September 2021 Faith Promise

Faith Promise Partners September 2021 Update

 

Christy & Zach Yoder   – (Wycliffe – Nigeria, W. Africa)

Thank God:

  • Huge community support surrounding Josh's death:
    • Encouraging words of truth and Scripture shared with us
    • Many people surrounded us physically and through words of encouragement and prayer
    • Tickets provided for Christy and the four girls to travel to Holland, MI for the funeral and to be with the family.
    • Much grace during Christy's travel alone with the girls.
    • Zach's letter to Josh (which includes some of Christy's memories and grief) was shared at the funeral (a surprise to us!)
    • A colleague willing to accompany Christy with the girls back to Nigeria!
  • Clear specific answers to prayer from last month about our meeting with partners:
    • Attendance by 19 of 22 known active Bible Translation organizations in Nigeria.
    • Deep trust reflected in openness to talk about real issues
    • Boldness to step into conversations that are controversial
    • Great progress in closure on an arrangement to collect data on where we are all working in a single database (seven organizations have signed, which is sufficient to start sharing data)
    • Three key factors identified to prioritize which languages we should serve first: community interest, dialect acceptability, and the fact that the people are still speaking their language.
  • Peace in Jos: As you may have seen on international news, following violence in some parts of Jos, a 24-hour curfew was instated in Jos North for a few days each time.  The curfew was relaxed Monday, August 30, 2021.  All SIL Nigeria staff are safe.

Pray for:                   

  • Travel:
    • Christy and the four girls safe and smooth return on Wednesday and Thursday.
    • For joy during eight days (or more) of isolation post travel (Zach will join them)
  • Energy:
    • Zach and Christy are both physically and emotionally tired.
    • Zach has had to handle a few crises while Christy was away. (Thanking God for an amazing team that has joined him in working overtime on some of these issues.
    • Christy and the girls will most certainly be jet-lagged.

 

 

Ben & Amy Meyer  (Church Planting in Guadalajara, Mexico)

Family

·        We give thanks that Grace, John, and Luke all had good summer jobs. Grace is now a senior at Seattle Pacific University (studying abroad in Ireland at present), John is a junior at Calvin University, and Luke is a freshman at Lawrence Technological University.

·        Abe is now a 9th grader at Holland Christian High School, and Zach is a 7th grader at Zeeland Christian School. We now have five kids in five different schools! Thank you for praying for our children’s overall growth, learning, and faith.

·        We give thanks that we were able to buy a home in Holland, Michigan, after living in an apartment temporarily in Zeeland, Michigan, for most of the summer. Thank you for praying that our home in Mexico would sell soon.

·        Please pray also that our moving truck from Mexico would arrive soon to our house in Michigan. This is taking longer than expected.

Resonate Global Mission

·        We give thanks for good reports about the ongoing ministry in Mexico! New Life Church is doing well, and the Multiplication Network in Mexico has 250 new church planters in training this year. Continue to pray for Pastor Esdras García (New Life Church) and Pastor José Alberto Fiallo (Multiplication Network Mexico).

·        We have enjoyed ReConnect (formerly known as home service) visits with nine churches in five states so far this summer.

·        Thank you for your very generous support. Resonate will continue to receive your financial gifts in support of our ministry until Oct. 31.  

Multiplication Network Ministries

·        Ben started his new role as Vice President of Global Ministry on Sept 1. Pray for wisdom and learning as he works with ministry teams in West Africa, East Africa, Europe, Eurasia, Asia, Latin America, and Caribbean/US Hispanics toward “More Churches, Stronger Churches.”

·        This week (Sept 13-17) is the global staff conference for the Multiplication Network at Camp Geneva in Grand Haven, MI. Some people from around the globe will connect digitally, while others are able to travel.

 

Ray & Angie De Lange (East-West Ministries Int’l – Lake Forest, WA)

Istifanus Bahago (Christian Extension Services – Sierra Leone)

Jan VanStaalduinen (Wycliffe – Dallas, TX)

Andrew & Grace Goyzueta    (RUF At Davidson College)

John & Grace Van Huizen (International Seafarers Ministry)

John & Jean VanHemert (International Seafarers Ministry)

Sound of Life Radio

Care Net Pregnancy Care Center

Christ Healthcare Center

Discover more about our ministry partners by visiting www.Goshen.Church/partners