which have been basically destroyed by the rain. This makes it very hard to get to the villages and times extremely dangerous, so please be praying for us!
Nora & I are doing well, our health is very good, and we are staying extremely busy as we are involved in a number of different activities. Our prayer requests are:
1. Prayer for the start of the School of Ministry and all the attending pastors.
2. Successful Mediation results on our vehicle suit.
3. More laborers for the work here in Malawi.
4. Additional funding for the various needed ministry projects.
5. Prayer for the spiritual warfare being waged against us and the ministry here.
God bless you all and keep looking up, our redemption draws near. (Luke 21:25-28)
Love,
Steve & Nora
Personally, I believe Jesus will be coming back in my lifetime and it could be at any minute! But, He said “occupy until He returns.” So, let us all be aware of the signs of the times and “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour the Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42) Let us all be sober minded as we are about the Lord’s work, wherever we are serving Him!
We are rapidly gearing up for the start of the Calvary Chapel School of Ministry, now scheduled to begin March 15th, with four different centers located in strategic locations in central and southern Malawi. We will be rotating the classes from month to month to each center, until such time as the good Lord provides us the funding to build a centralized location in Lilongwe. We are truly excited about the beginning of the school which is so desperately needed in order to properly train these pastors! So, please be holding this up in prayer, and be also praying for traveling mercies for our travels to each of these centers and for the pastors attending. That they will be able to fully give of themselves to this opportunity to learn and be trained, so that they can be the shepherds of their flocks that God has called them to be! The raining season has been very heavy this year and all the so called roads of Malawi are nothing more than mud tracks which have been basically destroyed by the rain. This makes it very hard to get to the villages and times extremely dangerous, so please be praying for us!
Nora & I are doing well, our health is very good, and we are staying extremely busy as we are involved in a number of different activities. Our prayer requests are:
1. Prayer for the start of the School of Ministry and all the attending pastors.
2. Successful Mediation results on our vehicle suit.
3. More laborers for the work here in Malawi.
4. Additional funding for the various needed ministry projects.
5. Prayer for the spiritual warfare being waged against us and the ministry here.
God bless you all and keep looking up, our redemption draws near. (Luke 21:25-28)
Love,
Steve & Nora
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Back in Malawi
We enjoyed our visit back to the states with our family and extended church family, it was a glorious time and we cherish every moment and every event we were blessed to attend. And as always, to be able to share about our beloved Malawi was such a privilege!
We arrived back in Malawi on January 21st and we have been running to catch up ever since. just before we left Malawi in November, we rented a house in Lilongwe, and now we are scurrying to get it furnished. After 50 years of marriage, raising 4 children, moving a number of times over that period of tome, and we find ourselves starting all over again fro scratch with nothing in hand and a four bedroom house to fully furnish!!!!!
In addition, our vehicle has been in the repair shop for the past 4 days, costing us again more money to put into a money pit, and it has been raining almost everyday which makes it hard to be in the villages! Welcome to Malawi!!!! "In this life you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!"
All kidding aside, we are so happy to be back "home" in Lilongwe, we love our house, and the fellowship at CC Lilongwe continues to do well. Praise the Lord! We are scheduled to begin our School of Ministry on March 1st, so please be praying for us as there is yet much to do before we begin!
Prayer needs are many, but here are a few for your prayer closet:
1. Furnishing the house
2. A new vehicle that is dependable
3. A good start for the School of Ministry.
4. Continued growth at CC Lilongwe in the Word of God.
5. That our discipling of young men in our fellowdhip will bear much fruit.
6. For more laborers.
God bless all of you for your faithful prayers & support. There are so many people who need so much just to survive daily life, so please be praying for the Lord to open the windows of heaven to pour out upon this land & the people of Malawi.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
We arrived back in Malawi on January 21st and we have been running to catch up ever since. just before we left Malawi in November, we rented a house in Lilongwe, and now we are scurrying to get it furnished. After 50 years of marriage, raising 4 children, moving a number of times over that period of tome, and we find ourselves starting all over again fro scratch with nothing in hand and a four bedroom house to fully furnish!!!!!
In addition, our vehicle has been in the repair shop for the past 4 days, costing us again more money to put into a money pit, and it has been raining almost everyday which makes it hard to be in the villages! Welcome to Malawi!!!! "In this life you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!"
All kidding aside, we are so happy to be back "home" in Lilongwe, we love our house, and the fellowship at CC Lilongwe continues to do well. Praise the Lord! We are scheduled to begin our School of Ministry on March 1st, so please be praying for us as there is yet much to do before we begin!
Prayer needs are many, but here are a few for your prayer closet:
1. Furnishing the house
2. A new vehicle that is dependable
3. A good start for the School of Ministry.
4. Continued growth at CC Lilongwe in the Word of God.
5. That our discipling of young men in our fellowdhip will bear much fruit.
6. For more laborers.
God bless all of you for your faithful prayers & support. There are so many people who need so much just to survive daily life, so please be praying for the Lord to open the windows of heaven to pour out upon this land & the people of Malawi.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Happy New Year!
We have been back in the States now for about 7 weeks & we have been on a very busy schedule! We have enjoyed every minute of our time back home, but at the same time we are eager to get back to Malawi to continue the work the Lord has started in 2009!
On December 12th, our Care Team put on a special event at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay where we were to share the work in Malawi with over 200 faithful saints who came on a windy, rainy day, to share in our joy! They also had put together a "Silent Auction" with again over 100 items donated to raise funds to allow for the Malawian Pastors to attend the School of Ministry starting in March of 2010. We are delighted to share that all the funds have been raised to allow the Pastors to attend for six months of training & discipleship! Praise His Holy Name!!!!! Thank all of you who participated and have given to this very important work!
We also have visited several churches who have expressed an interest in the work in Malawi, attended the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at the Bible College located in Murrita, Ca. which was absolutely outstandingly good!! We were & continue to be amazed at what the Lord is doing all over this earth! Great speakers, fantastic Workshops, and wonderful fellowship with old friends & making many new friendships!! We also have been able to spend such precious & quality time with all of our children & their families. (13 Grandchildren & 3 3/4 Great Grandchildren)
Following the Conference we were able to visit our close friends(family), Rich & Pam Boyer and all their children & grandchildren! Then we were ablt to spend some quiet time in Pismo Beach and then we visited another close family to us, Paul & Teri Sisemore & their family as well as attend church service at Paul's church," At The Cross" in Shell Beach; a wonderful Fellowship and a warm group of people!
We then came back to Monterey to have a special meeting with our Care Team, a fantastic dinner by Bob & Mary Cuva, and great time of fellowship had by all!! Care Team, we love each one of you and greatly appreciate you for all you do for the Lord and the people of Malawi! We flew up to Seattle on Tuesday to visit our daughter Kelly and her family in Arlington, Washington. We will be here until Saturday and we fly to San Jose, then drive to Monterey to attend the Donors Meeting for Ruth's Shawl Ministry whom Nora is the Program Manager in Malawi. We will attend church service at Calvary Chapel in Monterey on Sunday, then drive to S.F. that night and leave for Malawi on Monday the 18th.
Please be praying for a safe & enjoyable flight back and that all that we have been able to accomplish while we were here will bear much fruit for the future! Pray for our Malawian Pastors as they begining their training, and that our Lord will continue to provide all the necessary funding to complete the Training & Discipleship School Building, which is only a shell at this point. That we will be able to complete the legal battle regarding the vehicle we purchased in Malawi, and that there will many teams coming to Malawi from the States & elsewhere, to serve & work with all the Malawian people!
Nora & I are so aware that where the Lord guides, He also provides! Our dependence is upon Jesus and we realize that He is provider. Please accept our sincere gratefulness for your prayers, your love, & financial support! Know that we are all a team, & that together we can be obedient to our Lord to " to go & make diciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20)
May the Lord bless & keep you close to Him in all aspects of your lives! Remember, Jesus is coming back soon, so let Jesus catch us busy about His work & Kingdom until that day!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
We have been back in the States now for about 7 weeks & we have been on a very busy schedule! We have enjoyed every minute of our time back home, but at the same time we are eager to get back to Malawi to continue the work the Lord has started in 2009!
On December 12th, our Care Team put on a special event at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay where we were to share the work in Malawi with over 200 faithful saints who came on a windy, rainy day, to share in our joy! They also had put together a "Silent Auction" with again over 100 items donated to raise funds to allow for the Malawian Pastors to attend the School of Ministry starting in March of 2010. We are delighted to share that all the funds have been raised to allow the Pastors to attend for six months of training & discipleship! Praise His Holy Name!!!!! Thank all of you who participated and have given to this very important work!
We also have visited several churches who have expressed an interest in the work in Malawi, attended the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at the Bible College located in Murrita, Ca. which was absolutely outstandingly good!! We were & continue to be amazed at what the Lord is doing all over this earth! Great speakers, fantastic Workshops, and wonderful fellowship with old friends & making many new friendships!! We also have been able to spend such precious & quality time with all of our children & their families. (13 Grandchildren & 3 3/4 Great Grandchildren)
Following the Conference we were able to visit our close friends(family), Rich & Pam Boyer and all their children & grandchildren! Then we were ablt to spend some quiet time in Pismo Beach and then we visited another close family to us, Paul & Teri Sisemore & their family as well as attend church service at Paul's church," At The Cross" in Shell Beach; a wonderful Fellowship and a warm group of people!
We then came back to Monterey to have a special meeting with our Care Team, a fantastic dinner by Bob & Mary Cuva, and great time of fellowship had by all!! Care Team, we love each one of you and greatly appreciate you for all you do for the Lord and the people of Malawi! We flew up to Seattle on Tuesday to visit our daughter Kelly and her family in Arlington, Washington. We will be here until Saturday and we fly to San Jose, then drive to Monterey to attend the Donors Meeting for Ruth's Shawl Ministry whom Nora is the Program Manager in Malawi. We will attend church service at Calvary Chapel in Monterey on Sunday, then drive to S.F. that night and leave for Malawi on Monday the 18th.
Please be praying for a safe & enjoyable flight back and that all that we have been able to accomplish while we were here will bear much fruit for the future! Pray for our Malawian Pastors as they begining their training, and that our Lord will continue to provide all the necessary funding to complete the Training & Discipleship School Building, which is only a shell at this point. That we will be able to complete the legal battle regarding the vehicle we purchased in Malawi, and that there will many teams coming to Malawi from the States & elsewhere, to serve & work with all the Malawian people!
Nora & I are so aware that where the Lord guides, He also provides! Our dependence is upon Jesus and we realize that He is provider. Please accept our sincere gratefulness for your prayers, your love, & financial support! Know that we are all a team, & that together we can be obedient to our Lord to " to go & make diciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20)
May the Lord bless & keep you close to Him in all aspects of your lives! Remember, Jesus is coming back soon, so let Jesus catch us busy about His work & Kingdom until that day!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
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