Dear
Family, Friends and Faithful Supporters
As
my time has finished in Jeffreys Bay, and the completion of my first
year with AIM, my life and ministry are at some important crossroads. Because
you have been so faithful in your prayers and support of me, I wanted to share
these changes with you and would appreciate your continued prayers.
Jeffreys Bay Update
This
year has been great for all us as we have experienced both incredibly blessings
and hardships. We’ve seen people healed, we’ve seen people die, we’ve been
loved and we’ve been hated. This is AIM’s third year sending an FYM team here
and we have seen many lives touched and healed by both present and previous
students. God is stirring the people of
Jeffreys towards Him and we are so grateful for the opportunity to experience it.
The
upcoming season of FYM in Jeffreys Bay is going to look different. The FYM
program is launching a new course, called the Awakening, hoping to emphasis
more time on training and discipleship.
Instead of it being a nine month continuous program it will now be in
two parts. The first semester will be
used as a three month long discipleship and training program in hopes to see
students properly trained. The second
semester the students will spend in there selective countries or region of
South Africa living out all that they have learned. Jeffreys Bay will be the
host of the first semester program the Awakening. And at this point it remains uncertain if
Jeffreys will be a destination for a team of students second semester. Please be with us in prayer even now for that
time in September!
Personal Update
Much
to my surprise and as a real “God Thing”, at missionary training camp this past
August God brought into my life a wonderful and godly young man, Chad Mustain,
who is also an AIM missionary serving in Manchester, England. And in the
shortened version, God brought together our love for people and missions, and
then brought together our hearts as a couple, and we were engaged this spring
and are to be married in Colorado this August 2nd.
So What’s Next
This
rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows has definitely deepened our prayer
lives, focusing us on what God has for us as a missionary couple. With England
out of the picture due to the closing of the AIM base there, we began to pray
about whether God would open doors for us to lead and serve in South Africa.
Initially we thought yes, but then through prayer and the wise counsel of
family and veteran missionary couples, the advice seems to unanimously be to
build and guard our marriage during our first year, and this would be difficult
to do with the rigors of a demanding overseas leadership position.
Missions In The Next Season Of
Life
AIM’s
home office is located in Gainesville, GA (north Atlanta suburb) and they have
offered both Chad and I the opportunity to minister and serve through some key
assignments that would allow us to live and work primarily in the Gainesville
area this next year. This is still a developing job description but it would
include some assignments such as:
- Continued
development and working with the Ambassador Program, a short-term
one-month mission trip program for 16-18 year-olds - Provide
leadership and instruction for various missionary training camps including
the Ambassador, Real Life, and First Year Missionary Programs - Travel and lead
some short term international AIM trips in the spring and summer of 2009 - Speak, lead
worship, and provide missions education for churches in the Atlanta area
Committed To The Call
God
has brought much into our lives this past year. For that we say “YEA God”. We
haven’t and don’t understand all God is doing, but one thing we are sure of –
WE are committed to the call!
The
great missionary mandate found in Acts 1:8 says,
“But when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you, you will receive power and will tell the people about me
everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.”
We
are prayerfully content that in being committed to the call that God is leading
us to minister via Jerusalem for the next phase of our missions journey.
One
thing remains constant for a faith based missionary, whether single or married.
We do not draw a paycheck from a ministry organization and rely upon God bringing
financial and ministry partners alongside us.
Chad
and I have both been blessed individually with a wonderful team of prayer
partners and financial supporters. We hope that you will prayerfully consider
continuing your support of us during this next year of ministry and as we serve
together as a couple.
As
a married couple our financial needs and monthly support goal is $3,380 per
month for the next year. This amount covers our organizational fees, taxes,
social security, health insurance, and what we would live on each month.
It
is through your generosity and monthly or one time gifts that we are able to
take the love and message of Christ “everywhere . . . and to the ends of the
earth.”
We
would love to hear from you if we can answer any questions related to our
ministry or your support thereof.
Be
Blessed,
Heather and Chad
