Friday, November 23, 2012

The Next Step...


Dear Friends and Family,
            Greetings from Australia!  We have been serving here with AuSIL, the local branch of Wycliffe for 2 ½ years. Many of the goals we had before coming to Australia have been accomplished.  We have built relationships here, we have learned (and continue to learn) Kriol.  We have been part of dubbing the Luke DVD into Kriol.  We have also been part of many different Bible study workshops and one song writing workshop.  We have been blessed with an excellent team to work with, and have built lasting friendships with our team members.
            Though we have been able by the Lord’s grace to accomplish much, we feel the Lord leading us in a new direction.  We would like to serve through our local church in Katherine, and be able to teach more than is possible within Wycliffe.  We feel led to begin a youth ministry at our church in Katherine.  The church we have been attending is a new Baptist church plant, and there are many opportunities to serve through the church. 
            Through our time serving with Wycliffe I have noticed something significant.  Older people don’t seem to care as much about coming to church or serving God if they haven’t grown up with it.  The women who have been coming have consistently remembered with smiles the Bible clubs or weekly Bible meetings at their church when they were children.
            As I have observed the children in this area, I can see that they are lost.  The methods being used to reach out to them aren’t overly successful.  There are good beginnings, but there is a lack of consistent outreach for various reasons, with little or no follow-up.  Follow-up is also known as the first step to discipleship.
            The ladies in the church have all agreed; there needs to be more outreach to the youth, and  they have suggested a weekly meeting for the kids.  While serving with Wycliffe, I would not be able to take the lead in this ministry, though the ladies are all grandmothers and either working or too old/sick/busy to carry out this type of ministry on their own.  Wycliffe’s stance is for the indigenous church to take the lead in ministry, not the non-indigenous person to come and take over.  My intent isn’t to take over, but to serve until the time comes when the churches here are able to reach out on their own, training people up who are passionate about reaching the youth.
            Living costs in the Northern Territory are rather high.  As a result of our move and a quadrupled rent price, I looked for a job to help meet the costs we will have.  I have been offered a job working at a motel here in Katherine.  It is a full-time position as a receptionist/manager.  This was an answer to prayer for us.  However, it will also limit our time in ministry. 
            Our hope and tentative plan is to have a sort of youth group meeting fortnightly.  One week in Katherine for the kids there, and the other week in Barunga.  We will do one group in English, and the other group in Kriol.  This would include games, singing with guitar, and then the Bible lesson and prayer.
            Since we will be leaving Wycliffe, our new accountability is our church here, the pastor and elders.  This also means we will no longer be supported through Wycliffe.  We wanted to thank each and every one of you for your faithful prayers and support over the past 5 years we’ve been with Wycliffe.  Each of you have been a blessing to us, and we will not forget your love and sacrifice for our family and the Kingdom. 
            We will be heading back to the States for a brief visit during the school holidays over here, to debrief from our time with Wycliffe as well as see family & friends.   Our tentative schedule is as follows:
            Dec 11-14 Dallas TX, for debriefing from Wycliffe
              Dec 15-18 Austin TX
              Dec 19-24 Phoenix/Tucson AZ
              Dec 24-31 Longmont CO
              Dec 31-Jan 5 Bemidji MN
            Jan 5 –Jared flies back to Australia to begin work at the motel; Cheri and the kids will remain through Jan 21 in MN/IL to visit friends and family.
            Please let us know if you’d like to get together with us while we’re in your area.  We would love the opportunity to reconnect with as many folks as possible.
            Again, for those who have served alongside us through prayer and financial support, thank you so much for joining us in the ministry God gave us, and may the Lord bless you as you continue to serve Him, whether it’s with us or in some other way.  You have been a blessing and we’re grateful for you. 
            If God is leading you to continue with us, please pray for us during this time of transition.  If you would like to give financially, we are currently working out how that can happen.  We will keep you updated through our blog and e-mail, and if you’ve got Facebook… J

                                                Serving Him Together,

                                                            Jared and Cheri,  Alice, Bethany, and Cameron