Ending Bible Poverty – May 2019

May 13, 2019

Walking with God is always an adventure

Miracles are surprising because they are unexpected in this world’s logic. Even those who experience miracles on a regular basis continue to be surprised when they happen. This year we have experienced three financial miracles that we wanted to share with you:

MIRACLE #1: Increase in monthly (10% increase!)
Our home church leadership made a way for us to go back to Canada to share what God is doing in and through our lives. We were able to connect with old friends and make new ones. Through the generosity of those people, God provided for some of our monthly support needs. Though all of our needs are not fully met (we still need another 40% increase), this was a great answer to prayer. (Thank you to those who stepped up to support us!)
MIRACLE #2: Paying U.S. Taxes ($3,000USD!)
This is actually two miracles in one.
Miracle #2a: We didn’t have any idea how to do American taxes and we didn’t have the finances to hire somebody. Our friend Aaron asked his accountant in the U.S. She offered to do our taxes pro-bono (free!). This was a huge answer to prayer.
Miracle #2b: the bill we needed to pay on April 15th was just over $3,000USD. When we prayed about it, Jesus’ words came to mind: “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11) Within a day God provided for that need. (Thank you to those who God used!)
MIRACLE #3: Homeschooling Curriculum
Homeschooling has been a great experience for us as a family, one that we never thought we would experience. In March & April homeschooling curriculums are usually on sale for the following school year. We were asking God to provide now so that we wouldn’t have to pay more later, all while trusting God to provide for the U.S. taxes bill. It seemed like an impossibility.
We were reading the story of Jesus and a leper in Matthew 8:1-4. The leper believes that Jesus CAN heal him, but he wonders if Jesus WANTS TO heal him. Jesus responds by saying that he does want to heal him. And he is healed. We wondered the same thing about homeschooling. Jesus, we believe that you CAN provide for this, but do you WANT TO? Jesus’ response to us was “Yes, I want to.”
Within minutes we got a message from a friend offering to help with homeschooling costs and we were able to take advantage of a great deal for a large part of the curriculum for next year. We’re still trusting God for the remaining part and know that He will provide in due time.

Some Homeschooling supplies arrive (and the teacher rejoices)

FAMILY LIFE PICTURES

Ending Bible Poverty:

On March 6th I had the privilege of meeting Don & Joy Fuelling from Bibles For Asia. We shared with them about the different Ending Bible Projects that we’re working on and they are planning to use the Share Bibles App to track their Bible distribution in Asia.

Update from Thailand:

In the first quarter of 2019, ShareBibles Chiang Rai, together with 3 outreach teams, has worked closely with 6 local churches to distribute over 1000 Bibles in primary & secondary schools, in universities, at public events, and house to house in villages.

Expanding Roles (UofN)

Our leader, David Hamilton, Vice President of Strategic Innovation of the University of the Nations (UofN), invited me, Rob, to join a task force within the leadership of the University of the Nations.

WHAT IS THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS? (VIDEO)

The institution was founded in 1978 as Pacific & Asia Christian University (PACU) by Howard Malmstadt and Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth with a Mission, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (this was consider version 1.0). As other locations were established around the world, PACU was renamed the University of the Nations in 1989 (this is considered version 2.0).

Today the University of the Nations has expanded to over 600 locations in more than 160 countries. The university has outgrown it’s current structure and so the leadership has gathered together a task force to lead the way into a more appropriate organization for the growth. This task force is called the “3.0 task force” and it is comprised of about 15-20 people, including the top leadership, some deans of colleges, some center leaders and others within the university structure. I, Rob, am one of those team members.

I went to South Africa to join the UofN leadership meetings in March to meet the faculty and participate in the initial discussions of way into the future for the UofN.

The UofN 3.0 Task Force will be meeting a few times each year for the next 2 -3 years, developing the re-structuring process. The upcoming meetings will be:

Lausanne, Switzerland (June 30 – July 6, 2019)
Orlando, Florida (November 13-18, 2019)
Tijuana, Mexico (March 2020)

PRAYER REQUESTS

Health: Cy has been having some issues with her stomach for the last few weeks.
Friends: We’d like to ask prayer for more friends for Elias. There’s a homeschool “recess” that Cy initiated at the beginning of the school year. All the other families except one has girls. The family with the boy is leaving in June. We’d like to ask for prayer for more boys in our circle of relationships.
Venezuela: We try not to comment about the situation in Venezuela much, and maybe some day we will, but your prayers for all those affected by the situation, including us, are welcomed. We desire the restoration of that nation.
Skill development: both of us are involved in ministry activity that we have never done before (Cy teaching homeschooling curriculum and Rob developing digital Bibles). We continue to learn and develop those skills, but we need prayer to grow in these areas that Jesus wants to use us in.
Provision: Rejoice with us for the miracles we shared above and stand with us in prayer to see our needs met through more miracles.

God has been so good to our family and it’s a joy to walk with him daily. May His goodness and your joy be a regular part of your life as well.