March 11 — Jody Collinge

Malawi Ministry

1. We have been collecting stories of the impact of Children's CHE in different countries. Rhodess and Janet from Malawi wrote, "Before we received CHE training, we would not value our children. In many ways, culturally, we would think to wait for them to grow up and start trusting them. After CHE training, we saw that our children are also more important and to start now trusting them because they can also bring a change many lives in the society. Now we are teaching them to reach their friends and families. Good things are happening that these children are changing their families holistically." Thank God for how He is working!

Pray that we may also develop strong ministries of CHE with Youth. Please pray that the children and youth may continue to grow in Christ and reach out to their families and friends. Pray that we can work with and encourage CHE trainers and leaders around the world, and give strong follow-up to those who have received CHE training.

2. I also enjoy our Zihuatanejo children's ministries, especially when they surprise me with a birthday celebration! Pray that their families may come to know Christ.

3. Our online Bible study of Women of the New Testament is going well and will finish in a few weeks. In April, we will begin a new study of Foolish Decisions of the Bible. Let me know if you would like to join us. Pray that we may learn how to not to repeat their mistakes! In the meantime, I am starting to write a new study of Children of the Bible.

4. My apartment is getting emptier as I downsize! Thank God for providing good homes for the books, Greek books, medical books, household supplies, furniture, and clothes. And thanks to all the friends who are helping. In late March, I will be moving to the cabin at the Christian Health Service Corps base in Texas, and will spend part of the year in Texas and part of the year in Zihuatanejo (in addition to my other wanderings). Pray for the Lord's help with all the practical details. Pray that I may be able to take part in and encourage ministries in both Zihuatanejo and Texas.

¡Muchas gracias! Thank God for his protection and care. And many thanks to you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! Let me know how I can be praying for you. Dios les bendiga.
(May God bless you.)
Jody

March 10 — International Friendships, Inc.

International Friends Incorporated hosted a sledding event at Mendon Ponds Park that attracted more than 30 students and about a dozen volunteers for what seemed like the best day of sledding in Rochester this year. All of the students tried their hand at sledding and some were very adventurous, going down the hill many times and even trying their luck flying over ramps at the top and bottom of the hill. About 15 of them enjoyed chaining multiple sleds together and snaking their way down the hill.

These students are all eager for conversation and to learn more about our culture and opportunities in the US. It seems that they are all interested in learning about Christianity and discussing their own beliefs, some more than others. The mission of IFI is “to extend life-changing hospitality and friendship to international students out of reverence for Jesus.” This focus opens many doors for sharing the Gospel with young people who have not heard it before, including many Fulbright scholars who will return to their home countries and assume significant leadership roles. IFI volunteers provide hospitality in many forms: to and from airports, to and from supermarkets, helping students earn their driver’s licenses, hosting meals. Many international students participate in small group Bible studies. Young Christians in IFI are also given opportunities to serve and lead on the RIT campus.

Mason Pell (m.pell@ifiusa.org) is the IFI campus representative at RIT. You can learn more about IFI by visiting the IFI Partners website (https://www.ifipartners.org/). Please talk with Dave Beinetti or Paul Craig if you would like to attend an IFI event, host an IFI guest for a meal.

Please continue to pray for IFI

• That more international students would attend IFI events and that we would see five international students decide to follow Jesus

• That the IFI team, which is classified as a club at RIT,  would have effective communication with the Campus Life office at RIT, and especially that they would receive prompt responses to their emails and phone calls.

• For new students to serve in officer roles in the club on the RIT campus

March 4 — 441 Ministries

Hey, Grace Church!

Here are some prayerful and practical ways you can help 441 Ministries in this season:

Spring Cleaning/Maintenance Projects
I could really use some help with a number of projects around the properties in the next month. We need volunteers to replace some gutters, move old appliances to the trash, clear out and organize our basement, etc. We also need some handy folks willing to help us refresh TWO apartments - that might include drywall, painting, carpeting, cleaning, etc. These could be perfect projects for a small group to tackle in an evening or over a weekend. Anyone that is interested can contact me directly and I can coordinate project days!

Volunteer Orientations
We are going to offer monthly volunteer orientations so people can learn more about 441 and find ways to serve. These last about an hour and a half, and we'll try to offer zoom options as well.

We have an extensive list of volunteer serving areas, and a sign-up page for folks to register for an upcoming volunteer orientation here. We'll keep the dates updated for future orientations!

https://www.441ministries.org/get-involved

Kids Camp
We are looking forward to the return of Kids Camp this summer, and we are actively recruiting volunteers. We need folks interested in committing one day a week during the summer to come down to the neighborhood and help us run Kids Camp (the program is 11 am to 1 pm, but volunteers are there from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm). We'll have some info meetings soon, as well as training. Anyone that is interested can sign-up for a volunteer orientation or contact me directly and I can keep them on the communication list.

Cafe Operations Director
We are hoping to hire a new supervisor for New City Cafe that would focus on the operations side of things. If you know of anyone that might be a good fit and interested, have them check out the job description and apply here:

https://www.441ministries.org/cafe-operations-job-description

Volunteer Orientation at YOUR Church
If it's helpful, I'm always willing to visit you to provide an update on the ministry and help people figure out ways they can get involved. I can bring along Jaime, our new Mentorship and Teen Outreach Director to share about what's happening there and how people can get involved with teens and mentoring! Just let me know if that interests you.

Please share with those who might be interested in getting more involved. Thank you!

Joshua Horn
Executive Director for 441 Ministries

February 26 — Matt & Jenn Irvine

Friends, thanks for your faithful partnership in Jesus financially and through prayer. You all are very much part of all that we are thankful for below. You are part of the small gatherings like this happening in the ministry we get to be part of. This is all a foretaste of the truly here, but not yet fully here, Kingdom of God. 

In November, for the first time, our church gathered in a joint "Giving Thanks" worship service with a Sri Lankan Tamil church that meets in our building in the afternoon. What a joy it was to sing in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil.

What a joy it was to hear the pastor of the Tamil church tell how he came to follow Jesus from a another faith background 30 years ago; he was an immigrant in Paris and had a substantial health issue. A Jesus-following friend was trying to share the Gospel with him and he wanted nothing to do with it. But the friend told him where some Sri Lankan Jesus Followers gathered to worship and in a low moment of need he went there and while he watched the worship from a distance he experienced a sudden healing that made him realise the uniqueness of Jesus. Now he is a lay pastor in London and his son and daughter-in-law help to lead worship at our church and his church. 

What a joy it was (during an open time where people could "give thanks") to hear really concrete ways in which God is at work, including a few others wanting to give spontaneous testimony to the joy of knowing Jesus. 

What a joy it was to hear a British Sri Lankan preacher-in-training share a brief devotional from 1 Thess 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." He reminded us that our present ability to give thanks even in very troubling circumstances is rooted in God's past faithfulness and future promises. Amen!

Was this a "friendsgiving"? Was it a "family thanksgiving'? Was it a little taste of Revelation 7? Yes and Yes and Yes.

A few from our team/church went to a British church planters gathering that we are praying about linking up with. It was such an encouraging day. Pray for wisdom and direction. 

One of the things we do is offer training to different groups who want to get classroom and hands-on experience in cross-cultural outreach. We have done this for Operation Mobilisation groups and recently for a wonderful team of YWAM-ers who are all preparing to go to places of "frontier mission." Pray for the Lord to lead this group. 

In His Love,

Matt & Jenn and the fam

February 4 — Max & Samantha Herbert

Dear Grace Family,

Thank you so much for your continued encouragement and support! Here are some updates and things we would love prayer for.

We are starting up our spring semester this week with our first YL Club of the new year. Would you pray that our room would be full of teens and that they would experience the love of Christ?

Our volunteer leadership team is growing! We are so excited to add a few new members. Would you pray for our volunteers who give of their time to build relationships and share the Gospel? My hope is that our team will grow closer to Christ as they minister to our teens.

Our Jr High ministry, Wyldlife, is really starting to take off. Would you pray that as that ministry grows we would be able to increase that volunteer base? That club meets monthly at this point, but if we can increase the number of volunteers, we could increase the frequency of those meetings.

Our budget is always an area that could use prayer. We have a fundraiser coming up in March; our hope is that it will be a great opportunity to highlight what the Lord is doing through this ministry as well as financially support the area.

Thanks so much for all that you are doing to come alongside us!

For Christ and kids,
Max and Sam

December 31 — Souls Winning Ministries

A BIG thank you to Grace Church from Martin Hawley and the folks at Souls Winning Ministries’ New Joy House Orphanage for the generous special offering of $5446.59! 

View a video message recorded of thanks to the folks at Grace who provided for their Christmas meal and celebration and have helped them this past year.

A few photos of the kids of the orphanage…

Jacmel Seminary Update
The 22 Jacmel Seminary Students are finishing up their curriculum.

Samuel Charles, one of the students, president of the class committee, got married on 12/28/24. He made all the clothing himself! He is teaching tailoring to kids there. A new group of students will start after the current group finishes. 

Here is a link to the latest Reformation Hope newsletter.  

Prayer requests:
1. Praise for the safety of the kids in the orphanage in Marin, and pray for ongoing safety for all those associate with the various ministries.
2. Prayer for a stable government to emerge able to restore security and stability in the country.
3. Prayer for the Jacmel seminary and church under Maxito Raphael’s leadership.
4. Prayer for the development of the 2 other seminary sites, in Hinche and Cap Haitien. 
5. Pray for direction from the Lord for Osseille’s future ministry.

December 17 — Max & Samantha Herbert

Dear Grace Church Family, 

      As we reflect on this past year of ministry we are so grateful for all of the ways that we have seen and experienced God's faithfulness!  What a blessing it is to be able to share the love of Christ with teens in our community and see God at work in their hearts.  Thank you for partnering with us, you have been such a blessing to our family.  

      We have officially wrapped up our meetings for the year and will take a break from club until February.  Even though we will not be officially meeting in January we will still have some events to keep the kids together.  We will have a night out ice skating, a hot cocoa party, and of course leaders will still continue to spend time with kids.  

     We would love prayer for our leaders, kids, and our family as we continue to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ. 

     Specifically for the ministry we would love prayer for continued growth in depth and in number for our teens.  We would love prayer for an increase in volunteers so that we can expand our reach into surrounding towns.  We would also love prayer for greater involvement from adults in our community, for adults to jump in with us on committee and also for our donor base to grow. 

     For our family we would love prayer that we would draw close to each other in this season and that we would draw close to Christ.  We are planning a trip out to visit relatives in Arizona and would appreciate prayers for safe travel during that time.  

    Thank you so much for all that you do to walk along side us and support this mission of sharing Christ's love with teens on the West Side! 

For Christ and kids, 
Max and Sam Herbert

December 10 — Jody Collinge

November 30, 2024

Travels:
November 18- December 3: To Syracuse and Rochester, NY

December 4-19 To Kenya

Prayer and Praise:

1. We have much to give thanks for! First of all, I thank the Lord that he is good and his steadfast love endures forever. Thank God for all he is doing in Zihuatanejo, Kenya, and around the world. I thank God for my friends and family, and for their gracious hospitality in New York. Thank the Lord that he will guide us and protect us in our travels in Kenya. And I thank God for you--for your prayers, your support, your encouragement, and your friendship.

2. I have enjoyed visiting Syracuse and Rochester, New York--visiting friends, family, and a few churches. Thank God for your warm fellowship and ample food. (I will have to roll onto the airplane.)

3. Next stop: Kenya (Dios mediante). We will visit several ministries where Jo and Ben Kijabe have been working. Jo, Ben, Sammy, Simon and I have worked together for several years, both online and in person. Jenna and Guido Schmid will be sharing about disability ministries. We will be visiting several ministries--near Nairobi, in Nakuru, and near Narok (see the map). And the Bridge Ministry of Kenya has invited us to train their leaders in CHE/ Children's CHE/ and CHE with Youth, as well as GameLife training. Praise God for all he is doing in Kenya! Please pray that the Lord will oversee all of this--our travels around Kenya, building relationships, developing a vision for disability ministries, visiting the Kenya ministries, and our training and outreach with Bridge Ministries and GameLife. Here are some images of Jo's ministries in Kenya:

4. Finally, I thank God that we have finished the first part of the Women of the New Testament online Bible study. We will be starting again in January with Part Two. I hope you will join us! Let me know if you are interested.

¡Muchas gracias!

I thank God for each of you. Let me know how I can be praying for you.

Dios les bendiga. (May God bless you.)

Jody

November 26 — International Friendships, Inc.

The mission of International Friends Incorporated is “To extend life-changing hospitality and friendship to international students out of reverence for Jesus.” This focus on service to the international community opens many doors for sharing the Gospel with young people who have never heard it before, including many Fulbright scholars who will return to their home countries and assume significant leadership roles. Most of the international students on the RIT campus are in graduate programs, so these are often young men and women in the twenties and early thirties, a different demographic than most other campus groups. The IFI program also provides support to young Christians from around the world who come to RIT to study. IFI volunteers provide hospitality in many forms: greeting new students as they arrive at the airport in Rochester for the first time, offering rides to the supermarket, helping students earn their drivers licenses, hosting them for meals. Many international students participate in small group Bible studies. Young Christians in IFI are given opportunities to serve and lead on the RIT campus. 

Mason Pell (m.pell@ifiusa.org) is the IFI campus representative at RIT. He organizes the Bible studies and other IFI small groups at RIT. He also provides IFI supporters with opportunities to meet and host international students while they are studying at RIT. You can learn more about IFI by watching this video (https://youtu.be/ebIyZkToFN8?si=_XolkD3H2HYMZOAf) or visiting the IFI Partners website (https://www.ifipartners.org/). 

Would you like to attend an IFI event to learn more about their activities? Would you like to host an IFI guest for a meal at Christmas or Easter?  Are you interested in teaching someone how to drive? Please talk with Dave Beinetti or Paul Craig and we can help you connect with IFI. 

Please continue to pray for IFI

• That the IFI team, which is classified as a club at RIT,  would have effective communication with the Campus Life office at RIT, and especially that they would receive prompt responses to their emails and phone calls.

• That more international students would attend IFI events and desire to follow Jesus

• That the international students will find companionship while they are studying at RIT, especially during the breaks and holiday times.

November 5 — Max & Sam Herbert

Dear Grace Family, 

Thanks so much for all that you do to support us!  We have had a great semester of ministry and we are looking forward to finishing strong!  We are so grateful to see a new young crop of students in both our High School and our Junior High clubs.  Connecting with new students both in club and at the school has been such a joy for our team.  We would love prayer for:  

    1. For increased opportunities at the schools for our leaders to connect with students. 

    2. For our clubs to continue to grow in depth as we share the Gospel. 

    3. For an increase in support, we are trying to raise an additional $10k by the end of December so that we can end the year in a positive cash position. 

    4. For health for our family, we have had some struggles over the past couple of weeks. 

    5. That our family would continue to grow closer to each other and to Christ. 

For Christ and kids, 
Max and Sam

October 29 — Matt & Jenn Irvine

Family Corner (First this time, with Ministry Praise & Prayer to follow below):

The Lord is always answering prayers, but the title of this update relates to some recent and very dramatically answered prayers on the family side of things that have been a deep encouragement to us, and we want to share that encouragement with you. (It's not "life or death" stuff, but it's still very real for our family.) You know, there are times when the answers are just so clear that we need to stop and mark it in an "Ebenezer Stone-like" way. And so, we are going to lean into a "family story" this time around because it has been deeply encouraging to us. 

As of 21st August, quite unexpectedly, both Malachi (20) & Arielle (18) found themselves facing pretty big unexpected complications that could have meant disorientating changes in their immediate plans. Long stories short, Malachi found himself needing to change "majors" at Edinburgh (something that is very tricky to do in the UK), and Arielle - though thrilled to have heard of her acceptance at Durham University the week before - found herself strangely with no offer of promised student housing and thus contemplating the need to take an unexpected gap year.

Three long, long, long, long weeks went by. Many people prayed. We meant to write to this bigger loop but just didn't manage it. The complications weren't going away. We were wondering if the Lord was prompting big changes? Would both kids be home in the Autumn? It was difficult to wait on many levels.

We were feeling pretty weak and needy. Lord, what are you doing? We found some encouragement in these words: "Jesus's prayer life is driven by his experience of sonship. As a son, he can do nothing on his own. He is the most dependent human being who ever lived. All too often, Christians see prayer through the lens of discipline, as in, "If I were more disciplined, I'd pray more." But dependence, not discipline drives Jesus's prayer life....Luke's emphasis on Jesus' exterior prayer life, combined with John's focus on Jesus' interior dependence on his Father, gives us a remarkably coherent picture of what it is to be human."  [emphasis added], Paul Miller's _A Praying Church_ p. 124-125.

It was encouraging to be reminded that uncertainties that just felt so destabilizing and that - amongst other things - was helping us to be more truly human through prayerful dependence. Nothing new. Perhaps another way to re-state Romans 5:1-5. But just an encouraging way to think about it. And so counterintuitive. (Even as I type this I'm thinking how quickly this sort of perspective leaks out of me). 

And maybe the result of this could have been a loving "No!" God would still have been good. But on 10th September a pathway to a new major opened to Malachi (and to a major he'd already been considering before the complications, but had hesitated to pull the trigger on) and on 12th September Arielle was granted housing at the 11th hour (after a gracious intervention by a senior administrator). Both are thrilled. We are feeling pretty thankful. The Lord is merciful.

A brief attempt to capture some of this just doesn't do the actual story justice. Just know - WE. ARE. THANKFUL. AND. ENCOURAGED. BY. THE. LORD'S. GRACIOUS. ANSWER. IN. THIS. SITUATION.

Pray for Malachi and Arielle in their new steps and Jenn and Luke and me as we settle in to "3" at home as it were. Luke is starting the equivalent of USA 9th grade (UK 10)! A strange mixture of happy and sad. Many of you will know what this is like. Pray for good new rhythms for all of us. Pray for more daily prayer-ful dependence.

Ministry Praise & Prayer

1. Please continue to pray for the autumn ministries starting up. We are seeing the Lord open doors even as we continue to walk by faith as a small church plant who has endured much transition! The Lord continues to enable us to be a fruitful and frontline loving and witnessing presence in  NW London’s diverse religious context and we are so grateful for this. Praise God. 

2. In addition to regularly getting to share the gospel with unbelievers on the street and in our local networks, we do see a small stream of visitors attending various outreach events and sometimes our weekly worship meeting.  What an honor to be able to share the good news of Jesus with friends who really have never heard it. We are praying for a special outreach event on the 27 October (Celebration of The Light): https://www.nlss.org.uk/events. Would you please pray for these outreaches?

3. Toward the end of encouraging church planting that is culturally appropriate in diverse largely South Asian contexts,  we are playing a role in organizing this conference coming up on 18/19 October: https://www.advanceinitiative.org/london2024

Please pray for the Lord to use this.

4. Please continue to pray for the Lord to bring more committed followers of Jesus to help the church plant to grow and sustain these great ministry opportunities and to exercise good servant leadership. Pray for the existing committed leaders to be sustained as they pour out in so many ways and so sacrificially.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and partnership! 

with love in the Lord from all of us,

Matt for Jenn and the fam

October 22 — 441 Ministries

Entertainment and Notoriety

If you were to ask me the dominant idols of this moment, those would be my answers. It so often seems to me like the driving force of so much of this cultural moment is driven by boredom and a perceived need to be known.

I think it’s at the forefront of my generation, with our Netflix binges and desperate attempts to build legacies. And I think these impulses grow stronger with each subsequent generation. It fuels restlessness and discontent. It fuels car thefts by teenagers (the thrill of the event and the celebration on social media platforms like Tik Tok). It fuels so much of the tension and violence that can seem so senseless.

My favorite word these days is reconciliation. It captures every dimension of the Gospel’s work. Salvation is reconciliation with God. Community is reconciliation with others. A right identity is reconciliation with myself. And whole health and flourishing is our reconciliation with the rest of creation. And this need for entertainment and notoriety, at its root, is about a brokenness in these fundamental relationships. When we live without purpose and without the missional understanding of our relationship with God, others, ourselves, and creation, we will chase what we need to pass the time and find cheap, short-term satisfaction. When we live without the understanding that we are most fully known and loved by God, and have a place within his body and people through the reconciling work of Christ, we will chase whatever fleeting fame we can find.

I’m so excited and encouraged by what’s next for the ministry, especially as we develop and grow our apprenticeship and mentorship program at the Cafe and relaunch teen outreach. At the core of everything we do will be this drive to share the reconciling power of the Gospel of Christ!

Please pray with us for:

• Strong fall/winter fundraising

• Good connections for Jaime Soto and his volunteers with neighborhood teens

• Progress in bringing the New City Cafe toward profitability

• Guidance and wisdom for the Board for best use of the old Laundromat space

October 15 — Jody Collinge

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 
-Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)

Travels: (Dios mediante)
September 20 to 28: To Seoul, South Korea
September 30: Back to Zihuatanejo

Prayer and Praise:

1. This has been a wonderful relaxing summer in the new cabin at the base of the Christian Health Service Corpsin Grand Saline, Texas! And the cabin is finally finished! Thanks to each of you who have helped out. But there have been some adventures ...

2. Mowgli, our very friendly black community cat, returned from his roaming, looking sick. When I tried to help him, he bit me and died shortly later. Thank God that my thumb seems to be healed. And we have been adopted by another community cat. What would you name him? Mufasa? Mostaza? Mozzarella?

3. This Friday I head to Seoul, South Korean for the Fourth International Congress on World Evangelization. This is the fourth in a series of world congresses, beginning in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland. About 5000 people from nations worldwide will attend the congress, along with another 5000 online. Please pray for:

• That people of many nations, cultures, languages and races may unite together in strong fellowship

• For new and renewed friendships

• For many connections and a continuing effort to work together

• For strong teaching and new ideas to put into practice

• That the gospel will penetrate every people group and that we may be faithful as we "go and make disciples"

• For safety in travel

4. After returning from Seoul, I look forward to heading back to Zihuatanejo! Please be praying for:

• A joyful transition back to Mexico

• For renewal of community ministries

• For God's direction for our church

• For wisdom for me--how shall I divide my time between Mexico and Texas

5. On October 1st, our online Bible study will begin again. We will meet on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm Central time. I hope you can come! Write to me if you are interested.

¡Muchas gracias!
Thank God for his faithfulness!

And thanks to you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! Let me know how I can be praying for you.

With love,
Jody

September 17 — Max & Samantha Herbert

Dear Grace Church, 

Thanks so much for all of your support; we are so grateful for all that you do to partner with us in reaching teens and their families!  We have had a full summer and are off to a great start to the school year.  

In June, I had the opportunity to share the Gospel at Saranac, serving as the camp speaker for the first two weeks of camping.  What an incredible joy to be able to experience the Lord at work.  Each week held about 400 teens so I was pretty nervous, I had to keep reminding myself that it was not about me but it was about the Holy Spirit at work!  We are grateful for that experience as a family, and it is a memory we will treasure. 

In July, we had two camp trips, one with high school students and the other with junior high students. Both trips were to Saranac, and again, it was such a joy to see the Lord bring teens from death to life!  One young lady on our junior high trip was our neighbor, Skylar.  She has been friends with our daughter Madi for years, and she is like a third daughter to us.  This year at camp, she gave her life to Christ!  Watching her continue to grow in her faith has been such a gift.  We bought her a Bible, which she has been using, and her family is attending church with us.  

We have been running Campaigners so far this Fall. At Campaigners, we take a deeper dive into the Bible, as opposed to Club, which is more of an introductory message. We have been focusing on "being a good neighbor" to those we interact with. My hope is that when we start Club in a couple of weeks, our Campaigner kids will use that as an opportunity to reflect the love of Christ to their peers. 

Thanks again for holding us up in prayer, helping us meet our financial needs, and cheering us on!  

For Christ and kids, 
Max and Samantha Herbert

August 27 — Jody Collinge

1. The missionary house at the Christian Health Service Corps base (near Dallas) is nearly completed, and I will be living there part of the year. Thanks to all my friends who helped with the construction, plans, and furnishing of the cabin. Pray that the cabin may be a blessing to many missionary families.

2. I am feeling completely spoiled! There is a dryer! And a dishwasher (though I haven't used that yet). And cabinets and drawers! Praise God for his bountiful provision.

3. At CHSC, we recently finished a board meeting and an orientation for new medical missionaries. With their kids, we explored the property—mostly hiking through the woods and fields but one day exploring in the Polaris. I also helped teach one day of CHE (or community health evangelism) and a bit of tropical medicine. Thank God for the new group of medical missionaries! Pray for the new mission hospital that will open in Honduras.

4. Praise God for the audio Bibles distributed in remote areas of Kenya. Many people do not read or write and are hungry to hear God's Word. Jo reports, "They said it is the best gift they have ever received." The need for audio Bibles is great, and they are received with great joy. Pray for the ongoing fruitfulness of this ministry. 

Please be praying:

1. Please pray for the CHE traing that will be given in Malawi soon. Pray that the new ideas will be well received. I will not go this time, since Sammy and Jo can do it well. Please be praying for them.

2. We have been asked to give a Children's CHE training with the Tarahumara people near Samachique, Mexico. Please pray for God's direction as we plan this.

3. Please pray for the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization to be held in South Korea in September. I am getting excited! Pray that this will be a time of strong fellowship with people from all over the globe. Pray that we may be encouraged and equipped to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:18-20

¡Muchas gracias!
Thank God that He is sovereign and powerful in all these ways.

Thanks to you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! Let me know how I can pray for you.

Much love to you,
Jody

August 6 — Souls Winning Ministries

 Here is a link to the Reformation Hope 7/29/24 update of the work in Haiti:

The Seminary in Jacmel is going strong. It just finished another week of teaching for 23 students, many of them pastors around the south of Haiti.

We just sent them their own printer and spiral binder-making supplies so they can print Seminary Materials themselves.

Pray for clarity for Osseille Joseph about planning for the future. We submitted an application to USCIS for him and his family to come to the US, but it is pending after 17 months.

Pray for Wisnel, his home and belongings were taken by gangs. He moved to Mirebalais and is supporting a lot of local kids who are hungry and unable to go to school.

Pray for Ancelotti’s life direction once finishing law school. He has a friend who has a terrible case of Lupus and not finding treatment,

Pray for the kids of the New Joy House orphanage, their physical safety, that school starts, and they learn, for their spiritual nurturing and growth.

July 16 — Max & Sam Herbert

Here are a few ways we can be praying for Max & Sam Herbert, serving teens through YoungLife on the west side of Rochester.  

1.  Please pray for our camp trip with HS students July 15-20 and MS students July 27-31.  Both trips will be at Saranac.  Please pray for students that the Lord would use these trips to bring many students from death to life. 

  2. Please pray for our annual golf tournament fundraiser taking place July 22nd at Ridgemont Country Club.  We pray that this tournament would glorify God and that we would be able to raise the support needed to meet our operating budget. 

Thank you so much for all of your love and support over so many years.  We are so grateful to be in this mission with you!

For Christ and kids, 
Max and Sam Herbert

July 9 — Jody Collinge

Travels:
June 19 - To CHSC, near Dallas, for a board meeting and orientation of new medical missionaries
July 25 to August 5 - To Malawi?

Prayer and Praise:

1. Praise God that the International Wholistic Missions Conference and our Children's CHE/GameLife pre-conference went well. Thanks to all the speakers and all the organizers who worked hard on this.

2. We also had an enjoyable CHE Service Team retreat in the mountains of Arizona after that.

3. Greyson and Ruth have an amazing ministry in Malawi, rescuing 18 orphan children. They have asked us to give community health evangelism training to enhance their ministry. But Malawi is hard to get to, and costs are high, so we have struggled to meet the budget. Josephine and Sammy (and perhaps Rhodessa) may lead the training instead of me going. Please be praying.

4. Josephine has been coordinating the Kenya flood relief and also worked with the audio Bibles. She has marvelous ministry, working with women, children, and families with CHE ministries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and several other countries. Jo and Ben also raise cows as a way to support their family and feed their neighbors. I thank God for Jo and Ben and their ministries!

5. Sammy describes his ministry: "Thank you for support in expanding God's kingdom in this part of the world. Because of your support the following major ministries milestones have been achieved as of today. In March, over 50 pastors were equipped on effective outreach to muslims here in East Africa. Likewise 50 Sunday school teachers were equipped for ministry and over 100 kids reached out for Christ. I could go on and on, but for now, I want to say a Big Thank You to God FOR YOU for obeying the call of God in your life and letting God use you in a special way."

6. Simon, who is living in the Kamuli district of Eastern Uganda and is married with four children, is serving God in Uganda in the hard-to-reach areas of Karamoja, Patongo, and around Lake Victoria, doing community health empowerment, Farming God's Way, stewardship training and Foundations of Faith training for local missionaries.
Simon is a key part of our Africa CHE teams, but he won't be traveling to Malawi this time. Pray for Simon't healing. He has hip and joint pain, and will be having an orthopedic evaluation and possibly surgery.

Please be praying for each of these ministries. Read more about their ministries at Palm Ministries.

¡Muchas gracias!

Many thanks to God for the gift of his Son. Praise God for the hope we have in Christ.

And thanks to you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! Let me know how I can be praying for you.

With love,
Jody

June 19 — Matt & Jenn Irvine

1. Our friend R (former priest) came on June 9th and gave a wonderful talk. Some new friends from the community came along and were able to hear the gospel. Pray for the seeds that were sown during this time.

2. Our dear friend Ma - a long time leader in our church almost from the beginning - went to be with the Lord on May 29. We were very involved in the week after in organizing several events surrounding the funeral and many friends and family who don't know Jesus were able to hear the good news of the hope we have in Jesus. Pray for the seeds sown and for family and friends who mourn her loss. Pray for our church too as we absorb her loss that the Lord would raise up new labourers to pick up the ministry "batons" she carried so well. She was such an example on so many levels. We praise God for her! 

3. Our friend "D" was baptised yesterday and today found out that he has been offered a fairly permanent job! A number of folk who don't know Jesus were at the baptism service and were able to hear and see the good news play out. Pray for the seeds sown.

4. Thankful that  our mission's leader's gathering went well and my plenary talk was well received. Grateful that Jenn and our daughter were able to join me and the two boys at the last minute for at least half the week!

5. Praying for our upcoming "LEAP Outreach Week" first week of July. We have 100 short term guests from usa coming to participate in training and worship as well as outreach and prayer. May the Lord use it!

6. Praying also for a summer kids club we are running in last July.

7. Grateful for our 2 year apprentice and 2 months summer intern who are with us. Pray for open doors for ministry for them and encouragement as they are far from friends and family.

All for now,

Matt

June 13 — 441 Ministries

- Pray that the community garden and bike clinic would be sources of community and improved health. 

- Pray for our search for a Teen Outreach Director and ministry to youth. 

- Pray for increasing opportunities to share the Gospel and invite those we serve to connect with the local church. 

- Pray for safety and boldness for our 441 Ministries team as we enter summer.

- Praise God that our partner in ministry, New City Fellowship Beechwood, is now a Particular Church, and pray for Pastor Chris and his new church officers.