physical needs update...

Hello friends, what I'm about to share with you is not something I've done before, since we entered into ministry. And, it is a difficult thing to write about. In 2009 I did write a short blog about some of the needs of a missionary, below is an excerpt from that blog entry.

"Trusting in the Lord completely to provide for our needs is a bit scary, especially as new missionaries. It means that we have to let go of control... and that is no easy thing. Liz and I have entered into a new phase of our lives, one that gives us the opportunity to trust the Lord in ways that we never could before because of ... well, quite frankly our selves. It's an exciting time and we are looking forward to it very much... We've begun to find that Faith missions seems to have become something of a cultural oddity in our society. There is a misunderstanding of just what it means to work as a (missionary) and be supported by those who believe in the work that we are doing with NCEM at Arrowhead. Much in the same way that a pastor/minister relies on the financial support of his congregation, missionaries rely on the financial support of churches and individuals who would like to be a part of the ministry in a practical way. God doesn't call everyone to be career missionaries, praying for and financially supporting a missionary is a way that you can share in the ministry in a very real way."

The reason that I am sharing this with you is because we have been struggling, somewhat, financially of late. This Spring we re-evaluated our personal budget, that is to say, our perceived personal financial needs. We reduced our forecast to $2,875.00 per month. This amount takes into account all of our financial needs, insurance, food, fuel, clothing, taxes, ministry, etc.

Although we have been at about 80% of this new budget for some time, over the course of the past few months we have found that we've had a couple of months well below 50% of our budget. Which brings me to the point of burdening all of you with this. Working in faith missions, trusting in the Lord completely, as I mentioned above... it can be scary, and stretching, and humbling. Liz and I try not ever to make it a point to ask for money, and we are so very grateful for all of those who sacrifice from their own pockets to support us financially as we work at Arrowhead. But, sometimes it is necessary to make our needs known so that people can both pray and, if the Lord leads, contribute financially to the work we are doing here.

A lot of our financial support in the past has relied on one time gifts, for which we are very grateful, but for us to be able to continue on in a stable and functional way, we are praying for individuals and churches who will commit to support us on a regular monthly basis. This is not something to be taken lightly either, if you feel like you want to contribute financially to NCEM for our ministry, I would ask that you pray about it first. And please know that there is no amount too small, monthly gifts of even $5 or $10 go a long way to meeting our needs. We strive to be good stewards of what the Lord allows us to have, and He often multiplies in wonderful ways that which is given.

It is NCEM's policy that if some of their missionaries are below their required income for an extended period of time, they will call them from the field to revisit their deputation. We sincerely hope and pray that it will not come to that for us. We have accepted new roles as the managers of Arrowhead Native Bible Center and there is much to be done over the coming months.

But if you do feel led to join us in ministry financially you can do that in several different ways. For a traditional method of support you can click HERE to download a form that you can print at home and mail in to NCEM. For those more comfortable with internet giving you can follow the link to the right, or visit NCEM's home page by clicking HERE.

We appreciate so much, all those of you who have contributed in the past and who contribute now, financially to our ministry. We thank you for your faithfulness and kindnesses. But there is a form of support that is not only necessary, it is vital - and that is prayer. We invite you to join with us in ministry as often as the Lord brings it to your mind.