Working together as God’s fellow-workers

Probably the worst part of every playground or gym class game is choosing teams. Remember waiting around, hoping you would picked to be on a team? Or maybe you were one of those who got picked first, and you were holding your breath, hoping certain people wouldn’t end up on your team. Either way, teammates are important. The success of your team depends on the quality of your teammates and how well you work together.

Teammates in Chile

We are looking forward to teaming up with GMSA missionary church planters David and Kristi Flinck who have been ministering in Antofagasta since 2011. We first met David and Kristi in college, and we’ve kept up with them and how God has used them over the years. We visited them in Chile when they first moved there in 2010, and they’ve visited us in Ohio as they traveled during furloughs. David grew up in Minnesota, and loves golf, books, and photography. Kristi grew up as an MK in Chile, so her Spanish expertise and familiarity with Chilean ways is a great help to the family. Jordan (14), Ben (almost 13), Kaylee (10), and Lukas (6) round out their team. God is using their family, its strengths and its weaknesses, to communicate and share the gospel in Antofagasta.

Teammates in the United States

This week we begin traveling on deputation. Our prayer is that God will unite us with churches and individuals who see that what we desire to do in northern Chile is an extension of their own obedience to Jesus’ great commission. Just as we are making disciples here, pointing unbelievers to faith in Jesus Christ and encouraging believers to obey everything Jesus commands us, we desire to do the same thing in Antofagasta.

This coming Lord’s Day is the official beginning of the deputation process! Our itinerary for the next several weeks looks like this:

Please pray that God would use us to encourage pastors and churches, to represent areas of gospel neediness around the world, and provide our necessary support. We feel pretty overwhelmed when we find ourselves saying “I just don’t know” a lot. We are glad we serve Jesus Christ, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). Below are a few ways you can pray for us this month.

Thank God with us:

• for many meetings already scheduled this fall and winter.
• for several opportunities to meet with and encourage pastors already.
• for our sending church, Westerville Bible Church, which has encouraged and helped us over and over as we begin our deputation adventure.

Pray to God with us:

• for grace, wisdom, and boldness as we minister to churches.
• for God’s provision of churches and individuals to partner with us, seeing us as teammates doing the same ministry in Chile they are doing here.
• for safety and protection as we travel and physical stamina as we continue our full-time jobs through the winter.

This is our September 2015 email update. You can sign up to receive our updates in your inbox here. You can download a printable PDF here.