Say g’Morning to our February Newsletter by clicking here.  Have a rock awesome day!

Hey there!  Here’s a few quick updates and prayer ideas…

Meeting Khmer Family – Thank you for praying for a Khmer language tutor.  I’m not exactly sure how he got my number, but an older Khmer gentlemen contact me last week and is interested in serving as a language tutor!  He’s in his 60s, lived through the Khmer Rouge, came to Kansas City, and stayed.  🙂  He invited us over for lunch this weekend, stating this his wife is an excellent cook.  (I told him we had 4 little kids and might find babysitting for some, he said, “No, no, you bring whole family, it is good.”  So, we’ve got our first family meal with them on Saturday!  Again, thanks so much for praying for this contact.

Germany —  I’ll be traveling to northern Germany in the near future, along with one of my teens.  We’ll be visiting with the Bratchers (a family Red Bridge supports), visiting and speaking in schools, etc.  I’ll also be sharing some devotional thoughts with the teenagers at the church there in Hildesheim.  And I’ve already warned the Bratchers: I will be picking their brains about moving a family across cultures.  What’s it like?  Struggles?  Things to watch out for?  

Name Your Kid Haggai – Of all the books in the Bible, God’s recently been using Haggai to get my attention.  I know, right?  Anyways, I recently had the opportunity to preach at Red Bridge on Haggai.  If you’re interested, the message can be downloaded from the Media section of our website. 

Teenagers – Please pray for Red Bridge as we continue to ponder options.  I’ve recently begun spending time in and around the Marlborough neighborhood, hanging out at the Marlborough Center (talk about cross-cultural!), meeting other believers in the community.  Please pray that God will pave the way for the planting of a strong worshipping community right there in the heart of Marlborough.  He never moved out of the neighborhood, and I know he wants the hearts of people. 

Thank you all for your continued encouragement and prayers, and may God richly bless you as you find your role in obedience to the Great Call.

all for ONE,

Jonathan T.

Here’s an excerpt from the January Newsletter.  To view the whole thing, click here. 

Praying for the World – Elizabeth

This month we attended the Kairos course at Emerald Hills (Team Expansion’s headquarters in Louisville, KY).  It is required as preparation for the field, but I had no idea it would be so mind-boggling, or so personal to my spiritual walk.  My eyes were opened to God’s desire that all nations worship Him, a desire that reaches back to the beginning of the Genesis account.  (Seriously!)

Understanding the plan for the entire world to glorify God helped me see that having a heart for missions means having a really big worldview!  It involves not just the desire to see people saved from eternal Hell but the desire for all groups of people to adore God.  It involves not just great numbers of baptisms, but the formation of lifelong disciples of Christ.  And it gave me, a “lowly little housewife,” a place in God’s plan. 

Sometimes I think, I’m just a stay at home mom, what can I do?  But I learned that I can pray.  Not just pray for the sick.  Not just pray for myself and my concerns.  But pray for the lost in specific people groups across the globe to find Jesus.  I have a new vision now, thanks to my week at Emerald Hills.