Clear River Missions

Missionary Update - Phil and Jennifer Leber

2008-07-21T21:47:00.002-04:00

We recently enjoyed Jennifer being with us here at Clear River. She is now back in Africa, and these prayer requests came out yesterday (July 20). You can visit www.ugandamission.org to sign up for their newsletters.

Urgent Prayer Request

July, 2008

David and Jennifer arrived in Kenya Friday night after a tiring 20-hour trip. Phil was waiting at the airport, and we were looking forward to our family reunion with Owen on Sunday. Owen had returned a week early to attend his alumni reunion at Rift Valley Academy (RVA) where both David and Owen attended high school. After the weekend of festivities, a group of 25 classmates traveled by bus to Mombasa on the Kenyan coast for several days of sun and fun, renewing old friendships. Owen spent most of the time with Ben Entwistle, his roommate at both RVA and Covenant College, and Jon Milligan, a friend from RVA who now attends Wheaton College.

We arrived at the missionary guesthouse in Nairobi at 11:00pm and found Owen unexpectedly waiting for us in the parking lot. He interrupted our exuberant welcome saying, "I am not here on the best of terms, and my friend, Jon, is in our room and needs to spend the night with us."

Owen then began to tell us the following horrific details of his Mombasa trip --

During their trip to Mombasa, Ben didn't feel well most of the time. He had a sore throat before leaving for the trip. Four years ago Ben had surgery to repair a valve in his heart. Since then, he has taken penicillin daily. His mother doubled the dosage due to the sore throat. Soon the sore throat went away, but additional symptoms of fever and tiredness seemed to indicate malaria. Owen gave Ben his malaria medicine and made sure he had plenty of food and liquids. During the week, Ben seemed to improve. Thursday night Ben was well enough to join the group on the beach as they sat together telling stories and reminiscing about their days in Africa and life at RVA.

They boarded the bus early Friday morning, headed for Nairobi. Owen could never have imagined the difficulty that was ahead of them. Only two hours into the bus trip, Ben began to feel very ill. There were no options but to continue the long trip, over potholed roads, a hot breeze filling the bus. Then his symptoms worsened. He became extremely weak, unable to support his head. Owen and Jon took turns caring for Ben, each one sharing a shoulder for Ben to lay his head. Soon Ben was slurring his words. One of his hands became clutched, with his arm drawn tightly toward his upper body, and one leg was unable to move. Owen and his friends, gripped with fear, prayed for God to hold Ben and bring healing.

The long journey continued with Ben's condition worsening with every kilometer. A friend on the bus called Ben's father, Dan, who is a missionary doctor in Mozambique. Ben's family had remained in Kijabe during the week after the graduation of Ben's brother from RVA. His parents said they would meet the bus in Nairobi and take Ben to the hospital. Unfortunately, the bus went to a different bus station in Nairobi and Owen realized that it would take too long for his parents to navigate the heavy rush-hour traffic, which would delay Ben getting the emergency medial treatment he obviously needed. Ben's parents agreed to meet them at the hospital.

The bus arrived at dusk in the industrial section of town -- the most dangerous part of Nairobi. Owen ran the darkened streets frantically looking for a taxi and praying for God's protection as he passed ally ways where thieves and thugs await unsuspecting victims. Another friend lifted Ben off the bus as he had lost the ability to move both of his legs. With the Lord's provision, Owen found a taxi and managed to get Ben, who was quickly fading, into the car and they sped through the snarled traffic to meet Ben's parents at Nairobi Hospital.

The seriousness of Ben's condition became quickly evident, as the doctors determined that Ben had contracted a severe bacterial infection in his weakened heart valve, and the infection had led to an embolic stroke.

Owen and Jon crashed in our room. Saturday, we visited Ben at the high dependency unit at the hospital. While Ben recognized them, his condition was obviously life-threatening. His words are very slurred and he was paralyzed on his right side.

On Sunday, Owen, Jon and several other classmates went to see Ben for the last time at the hospital. His parents were preparing him for an emergency air evacuation to South Africa for surgery to repair his heart valve.

It took all day Sunday to complete the mound of paperwork required by the U.S. insurance company for approval of the emergency air ambulance. The plane was to arrive about 2:00 am Monday morning, but for some unknown reason it was delayed 5 hours before landing. Dan took Ben aboard the plane and rushed to Johannesburg, where more doctors awaited their arrival six hours later. Tragically, one hour prior to their planned arrival in South Africa, Ben died from an apparent heart attack. After 20 minutes of resuscitation efforts, Dan pronounced his 20-year old son dead. He arrived in Johannesburg with Ben to face many legal and logistical complications for the removal of Ben's body to the USA. Dan flew back on Wednesday to be with his wife and their remaining four children in Kijabe.

Friday they had a beautiful memorial service at RVA. Ben's father read a letter he wrote to Ben about how much he will be missed and the amazing impact he had on his family and friends. A story was told giving the following account of a close friend's little 3-year old boy who had been told about Ben's condition: The little boy prayed, "God, please make Ben all better." After he was told about Ben being on his way to South Africa he prayed, "God, please make Ben all better, so he can go home." After Ben died, his mother went to tell her young son the sad news and he said, with a child's profound insight, "Jesus made him all better -- he is home now!"

Ben was a wonderful young man who demonstrated his love for the Lord by his vibrant love for people. Please join friends all over the world who are praying for God to comfort the Entwistle family as they walk the road of grief and process the shock of Ben no longer being with them. Also, please pray for Owen and his friends who were with him in Mombasa and tried their best to care for him on the long bus ride back to Nairobi. Owen is returning 3 weeks early to the USA to attend the funeral service next Saturday in North Carolina.

Our disappointment that we will not have our mission to Kitgum, nor the remaining time in Africa as a family, is overshadowed by the big heart of love and compassion we see in Owen. We are watching Owen be a faithful and loyal friend to Ben -- to the very end.

Please pray as everyone gathers for the funeral it will be a time of remembering Ben, honoring his parents and most importantly, glorifying the Lord through the love being poured out during this tragedy.

We have seen the evidence of God's love in one of the most difficult moments any of these young people have ever experienced. It is amazing how Jesus shines His light and love and penetrates our darkest hour. Please pray for Owen on Saturday as he says his final goodbye to one of his very best friends.

Phil and Jennifer Leber

Prayer for Jennifer

July, 2008

Jennifer was admitted to Nairobi Hospital early last week with a serious pulmonary infection. The initial x-ray was so clouded with infection that it hid the specific culprit for some days. With a follow-up x-ray, the doctor realized she has pneumonia in the lower left lobe and will in the hospital probably until Tuesday. She has been on intravenous antibiotics, steroids and oxygen, and only now does the combination seem to be working. She was receiving 80mg intravenous steroids and several intravenous antibiotics, as well as supplemental oxygen. Her white blood cell count was 23,000 when admitted (7,000 is normal).

Today, she is doing better. Her white blood cell count is down to 11,000 and her blood oxygen content is up to 90% from a low of 79% late last week. Please pray for her full recovery and for God to give the doctor wisdom in her treatment. Needless to say this has been a week of grief and emotional exhaustion.

Phil and Jennifer Leber

Missionary Update - Rob and April E

2008-07-21T21:40:00.002-04:00

This update was taken from Rob and April's summer newsletter. You can contact them to get on the distribution list.

Visa Update- Praises!

Thank you for praying about our visas. In a very sudden and unexpected way, the Lord has provided! Even though the university had refused visas to many of our friends in the same situation as us, we approached them about the possibility of giving us not only a student visa for April, but also a ‘dependent’ visa for Rob, who would not be studying. Much to our surprise, they filled out the paperwork with no questions, and we should have our visas this week. Praise God with us for meeting this urgent need!

A Summer of Win, Build, Send

Usually when working with university students, the summer is a time of less activity, as students head home for a few months. But our situation was a bit unusual- most of our students live in the city where they study, and most of them will be around for the summer. So this summer, we have been able to continue pursuing our ministry distinctives of winning, building, and sending.

Win- Most summers, we are blessed to have a short-term group from the U.S. come to our campus for a month of meeting and sharing with as many students as they can. This summer was no exception, and as that group heads back to the States, Rob and April will be ‘following-up’ on their work here. We have a number of names of students who have shown an interest in the gospel, and some of whom have even begun to follow Christ! Pray with us for these new believers as we seek to establish them in their faith and incorporate them into our campus fellowship.

Build- Our students surprised us this summer when they insisted on continuing to meet weekly. We were able to offer our new apartment as an ideal, central location for our students to use as a meeting place this summer, and since classes ended, we have had a weekly time of study, prayer, and fellowship. Our students have been greatly refreshed and encouraged by this time, which we have devoted to studying and memorizing Romans 8 as a group. Because the summer group ‘feels’ more casual, we’ve been able to encourage some of our students to lead the study time, helping them to develop skills as teachers and leaders in God’s kingdom. Our time has also resulted in some unexpected conversations (see “Wolves and Sheep” below)
Send- Due to the Olympics, security in our country is heightened, and we have been unable to send our students on the evangelism summer projects we usually offer. But one great opportunity this summer was in response to the recent earthquake in East Asia. Our ministry has been able to find open doors for relief trips to earthquake-affected areas, trips that would combine meeting the practical needs of the people there and sharing the gospel to meet eternal needs. So far, one of our students, Linkin, has already been sent, and our fellowship has been supporting him through prayer and giving. We are seeking to have two more of our men, Cleveland and Grudem, be able to join a later group. Please pray for this sending opportunity, not only for the blessing it will be to the people in need, but also for the tremendous leadership and spiritual development that can take place in these young men’s lives.

Changes

Many of you received our email at the time of our move- an experience that tested our patience and faith. Thankfully, our second effort to move went very well. Now that we are settled in, we would like to share with you about some changes in our ministry that resulted in our move.

Over the past few months, in conversation with our leadership, we have been closely considering three things: the situation of our campus, our personal needs and well-being, and the needs of our regional ministry. One difficult (and yet very hopeful, as you will see below) was to not have a full-time team of missionaries on our campus this next school year. With inadequate numbers of missionaries arriving, combined with some changes our university is undergoing which make ministry there very challenging right now, we decided to place our staff on more strategic locations for the year.

At the same time, we (Rob and April) have found it very difficult living as a new couple on a geographically remote campus. For our own well-being, we have felt the need to live closer to some other believers with whom we can build longer-term relationships.

A third factor was some needs of our regional ministry. Our campus ministry is one of many campus ministries grouped together in a region. Many of you know that Rob and April both came to East Asia on a “Stint”- a one-or-two year commitment- before committing to long-term service here. Every year, we have many stinters serving in our campus ministries, and they are a vital part of the work we do. The region has observed a growing need to devote more attention to the training and care of our stinters on the field.

Given Rob’s experience here, he will be devoting more of his time to the training and care of stinters- developing them in their knowledge, skills, language, and character in order to enable them to be more fruitful in their ministries.

April will continue to study language, and she will add to her responsibilities some event planning as well as work with orphans.

But we are not done with campus work! Rob and April will both continue to meet with our students and help provide leadership for our campus fellowship. The absence of a team in the fall has forced our students into realizing that ministering to the campus is their responsibility. Rob and April will seek to counsel, teach, train, and mentor our students, especially the student leaders, as they begin to take ownership of their campus as a field of ministry.

Please pray for our transition, both logistically and personally. Moving to a new location can be stressful, but we are very clear that this is God’s leading for us, for our campus, and for our region.

An Unexpected Phone Call

One confirmation that it was the Lord’s hand leading these changes was a phone call I (Rob) received once the decision was finalized. ‘Roger’ graduated from our campus more than 5 years ago, and along with some friends from our fellowship, began a house church. I had not been in touch with Roger for some time, when he called me to set up a lunch appointment. He shared that recently God has been challenging the members of his church that they should be more involved in ministering to our campus. He asked if it would be ‘feasible and desirable’ for his church to partner with our campus fellowship!

I can’t describe our mutual joy when we compared stories and saw that God’s leading in this coincided with the prayers of our students and our team that He would provide leadership for our group as the Americans moved out. We are currently working with the church to involve them in teaching and discipling our students. Praise God for amazing provision! And join us in praying for this growing partnership.

Of Wolves and Sheep

One of the reasons we are excited to partner with this church is because of how hard it is to find a legitimate house church, one that is not teaching some form of heresy- mild or serious. Our recent experience illustrates this:

During our summer fellowship, the conversation has often turned to the topic of cults. Some of our students have encountered Christian cults advertising on the streets or on the internet. One of our students, Cleveland, is a mature believer who is very familiar with the way many local cults pervert the gospel, and he has been able to warn and educate some of our younger believers.

Over the course of the discussions, we discovered that two of the women in our group had been attending a house church for a while; however, some of the teaching contradicted what they were learning in God’s Word, so they ceased going. They shared with our group some of the materials the group had given them, and Cleveland immediately identified the marks of a Christian cult. He was able to show them some of the serious errors in the teaching and compare that to what God’s word really teaches.

Please pray with us for protection from wolves in sheep’s clothing. Pray that God would purify his church and protect his sheep. Pray also for Cleveland, in whom we see a genuine shepherd’s heart to preserve the purity of the gospel and warn against falsehood.

Increasing Financial Need

Finally, in light of these changes, we would like to share with you the current state of our financial support. Thankfully, God provided the financial support we needed in order to return to East Asia last summer. However, the past year has been one in which the value of the dollar here has dropped significantly. Our current income will quickly be insufficient to meet our needs here. We will be sending another, more specific letter at another time, but for now, would you please pray for our finances, perhaps even that the Lord would lead you to begin or increase giving to our ministry. If you are able to give to our immediate needs, you can do so by contacting us or online by visiting https://give.ccci.org/give/0511233.

Thank you again for your prayers and partnership!

Missionary Update - Al and Elizabeth Dyck

2008-07-21T21:36:00.002-04:00

This update was taken from Al's blog (see link at right).

Family Road Trip - July 18, 2008

Tomorrow we leave for a three week road trip that takes us to a few of Europe’s major cities, Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna and then the small towns of Sopron, Hungary and then Garmish and Freiburg, Germany. It is a mix of work and play. We’ll visit our staff and church in Munich and do some site seeing while there. Then on to Vienna where we visit some friends that used to live in The Hague. And Hungary, several days of CA leadership meetings and then our annual conference. Our third week will be a week of solid vacation in Southern Germany enjoying the alps and seeing if we can revive the little bit of German lingering in our brains.

Pray for safety as we travel, good connections and conversations along the way, fruitful meetings, and a successful conference that helps all 275 of us connect with God and each other. There is a team doing a camp for the teens and another team doing a VBS program - pray these team really make a solid impact on the kids

Missionary Update - Dov and Lyndee Gelman

2008-07-21T21:32:00.001-04:00

June 2008

Greetings from balmy Jerusalem!

School will be letting out here in Israel on June 30. The majority of kids we work with in the schools and kindergartens live in the same housing projects. While there is excitement amongst the kids for the two month break, there is also the reality that their more affluent classmates will be attending full-day summer camps while they are left at home without much to do and often without parental supervision.

In light of this reality, we are focusing our attention this summer on creating programs that will help to diminish the idle, unsupervised hours that these kids will have.

Check out our plans...

VALUES, VOLUNTEERING & VACATION

Rachel will be taking our girls' group to the next level this summer.

Aside from the once a week values and character training that she has been doing since the Spring, she will lead the girls into the realm of volunteerism by way of an Ethiopian new immigrant absorption center in Mevaseret Zion (just outside of Jerusalem).

We are building on a relationship that we forged with this center this past winter when we purchased 500 brand-new winter coats for their inhabitants.

Once a week, Rachel and "her girls" will volunteer with the center's summer camps. (As an aside, the center houses Ethiopian new immigrants for 2 years while they learn Hebrew and how to be "absorbed" into Israeli society. They have their own school, their own language school and they run their own summer camps).

Finally, to sprinkle a bit of sugar on top of the values-training and volunteering, Rachel will be taking the girls on a fun field trip once a week as well. They have tons of options - from exploring Jerusalem's archaelogical history, to paint ball, to hanging out at an amusement park.

Go Rachel!!

FAMILY SPONSORSHIP FOCUS
We currently have 41 children in our Family Sponsorship Program, most (but not all) of these children are from single parent homes. A strong focus of ours this summer is to increase our home visitations - with the intention of getting these kids outside to play. In addition, we are planning field trips for these kids during the month of August.

COOL NATE

We are bringing on a new staff person for the summer. His name is Netanel, but we call him "Cool Nate." He is 17 and is one seriously gifted children's worker!

He has grown up his whole life without a dad, has faced many obstacles and trials, yet has incredible leadership abilities (that he admits could lead those that follow onto good paths or bad). He is one of the leaders in the 'Hood, and Dov has taken him under his wing.

Cool Nate has helped with some of our trips and outreaches in the past, and we've decided to give him a summer job, and more importantly, some purpose!

35 DAYS

We (as in Dov, our 2 children and I) will be embarking on a 35 day adventure to the States in June/July. We will be in 10 different states (maybe 11) and various cities within those States.

What sits most heavily on our hearts is children. We plan to bring an awareness of the poverty that kids in Israel face. MBKI is helping to meet those needs (in the area of influence that the L-rd has given to us), and we want to give churches and individuals the opportunity to help support the work that we do.

The L-rd has also laid other messages on Dov's heart to share in the different regions that we will be in.

We feel that the L-rd has called us to trek to the States as a family, and He has allowed this trip to become a reality through the hugely generous donation of a friend of ours in Georgia. So to him we send out some serious thanks!!

Go to www.mbki.com to sign up for this monthly newsletter!!

Missionary Update - Phil and Jennifer Leber

2008-07-21T21:30:00.000-04:00

10 year Anniversary

May, 2008

We are blessed by the incomparable richness of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus ... For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph. 2: 7,10

This month we celebrate our 10th anniversary serving in Uganda. It has been one of the most challenging, rewarding and life-changing decades of our lives. We know with certainty that God has called us to be faithful in serving the people of Uganda. Even though we have sometimes felt we are not "spiritual enough" to be missionaries, and have battled feelings of discouragement, we have also learned the importance of being faithful to do the work God has called us to do. We have seen His miracles of provision, His healing touch and His power to transform hearts. We pray that the seeds we plant will reap a harvest that will remain long after we leave Uganda.

We thank God for you and remember you often in our prayers. We greatly appreciate the love and support that our Uganda Mission family has shown us. In answer to your many prayers, closed doors have been opened, finances have been provided, and lives have been changed. We understand more than ever the need for an army of intercessors to be behind us. You will touch Uganda with the hidden work of prayer even though you may never meet the people for whom you are praying.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

-- Worship is a lifestyle of holiness, abandonment to Him, and comes from the depths of our heart.

-- God's joy in following Him is greater than the challenges we face.

-- God's vision is never given without His provision.

-- Love is our most important work.

-- Our first mission is to our family and then God calls us to reach the rest of the world.

-- We are learning to "finish well" even with an ocean between us and our family.

PRAISE REPORTS

Lango Diocese

Thanks to the generosity of a grant by the Church of Apostles, our home church in Virginia, 46 clergy in Northern Uganda received new bicycles. This is the area that has suffered from the 20-year war inflicted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) where thousands of children were abducted to be child soldiers and sex slaves. The clergy told stories of the difficulty to spread the Gospel because of the many hours they had to walk to visit their parishes. Each pastor is responsible for as many as twenty parishes spread over many of miles of difficult travel. Most pastors would get to meetings late or not at all because of the great distances they had to walk to get there. Many said it was hard for them to fellowship with the community effectively because of the distances they must walk. With their new bicycles, these pastors can now reach the surrounding villages to share the love of Christ and encourage people to come to church. One pastor said that he was planning to buy a bicycle this year and had saved to make the purchase, but God did a miracle with the gift of the bicycle. Now the money could be used to take care of his family. Another said that he would be able to transport his family to the clinic and school more efficiently than before. A pastor who serves several IDP camps with twenty thousand or more people said that he was not able to visit them often because of the great distance between them, but now he can go to see the people regularly to encourage them to go to church. His new bicycle makes it possible for him to reach out to these people who are thirsty for God's Word. It is such a blessing to put a smile on the faces of so many.

West Ankole Diocese

During three weeks of travel to regions of the diocese, church leaders came together for a series of Phil's teachings on the Biblical Foundations of worship. A village church held a youth retreat where Phil spoke about the power and presence of God — there was an explosion of praise and worship with hundreds of youth from surrounding villages. Phil was amazed at the commitment and depth of these young people, as we had hour-long praise sessions which typically ended with one of the youth praying a prayer for the church that was Holy Spirit empowered. Heartfelt intercession and the fire of the Holy Spirit is alive and well among the youth of West Ankole Diocese.

Coming Up in Uganda

In June, Phil will travel to Mityana and Bunyoro-Kitara Dioceses to teach clergy and other church leaders. In Hoima, Phil will once again join a large team from Christ Church at Grove Farm in their annual "Encounter Uganda" mission. This year, the mission will reach out to the clergy of Lango Diocese. This will give Phil a good opportunity to build relationships in both Dioceses.

In July, our whole family will lead a youth team from Kyamboga University, Kampala, to Kitgum in Northern Uganda. The mission will include outdoor evening evangelistic music programs and each day the youth will participate in ministry in local schools and nearby IDP camps.

Jennifer in the U.S.

In early May Jennifer spoke at "First Friday", a group of women leaders that meets once a month in Fairfax, Virginia. She also spoke on "Forgiveness" at the Friday night Praise and Worship service which combines South Riding Anglican and Christ the Redeemer church. And she was invited to speak to the women's group at Annie Lienert's International Church on "How to Hear God's Voice in a Busy World."

May 24 -- Jennifer was invited to Ohio to attend the wedding of Bob Orombi, son of Archbishiop Henry and Phoebe Orombi. It was a blessing to join in the celebration. Bob will continue attending Seminary in Pennsylvania at Eastern University with his new bride.

June 1-6 -- Diocese of West Texas with a full speaking schedule planned by the Diocese. She will travel to many Churches in the diocese.

June 8 -- Clear River Church, Centreville, VA, Jeff Ling, is a long time friend and he was the worship leader at Church of Apostles years ago where we forged a friendship with him and his wife, Zibby.

June 11 - All Saints, Woodbridge, VA. Bishop John Guersney is the Rector. He has been appointed by Archbishop Henry Orombi to care for the churches in the USA who have affiliated with the Church of Uganda.

June 13 -- Speaking at Annie Lienert's home group from the International Church in Washington, DC.

David and Owen

David completed his first year at Gordon Conwell Seminary and is attending summer school, working towards his Masters in Divinity degree. David is playing the bass in the praise band at the Anglican Church he attends and has a small group for prayer and accountability at Seminary. He was invited by Bishop Bill Murdock (Kenya) to attend the international gathering of orthodox Anglicans this summer in Israel. Nearly 300 bishops and 600 senior church leaders from around the world will meet for prayer, worship and planning the future of the Anglican Communion. It is a significant time in the life of the church, and David is pleased to participate in this important event.

Owen just completed his sophomore year at Covenant College and is working at Koons Honda dealership this summer as a sales consultant. He has a very sweet girlfriend, Sheryce, who is from Arkansas and also attends Covenant. They have demonstrated amazing maturity in their relationship. Owen has been leading a "Wild at Heart" small group at school and has seen the guys grow in their faith. He will be attending the Wild at Heart seminar in Colorado in August with our dear friend, Ron Holt.

We had a joyful time during David's 10-day break from Seminary. It was fun for our guys to be together again and the house rocked with music and laughter.

Serving with joy,

Phil and Jennifer Leber

April 2008 Newsletter - Dov and Lyndee Gelman - Israel

2008-05-19T22:36:00.008-04:00

Girls Group Update

Rachel started her girls group 3 weeks ago (that's her on the left in the picture). The ground proved to be quite hard at first. Nothing like this has ever been tried in the neighborhood before. The first week, although quite a few girls promised to come, no one showed up. The following week 4 girls came, and this past week that number doubled to 8! We're pretty excited about the progress so far! We applaud Rachel for persevering through the rocky ground and ask that you would keep this Tuesday night group in your prayers.

Apparently, the 8 girls that came this last time are from different "clicks," so this week, Dov is going to attend and lead the girls in some team-building exercises.

Neighborhood BBQ'S

On April 9th, we hosted a team of volunteers from
Cyprus and held a BBQ for the 2 kindergartens we work with. For 2 hours, aside from feasting on the grilled delicacies, the Cyprus volunteers played with the kids, painted faces and nails and made balloon animals. A great time was had by all!

In mid-May, we are hosting James Goll and a team from Encounter's Network to do a neighborhood-wide BBQ that will coincide with Israel's 60th birthday! We are planning a huge bash: we plan to take-over 2 playgrounds with live Ethiopian music, inflatable bouncy-things and other activities for the children. Dov is especially excited to grill an estimated 600 pieces of meat.

Clear River just received this update from Dov and Lyndee:
Grace and shalom to you and all the saints of Clear River. First, allow me to thank you and the folks at Clear River who have been praying for us. The prayers have been felt over here. We just completed (last Wed) a huge neighborhood BBQ with inflatable jumpy things and over 300 people from the housing projects we work in attended. They devoured the 400+ pieces of meat we grilled and it was a blast.

If you would like to receive the Gelman's monthly newsletter, sign up at www.mbki.org.

Asaph Ensemble - Upcoming performances

2008-05-19T22:11:00.002-04:00

Let's join our prayers with the Asaph Ensemble as they prepare for their upcoming performances.

Pray for strength and health for all the dancers. Pray for many, many people who do not know the Lord to attend the performance. Pray that God would receive glory through this ministry.

May 31 at 7:00pm, Osbourn Park High School, Manassas.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under and senior citizens 65 and older.
Proceeds from this evening will go toward the Mike Drummond children's fund.

The Dyckʼs April 2008 e-news

2008-05-19T21:54:00.002-04:00

Family
Well, this year has brought a lot of change to our family. Some of you celebrated with us in February at Elizabethʼs and my wedding. The weather was perfect, everything went amazingly smoothly, and we all enjoyed that fantastic day very much. Weʼve had two months
back in Holland as a family, and we are blending quite well.

Daniel will take the SAT test in May, as he is a junior and getting ready for college. In June, he will take his end-of-the-year exams, which determine 50% of his overall grade for the year. Yikes! Daniel started a job at a grocery store at the end of February, working about eight hours a week.
Bobby plays baseball with a local club this year. Theyʼve had a slow start due to many cancellations because of cold rainy weather. He is doing well having school in English for the first time this year. He also serves on the multi-media team at our church, running the power point and such.
Katie just passed the 5th grade traffic exam for biking, so sheʼs road-worthy on her bike now. She paid a minor visit to the ER just before a big CA training event. She cut her arm while slicing an apple with a sharp knife, but fortunately, they simply glued the gaping cut closed and sent her happily on her way...again!

Ministry
We recently finished a ten-day staff training event called Field Orientation. Elizabeth and I participated in the training, interviewing, hospitality, and planning of the event. We both enjoy being able to invest in our staff and serve them in a variety of ways! Both Elizabeth and I went to a workshop on how to coach people well. Coaching is an old word that now has new meaning in ministry. The workshop taught us new skills we can employ in helping our church planters succeed throughout Europe. Elizabeth is on a team of people who provide member care to our staff, and one of her specific roles is to track with interns serving in Europe with CA.

Funding
We thank God for His provision through 2007! The generosity of so many people helps us stay ahead of the declining US dollar, and God abundantly provided a couple of special gifts to cover the boysʼ school fee in the Fall! Praise God!! Even after 11 years of this work, I dare not take for granted Godʼs faithful provision. The rapidly weakening dollar challenges our faith in Godʼs ability to provide for us. One year ago, $1,000 bought 730 euros, but today, that would only buy 630 euros. That hurts! We must trust God and rely on His provision, for He certainly knows our situation.

Looking Ahead
In the summer of 2009, we will leave Europe for a one-year furlough/sabbatical in the States. After 12 years in Europe, I would like to do some further study to help sharpen my skills and abilities. We also want to help Daniel transition into college life in America and to visit our supporting churches and friends. One of our priorities for my sabbatical year is to be in closer proximity to our family. After that year, we will return to Europe, though we donʼt yet know where in Europe. Please pray with us as we seek Godʼs wisdom and guidance for our plans for my sabbatical year and our following move back to Europe.

Thank you for praying for us and sharing with us as we see Jesus Christ changing lives in the cities of Europe and beyond.

Missionary Update - Rob and April E

2008-05-12T20:15:00.001-04:00

A Love Party?
Last month we told you about the Love Party/Outreach. This month, we have a date for it - May 6th!
The Love Outreach is based around the fact students on campus have a lot of questions about love. Dating/Marriage/Love are not topics often discussed in their homes. We’re giving them an opportunity to hear a mature Christian East Asian couple tell their love story and share some tips on what to look for in a spouse. The couple will also talk about how we can never fully have our need for love satisfied in another person. We all need and want a perfect love, which can only be found in Christ.
This outreach is being almost entirely student-led! We have met with the student leaders, cast vision, equipped them, and now it’s their turn to reach out to their campus. This is the first student-led outreach this year, so you can pray for God to lead them and teach them a lot!
A prayer request is for a good location to hold this gathering. We’re looking for a room large enough to hold 50 people, but not in an area that will attract attention from school or government officials.

The Homeless
Over the year, we’ve been trying to learn ways for us (and our students) to better love the city. One way is by loving the homeless. We’ve been doing a variety of things; giving out coats, scarves, gloves, blankets, and food. We’re also trying to challenge our students to engage these very needy people in conversation. The normal response to beggars in this society is rudeness. This evening, as we spoke with the blind musician pictured below, one woman even said to us, “Why would you want a picture of something so ugly?”
Pray with us that the gospel will transform the attitudes of the people in the city through lives that are radically transformed by the gospel.

W
Here’s a quick update on “W.” I (April) met W in September of 2005. At that point, she had never considered having a personal relationship with Jesus. That fall we started meeting and studying the Bible. Soon after, she placed her faith in Jesus.
Now, she’s in her 3rd year at the University. She is involved in our group on campus as a student leader. In fact, she’s one of the students planning the Love Outreach! She has also been meeting with two first year students who recently placed their trust in Jesus. When the older students reach out to the younger students, it is such an encouragement to all of them.
W will graduate this year and then travel to France for two years of graduate school. I’m excited to see what God has for her in the future!

Burma in Crisis

2008-05-07T15:03:00.000-04:00

Like many of us who watch the news, I am taken aback by the rising death toll in Myanmar (Burma) from a cyclone there this week. The latest reports I have seen say the toll could rise above 100,000. The UN says that as many as 1 million people are homeless after the storm. The ruling military junta in Burma has even asked for help, something they rarely do.

The questions we have to ask ourselves include:

Why didn't people get the warnings? (State run media did not issure them. First Lady Laura Bush said this week that people did not even know the storm was coming unless they listened to Radio Free Asia or Voice of America).

What is the Burmese government doing to help? From what I can tell, not a whole lot. The military government does not allow very many outside organizations into the country and so aid is slow in getting there.

What should be done? I think the answer to that is obvious, unless you're dead spiritually. The photos of the devastation and the body count are enough to appeal to the hearts of even the coldest person. We cannot afford to NIMBY this one. These people are desperate.

What can be done? Plenty. The easiest thing to do is give money. There is a plethora of aid agencies that need the money. The most important thing to do is pray, pray that the aid gets to the people that need it instead of being hoarded by evil men. Pray that disease and drought and famine don't kill more people than the storm. Write to your Congressman or Senator(s) and ask for the U.S. government to help with aid. The First Lady is calling for help in caring for those devastated by this storm.

The thought would be easy "why should I help them; nobody helped us with Katrina, and there are still people homeless in New Orleans. Can't we take care of our own first?"

Legitimate point. There are deep needs in the USA as well. But we have very few places that are as desperate as the situation now in Burma. Let us - once again - be the ones with open hearts and open hands to help those in need.

If you would like to give here are just a few agencies:

World Vision

Tearfund

Christian Aid

Catholic Relief Services

World Food Program

Update from Andrew Ling in Thailand

2008-04-26T20:51:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Well this last week has held a great deal of frustration for the nine of us that remained in Chang Mai. We were sure that God wanted us to stay and do something with music while we were here. So we spent the first four days trying to get into different venues to play. Everywhere we went, we were turned down. Every door that opened, seemed to close immediately. Finally, on Thursday night, we realized that we had missed the point. We realized that God didn't want us playing at places, He wanted us to take time and simply worship Him.

So, since Thursday night, we have locked ourselves in our building and have devoted our time to worshiping God, reading His word, resting in His presence, and interceding on behalf of each other as well as the nation of Thailand. We are just about half way through the New Testament and we plan on finishing before we have to leave for Chang Rai tomorrow morning. God has greatly blessed this time and we have heard a great deal from Him and, each one of us has received new revelations of who God is. We all feel very blessed and are grateful for all the prayers for us coming from back home.

We have three weeks left in Thailand before returning to the base in Montana for a week to prepare for re-entry back into western society. Our time here is quickly winding down but I pray that God continues to enable us to make the most of it. As excited as I am for the next three weeks, I am very eager to return home to see all of you and share with you what I have learned. It's seems like I have been away for ages and I am so excited to see what God has next.

However, I'm determined to not lose focus - this final stage of our time in Asia is going to be extravagant! Please continue to pray - For the next week we will be working with some hill tribes in Chang Rai. I will write as soon as possible.

Thanks again and I hope to hear from you all soon.

God bless,

Andrew

Send Andrew an email.

Missionary Introduction - Dov and Lyndee Gelman

2008-04-22T22:36:00.002-04:00

Dov and Lyndee Gelman; My Brother’s Keeper International

Dov and Lyndee Gelman have been working with at-risk young people and families in poverty since 1991.

They arrived in Israel in 2004 as new immigrants and began to develop their vision to help improve and change the quality of the lives of children and their families. Since moving to Israel, their passion for helping children in need has extended to Africa, where they are in the process of building an orphanage and school in Uganda.

MBKI was registered as a not-for-profit in the United States in 2005, as an Israeli not-for-profit in 2006, and as a charitable corporation in Uganda in 2008. They are in the process of applying for NGO status in Uganda. Their focus is meeting the humanitarian and educational needs of children and families in poverty.

Missionary Introduction - Al and Elizabeth Dyck

2008-04-22T22:34:00.001-04:00

Al and Elizabeth Dyck and Family:
Christian Associates International

“We left the U.S.A. in May of 1997 to go to Berlin Germany with Christian Associates to help plant a church. Then in 2001 we moved to The Hague where we’ve continued with CA helping facilitate church planting and leadership development across Europe. The kids and I have been in Europe for ten years, and this is the main home our kids know. On Feb. 2nd, 2008 Elizabeth and I were married in Dallas, Texas.

So, why do we do it?

To see Jesus Christ changing lives in the cities of Europe and beyond!”

Ministry Introduction - Asaph Ensemble

2008-04-22T22:32:00.001-04:00

Asaph
Ensemble

Bob and Robin Sturm

The Asaph Dance Ensemble is named after the Biblical character Asaph, King David’s chief musician and the composer of many psalms. As a totally unique Christian Ministry, the company’s desire is to present excellence in music and dance and share the joy of the Gospel. The Asaph Ensemble has performed for thousands of people in some of the most noted halls in Washington D.C., including the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the Warner Theater, Lisner Auditorium, DAR Constitution Hall, and The Center for the Arts. Internationally, they have appeared at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and the Jerusalem Square in Israel.

Missionary Introduction - Johnny Buckner

2008-04-22T22:30:00.001-04:00

NEI International

Director
John Buckner

“New Partnerships mobilizing a New Mission Force to reach the peoples least reached and the most needy with the Gospel of Jesus.”

New Enterprises International (NEI) is an interdenominational Christian mission organization, registered as a non-profit 501c3. NEI Service Centers, located in Asia and the USA, directly serve mission work in Asia and Central America, fulfilling their mandate of “doing their part through in envisioning, mobilizing, training, placing and supporting a “new mission force” for the least reached in the last frontiers.”

Missionary Introduction - Phil and Jennifer Leber

2008-04-22T22:29:00.001-04:00

Mission to Uganda

Since 1998, we have had a “life on life” ministry of teaching and discipleship to young men and women who are the future leaders of Uganda. We work directly for the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, a nine million-member Province of the Anglican Communion, and we work throughout the country’s thirty-one dioceses. Jennifer meets regularly with several university women in Kampala, to share her life and the Scriptures. Phil is discipling leadership teams to carry on the work of teaching about worship renewal.

Jennifer has a passion to teach the Word and to impart the love and compassion of Christ to the displaced, orphaned and street children of Uganda. The devastation of the war in Northern Uganda and AIDS has left over two million orphans, and a significant number of those children have nowhere to live and have taken to the streets. Jennifer is involved in three ministries to serve these children. She is working to bring relief to the “Night Commuters” of Northern Uganda by raising public awareness of the plight of thousands of desperate children in Kitgum. She received a donation of 5000 blankets for the Night Commuters and is beginning several projects, including a secondary school in Pader, counseling home for formerly abducted girls, and a leadership project for middle school students in Gulu. In past years, Jennifer helped build an orphanage in Mukono which was started by former Archbishop Livingstone Nkoyoyo. Fifty-four orphans from 5 to 16 years old currently live in the orphanage. In Kampala, she worked with Cornerstone Ministries to provide a home for young street girls; most of whom are Muslim and many had desperately turned to prostitution. She currently works with Rhema Ministries to help get young girls out of prostitution, and into school and a loving home environment.

Missionary Update - P. D.

2008-04-22T22:27:00.003-04:00

P.D - Artist/Evangelist

The following is a letter we received just recently from P. It will motivate you to pray for her!

Hello dear Clear River Folks!

Just asking for prayer for protection as I move around South Africa. When I hike to use the internet with my laptop on my back, it is rather dicey at times.

Yesterday after sending emails, I walked back to the house where I am staying (by myself) and there was a group of street boys, very rough, of varying ages. The oldest (probably adult age), had a big stick. One boy was demanding the food I was carrying in my plastic bag. They are just the kind of kids I work with in the prisons and I recognized trouble right away. I wanted badly to give some food to them because I could see how hungry they were, but because it was a gang and I was on foot, it was not safe. God is good because there happened to be a dog in the road, a couple of people down the road a bit further, and a postman who cycled past me on his bicycle. If they had not been there, I am fairly sure I would have been jumped.

It is a dangerous area and the security at the house where I am staying is not the best. I have to make sure if I am on one side of the house, to completely close up the windows on the other side because a small boy can break through the bars (as happened to me some years ago). I can’t leave a door open - have to lock, even if I step outside for a minute to go in the yard. I cannot leave windows open at night at all (it’s quite hot here actually!) and there is no fan. So, prayers for wisdom and protection are much appreciated. Your gift means I can rent a car for a couple of weeks when I get back to Capetown (Muizenberg) from Worcester - thank you so much! It means a lot because nobody on this trip can afford to reimburse me much, if at all. Not only can I then get around, I will be a bit safer. I drive thru a dangerous township area to stay at this house, which is why I also have to keep watch at any stoplights or funny business on the road. I always take God’s protection very seriously!

I’ve gotten some good communication in Dubai and am curious to see what is going to unfold there and the Singapore prison situation has filled my entire schedule of days - oh man! I covet your prayers for this whole trip, that things will unfold as God desires and that I am attentive to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The upcoming Arts Discipleship Training School in Worcester (which starts on April 13th) has a number of nations represented and they’ve already asked me to do the base meeting the first week on the evening of, Thursday, April 17th. Last year when I had this arts expression worship time, local gangs showed up - a little group of gang girls who had some special times with the art. Please pray God puts this whole thing together, as a lot of art supplies have to be acquired.

I get to go to a prison twice, which may include the maximum security one in Worcester as well as a detention home for boys where I visited last year. I’ve been asked to teach for two weeks this time, instead of one, and every minute will be packed. I’ll be teaching alongside a wonderful Brazilian dancer, Paulo, and he will teach on the character of the artist. He was present last year and was such a huge blessing, especially with the boys in the detention place. In between, I’m working on curriculum for the advanced counseling course where I will teach at the YWAM base in Perth - a first time for me. It’s very exciting and my schedule is getting very full there as well - I’ll be doing extra workshops for others interested so it will go broader than just the school’s students and YWAM staff, I think.

God is highlighting the prisoner in so many ways - on the one day I went to Capetown last week with my artist friend Liz (the youngest 70 year old you’d ever meet!) to the galleries and museum, much was about the poor, disadvantaged, refugee and even an artist who was a recovering heroin addict who did a photo project of inmates in maximum security and those who had been released, trying to start their lives again. If ever I needed affirmation of my calling, God was giving it to me through these art shows. My friend Liz could not believe it - and I was so blessed.

The nicest thing happened this week - I’ve been so concerned for my parents. Two fellow Christians here joined me in prayer that Mary, the lovely Kenyan my Dad and Mom really like, would be able to return and help them again 3 mornings a week for a couple of hours. She started this week, hallelujah! They haven’t had anybody because it’s been so hard to get someone and this will give my Mom a much-needed break. However, my Dad’s blood pressure just will not go down - they’ve been changing his medication but nothing seems to be helping - so that is another prayer request.

Okay, enough for now and thank you again so much for all your participation and support. You are walking with me here in the most wonderful way!

Missionary Update - Rob and April E

2008-04-22T22:24:00.001-04:00

Campus Crusade for Christ - Closed Country

The following is the most recent report we have from Rob and
April.

An Easter Party?

In years past, we’ve seen much success using Christmas parties to share the gospel with students. This year we asked, why not try the same strategy at Easter time?

Easter (or “Resurrection Holiday” in the language here) is an almost unknown celebration to East Asian students. We have only met a handful who ever heard of it and none who knew what it celebrates. So inviting students to come to a party that will teach them about Easter really piqued their interest.

That’s how 23 students, plus 3 students from our campus fellowship and the 6 of us from our team ended up in a small room on campus playing games, singing Easter songs, and talking about the meaning of the holiday.

For us, the most exciting part was that the party was primarily led by our East Asian student friends. Even the gospel presentation was done by one of the guys who first trusted Christ last year! It was a great learning experience for our disciples and a rare evangelistic opportunity for all of us. Praise God for the great turn-out, for protecting us from being discovered by authorities during the party, and for blessing our student leaders as they begin to preach his name in spite of their fears!

Please pray for us as we follow-up on these 23 students who first heard the gospel of Jesus Christ last night; pray that the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection would be the doorway to their own new life in Christ. Specifically, you can pray for Minnie, Lily, and Tom- 3 students from the party who April and Rob will continue to meet.

A Hot Topic on Campus

For several years now, we have watched as East Asian campus culture has grow more and more open to dating and romance. Publicly holding hands was a scandal 10 years ago- today it is everywhere. However, with the increasing openness, there has not been a growing understanding of what role love and relationships should play in our lives. Students are taking their direction from the movies and TV shows they see. Even our believing students do not know what a biblical marriage should be like.

In the coming months, we would like to address this issue- one that is a popular topic of conversation all over campus. Our hope is that by talking about every person’s desire for true love (and our ultimate inability to find that love in each other), we can natural transition into sharing about our longing for God and his satisfying love for us.

Please pray for us as we plan a ‘coffee house of love’- an evangelistic event just outside of campus involving music, special speakers, and discussion, all on the topic of love and relationships. Pray that we would be able to secure a good location, that our time together would be protected from the authorities, and that the Christian students on campus would be very involved in the planning and carrying out of this event.

Missionary Update - Andrew Ling

2008-04-22T22:03:00.003-04:00

Youth With A Mission - Thailand

Here’s a snippet from one of Andrew’s emails:

"...As for our ministry, we have split up into two groups. The first group consists of about 10 people and they are staffing the coffee house where we are staying. Their job is to run the coffee bar, keep the place clean, and teach English to students and kids that come to learn in the afternoon through late evenings. This is an amazing opportunity to build one-on-one relationships with these people that will hopefully lead to sharing the gospel. The second group of 7 will be working with a place called The Center, just down the street from the coffee house. Our job will be to help teach English at a more in depth level. We've been doing prayer walks through the city, building relationships with students at the University, finding ways to bless the other team, or anything else that God lays on our hearts. So far, we are having an amazing time and already we can see God's hand at work.

We still have some prayer requests!

First, pray against homesickness, culture shock and depression that can result from the above. I know that I have already dealt with homesickness a little bit. I know it's silly but I miss all of you.

Second, please continue to pray for protection. Since we've been here, we've had one student get lost and one get hit by a motorbike! (That was Andrew!) The enemy is obviously trying to bring discouragement. Also, please pray for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Many of us are starting to experience spiritual dryness and we need the Holy Spirit now more than ever. Please continue to pray for divine appointments. We are desperate to reach these people and we are even more desperate to see the glory of God revealed. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. They have made all the difference in my life and I am certain that they will continue to do the same.

From P.D.

2007-02-23T12:56:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends,

Warmest greetings from...an Amtrak train, just north of Philadephia, en route to New York City - again! Though it has been awhile since I've sent an update, it doesn't mean I haven't thought of you. It has been challenging finding myself in a caregiving role this long, which was not what I planned or expected.

Since I flew from Hawaii in August, I've journeyed to explore New York City's art world. I stayed at the new YWAM base being pioneered there and returned to Virginia in October. I met some amazing people in NYC - artists who love Jesus and who are processing what it means to be a light for Him in the midst of the crazy New York art scene. Two of my art pieces made it into Redeemer Presbyterian's local juried art exhibition. What an honor to be included in a show with artists of such high caliber.

Another highlight was assisting a dynamic local artist working with Aids victims in the center of Times Square. As we began the art session, two patients dying of Aids came in, received prayer and prayed out loud to God for the very first time! I hope to share pictures and stories later.

Since that time, I've been helping my mother and father with their health needs. This has involved everything from setting appointments, dealing with health insurance, to following up with intensive medical testing and being the daily chauffeur. Dad has been unable to drive since 2003 (due to his temporal lobe epilepsy) and Mom gets pretty tired with bad hips, knees, feet and emphesema. She's still a heavy smoker and severely strained her back.

I've been the in-home computer techie and finding fixer uppers for an old house when things go wrong or need to be changed. There is always something new to do every day, and often at night. Dad has fallen down three times. He forgets how to walk properly (due to the brain seizures) and this is causing, as you can imagine, lots of problems with his ambulation.

Though this is a different season, I am so very thankful I can be here helping them. It is an honor and a privilege to serve them, and have you stand with me in prayers and finances. It is making a difference in their lives and very much in mine as well. Caregiving is a whole new area to get discipling!

Now, about this trip I am on today! If you look up this link on the internet,

http://www.iamny.org/conferences/

you will find the webpage for the International Arts Movement. As you scroll down on that Conferences page, you'll see a wonderful conference organized for Christian artists. The conference lasts for three intensive days in community with fellow artists. We are wanting to rise up and walk stronger, using our gifts with new guidance and revelation from Him, creating that which should be, beautiful and true in Christ!~ (I am listed under Announcements where I'll be teaching artists' children, as well as locals.) Another good web link that describes the conference is this one where it is being held at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center: www.tribecapac.org/also.htm

Prayers: Please pray that I catch all the Holy Spirit wants to do at this time, and experience a renewal in my own life in discerning God's will and direction. Today I met an atheist who is bringing her eight year old son to attend my children's workshop. We had a chance to chat and she may possibly stay for the art session herself! Please pray God meets her and her son in a special and unique way.

Another prayer request: My Aunt Lucy in South Dakota is dying from a massive stroke (the bleeding won't stop in her brain). Can I ask you to join me in prayer for her, that if this is not her time, that God would touch her in a mighty way? She showed some improvement in the last two days, though the doctors say there is no hope.

I greatly value your friendship and appreciate your part in my life.

Hugs,
P.

A reminder

2007-01-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

Below is a quote from an interview with Al and Deela Dyck did with CRM in July of 2005 when they were on home leave. The full text is in the archive. Deela is the one speaking, and her words are especially poignant now.

Say like practically, if people write me a little note or Al a little note in this process to encourage him. You know "I was thinking of you today and I am praying for you." Or just send a card . It just lifts our spirits to know in a practical way that someone's praying for us even though we haven't talked to them for months or we are not real close, that is a really big encouragement and it is a really practical way to help. For both of us, if he gets a card or a letter in the mail and it's not a bill or not anything else, you know saying that we love you and we are praying for you it changes the whole day.

And I think as you pray for us, it is for us to keep our eyes focused on Jesus because we tend to get self focused with what the doctor says or with discouragement or whatever. And we just get in a busy mode of work and children and just life. But to keep our eyes focused on who they need to be focused on through the whole thing. And that makes the bad times not so bad. And that is knowing that God's peace is there because those things are minimized if we know that people are praying for us. Okay I am discouraged, I recognize that, I give it up, and I press on.

Deela Dyck is with Jesus

2007-01-09T18:50:00.000-05:00

On January 6, 2007, Deela Dyck passed away after a three year battle with ovarian cancer. The following is a blog entry from her husband, Al Dyck.

"Our beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend went to be with Jesus Saturday evening January 6th at around 8 PM in our home. Her prayers were answered as she did not want the process to go on and on. She was ready. She was at peace with Jesus and had not regrets. We had a beautiful time with the kids last night and they were with her in and out all day today. I was with her in the end hold her and comforting her. I told her again how much she meant to me and that she should go and then begged Jesus to come and get her with many tears. Some 30 minutes later she met Jesus face to face.

This is the most difficult thing I or the kids have ever faced but we are together, God is with us, and we have an awesome community around us including many world wide praying. Yet we are left to grieve. May we not grieve, though, as those who have no hope -- for Christ's resurrection is our future promise. (1 Thessaloanians 4:13-18)

On a practical note we have many details to organize. The idea at the moment is to have the funeral here at the end of the week in Holland. I have also talked with our home church pastor in Byron, Illinois about organizing a memorial service there in the U.S. as soon after as we can work that out. The kids and I will come for that though it will be short so the kids miss only a little school. I’ll post more when we know it!

I love this picture of Deela. I know she wants us to not be sad but to celebrate her COMPLETE healing and finally being HOME!"

Deela's life has become a testimony of true perseverance through adversity. Please continue to pray for Al and his three children during their time of grief. Please also pray for logistical planning of the funeral and memorial services. You may find out more information on Al Dyck's blog.

December Spotlight: Update on Al and Deela Dyck

2006-12-17T08:35:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest blog entry from Al Dyck:

Thankfully Deela has started holding down some mild and soft foods. Her energy is coming back slowly where she’s now able to be up and about in the house for some time throughout the day. She has lost probably 9 kilos (20 lbs) so we hope she can regain some strength to enjoy the holidays here. The kids and I are going Christmas tree hunting this evening!

Pray for me as I speak this weekend at Crossroads on Christ Revealing God to us! The incarnation - God becoming man making a way for us to be forgiven and be right with God - the biggest miracle of all! It’s been helpful for me to have to prepare for this and focus on Christ’s work in our world AND in my life. I’d encourage you to take a few minutes and reflect on how Christ’s coming impacts your life today!

Please continue to pray for the Dycks during this season of advent. Continue to pray for strength for Deela and her battle with ovarian cancer. Pray also for strength and encouragement for their children (Daniel, Bobbly, and Katie).

Continue to visit Al Dyck's blog for the latest updates, as well as this blog for the latest updates on all of our missionaries.

Asaph Ensemble Presents "Clara's Christmas"

2006-12-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Asaph Dance Ensemble
Presents

"Clara's Christmas"
A unique version of "The Nutcracker"

&

"Petite Suite"
A premier of choreography by
Robin Conrad Sturm

Saturday, December 9, 2006
7:30 PM

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
Northern Virginia Community College
3001 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, Virginia

Suggested Donations $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens; and $5 for children under 12

Tickets available at the door
Advance and Group Reservations
703-368-1812

Click here for additional information about the Asaph Dance Ensemble.

November Mission Spotlight: An Update on Al and Deela Dyck

2006-11-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

One Sunday a month at Clear River we will place a "spotlight" on one of the missionaries that we support as a church. We will give updates on the prayer needs of the missionary, and pray together as a church family. This month's Mission Spotlight is on the Dyck family.

The following is an updated taken from Al Dyck's new website:

Yes it is true, we are going to America next week to see family. As we consulted with the doctor she said she didn’t think Deela should travel at Christmas and that if she wanted to go, we should go now! So, after sorting things through with school, family, the airline, we are on our way next Tuesday for two weeks!

Deela has been feeling alright this week. She had to have fluid drained on Monday and has been relatively comfortable but is starting feel uncomfortable again. Monday she will get two more units of blood to bring her red blood cell count up and have fluid drained so she can be as comfortable as possible to travel!

We appreciate your prayers as we take this trip, for safety, comfort and no stress for Deela and a great time with family.

Please continue to pray for the Dyck family as they travel to the United States for the next two weeks. Also pray for the Dyck family for the following:

Strength and peace as they face the day to day life and the decisions that come their way.
New Visas! Al has already submitted his work permit application, so please pray that the process will go through quickly and smoothly.
The Dyck children has they cope with their mother's illness; that they continue to place their trust in God, and to function well at school.
Ministry in the midst of challenges.
Continue to pray for Deela's health.

Click here for more information on the Dyck family. You may also find Al and Deela's old blog for past blog entries.