God calls pastors and missionaries to reach, love, serve, and build people at home and abroad, but who serves these pastors and missionaries? By God’s grace, we all do—together. His continued grace through you keeps us going.
Thank you for praying and giving to make possible our trip to Australia and New Zealand. In a blur of twelve action-packed days, we served three godly missionary families and their churches:
• Nick and Beth Watt in Wanganui, which is on the Western Coast of the north island of New Zealand
• Andrew and Laura Steers in Devonport, Tasmania, which is off the Southern Coast of Australia
• Ron and Laura Back in Warragul, which is in Baw Baw Shire, about an hour east of Melbourne
God’s direction and blessings were evident and especially appreciated because Lana was able to join me this time.
• Journey mercies: Seven flights with connections and many incident-free miles driven
• Health: No sickness, even with such a varied diet, lost sleep, and jet lag
• Amazing blend of full schedules: With every missionary, much accomplished in a short time
• Spiritual fruit: Preaching, teaching, soul winning, and visiting members and others—God blessed
You’d love to see the enthusiasm, dedication, and spirit of the missionaries. You’d be overwhelmed to see how God prepared each family to serve right where they are. You’d be convicted to sense their love and burden for those they serve and the people yet to be reached. You’d be challenged to see how God has given each of them a vision and open doors to break through barriers. And you’d be motivated by their focus on the Great Commission, preaching the Gospel to the lost and building believers.
Meanwhile, “back at the ranch,” the Lord’s essential blessings sustain the home-front work.
• Ongoing help with missionary medical, marriage, family, financial, and ministry concerns
• Teaching and finishing the medical course at Hyles-Anderson College and the church-planting course at the Spanish Hammond Bible Institute of First Baptist Church
• Helping a supporting church plan a trip to visit and work with one of their missionary families
Praying and knocking doors to reach people here with the Gospel, so far this month, a grandmother in Hammond, overwhelmed with care, and a young man in Illinois trusted Christ as their Saviour.
Please pray for plans and preparations for an unusual trip to serve pastors and Bible college students in Malawi sometime this summer and for God’s direction regarding other trips. I’m praying that He would further bless the Malawi trip with open doors to help other isolated missionaries and national pastors around the world.
With much gratitude for your faithful prayers and financial support,
Dan and Lana Siemer