November Update

Praying Friends,

It has been some time since our last prayer update. We have been very busy in the ministry here. We praise the Lord that since our last update, we have had the roof on our church building replaced. We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision and for each of you who gave to this need. The Lord provided over $60,000 to do needed repairs on the building He provided for us. We had planned to get the siding repaired, next. However, after having a better look at the siding, the contractor believes that we still have some time before it needs to be replaced, and recommends that we wait to have that work done. Apparently those who initially installed the siding had done a better job than suspected. This was a relief as we were still at least $30,000 short of what it would have cost to have that work done. 

Recently, we discovered a leak in the base-board heater near the men’s bathroom that had caused some issues with the sub-floor in the vestibule and bathroom. The leak has been repaired but the flooring of the bathroom and vestibule will need to be replaced. After seeking advice, we decided that it would be best to use the funds that were given for building projects to repair the floor and remodel the bathrooms and vestibule. We plan to do much of this work ourselves as the Lord has blessed our church with some men that have the know-how to get this work done. It also helps that we have contacts who can provide deep discounts on material. Please pray as we plan to start this project in January.

In October, we made an unplanned trip to Virginia for the funeral of my (Nick’s) grandfather. We praise the Lord that he is with his Savior and no longer suffering. 

During our trip we had the opportunity to report to our sending church and a number of supporting churches. It was wonderful to see people who we had not seen in so long. Our supporting churches are such a blessing to our family in so many ways! 

Currently, I am meeting with two men about membership. I suspect in the coming weeks that these men will join our church. It is exciting to see the Lord continue to build His church in Lawrence. 

Lindsey and I have been taking Spanish classes for almost 4 months now. The Lord has helped us and we have been able to communicate more easily with the Spanish-speaking people in our church. For the last couple of months we have been preparing 5-10 minute devotionals in Spanish each week for class. This has really stretched us and at times has been really hard work. We have a long way to go, but are excited about the progress that we have already made. Please pray that the Lord would help us to learn quickly so we can better communicate the gospel to the 80% of the population in Lawrence who speak Spanish. 

Our Spanish ministry continues to grow. We had a Spanish-speaking visitor recently who visited several months ago. She expressed her appreciation for the work we have put in to being a bi-lingual church. She visibly enjoyed the service and followed along with the message through translation. 

This week we began building a translation booth for our translators. This sound-proof booth will allow our translators to translate the services without being a distraction. This will both improve the atmosphere of the service and the quality of translation as we will not have to worry about the distraction of someone talking in the back of the auditorium. Please pray that we could complete this project soon. 

Please pray for continued opportunities with our neighbors. We have noticed a greater openness about spiritual things. This is something that takes time in New England culture as most are very private about religious matters. Please pray for wisdom as we seek opportunities to preach the gospel to our neighbors and friends in Lawrence. 

Please pray for our Thanksgiving outreach. On Thanksgiving morning our church will have the opportunity to help hand out Thanksgiving meals to some of the homeless and less fortunate in our community. Please pray that we would have opportunities to share the gospel with those we feed. Each person will receive a gospel tract and someone from our church will offer to pray with them about their needs. We will have contact with about 100-150 people in about an hour. Please pray for wisdom for our church and soft-responsive hearts in those who will be hearing the gospel. 

Thank you again for your faithful support and prayers for our ministry!