http://www.lscc.tv/index.htmlLSCC Missions Newsenuser@domain.comCopyright 2011 David Celeskey2012-02-01T10:15:52-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:43:16 -0500user@domain.comSala SpringsUpdates2012-02-01T10:15:52-05:00http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/5becd25417ddf201ca103065ea76cb52-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/5becd25417ddf201ca103065ea76cb52-5.html#unique-entry-id-5I wanted to ask you to be praying for us this month as we have a lot happening with our church ministries. Celebrate Recovery starts its 3rd year tomorrow. We've seen so much change in the people who have been faithful in that program. We see many others who would really benefit if they would commit to it. Pray that those who need to come would. Pray for our leaders. They have been so faithful, but they really have had lots of difficult personal issues to deal with. I can't help but believe that it is a Spiritual attack because of the results we've been having.

We are also starting up small groups for couples again soon. We are having a kickoff dinner for couples with dinner and a movie on February 11 to have them come and hear about the small groups and sign up. Last year's groups were very effective and we saw God use them to really strengthen marriages. We'll also be having a griefshare group start soon and guess who will be leading it? Melissa, who was helping when you worked on the porch will be doing it. You wouldn't recognise her as the same person. She has changed so much! Pray for her to be successful at leading this group. It will be such a good thing for her to succeed at.

When we were in Michigan for Ed's mother's funeral, we connected with his great nephew, who just became a Christian. We had a wonderful opportunity to visit with him and invited him to come out to visit. He's been here about a month now, and he is a very special young man. Pray for Nathan as he seeks God's leading for his life, and pray that we would be faithful in guiding him during the time he has with us.

We also want to lead another Truth Project group. One reason we want to do one now is so that Nathan can experience it. We have a couple in the church who would like to host the group and we would facilitate it, but her father just passed away this week, so that may change their ability to be involved. Pray for this group also and for the right people to be able to participate. We have some Celebrate Recovery people who haven't been through it yet, and would like them to have that opportunity too.

Ed got sick while we were in Michigan, and he is okay now, but still seems to be sensitive to being in cold air. (Not that we've had very much. I feel like we haven't really even had winter yet this year, and it's almost spring!) I'm not complaining. We've enjoyed the warm weather. It was in the 50's today!

The enclosed back porch is such a blessing! It really helps keeping the kitchen warmer and cleaner. I really notice it on Thursday mornings when the men come for breakfast. We've been having 8 most mornings. They don't track in near as much and there's hardly any heat loss as they come in. If I'm using the oven, it's often too warm! So thanks so much for your help with it. I should say thanks from the dogs too. Mari, the yellow lab, knows how to open the door to the porch and so they have all enjoyed their cozy new "dog house."

We don't have any groups scheduled for summer yet. We usually have a couple in the works by now. Pray that those who should come will come.

Tell everyone hello for us.

Love,
Ed & Ann]]>user@domain.comUpdates2012-02-01T10:10:56-05:00http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/697734c111d399e1e07e0a165191e5c8-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/697734c111d399e1e07e0a165191e5c8-4.html#unique-entry-id-4Reports from Danai in Thailand with pics...click here]]>user@domain.comUpdates2012-02-01T10:08:10-05:00http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/a826e015c801f51b696e53f064e7e4ae-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/a826e015c801f51b696e53f064e7e4ae-3.html#unique-entry-id-3Greetings from Papua Indonesia.
We are thankful for safe travel and good start in Papua. The boys have finished their third day of the spring semester (which is actually fall semester, on this side of the equator). Our immigration paperwork is well underway and the process will be completed soon.
Thank you to so many of you who helped us in the last couple weeks. Although we have done it many times before, it doesn't get any easier to get packed up to leave the country.
We are very grateful to be here, to be adjusting and settling in Papua. We heard from Obukain today by two-way radio. They need to cut the grass on the airstrip before a plane can actually land there. Ed plans to go into Obukain when the strip is ready, to clean, repair and prepare the house before Valerie and the twins can come in.
Thank you for praying for us as we traveled. Please continue to pray as we address responsibilities on the coast and head in to Obukain in the near future.
Join us as we thank God for :
Safe arrival with no lost suitcases along the way.
Healthy bodies along the way
Plane trip that went better than we expected with 9-month-old twins.
Please continue to pray for:
Good adjustment for Isaiah and Josiah, as they return to studies at Hillcrest International School.
Ability to complete tasks here on the coast before we head to Obukain.
Good adjustment, especially for the twins as we move to Obukain.

On a side note perhaps, we have stated before, that Valerie and I love winter. Even the feeble winter that Minnesota has seen this year seems especially nice when sweating here near the equator. Now I know that many of you would love to trade in the winter cold for the tropical climate. We are praying that God will call many of you, to do exactly that. Come and join us. The needs are great, but the workers are few.
Grateful to be here.
Thankful for your partnership, and your prayers,
Ed and Valerie]]>user@domain.comMissions Meeting2012-01-10T10:07:22-05:00http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/6348a912ada503f49e9638c70921d3ff-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/6348a912ada503f49e9638c70921d3ff-2.html#unique-entry-id-2The committee met on Jan 10th, 2012 with eight members present.
The meeting was opened in the usual manner with prayer by all in
attendance. We are all grateful to God and the Body at LSCC for your
faithful support of missions. We got many newsletters, and several
"thank you" letters for the Christmas gifts we were able to send. Many
of these are on the missions board across from the main office. Please
take a few moments to familiarize yourself with this information, and
various updates from those you help support. "Voice of the Martyrs" puts
out a monthly magazine concerning how people in other countries suffer
for standing up for Jesus. These are available for you to take and read.
It may be quite an eye opener for some!
Missions will host a local project some time this summer. We will be
encouraging you to participate. More to come!
Cassie Holmes still needs to raise support to work with Gospel for Asia.
Danai Chowwiwat will be leading a team to Thailand in June to finish the
guest housing at Ban Hmongs Hope. If you are interested in helping with
either of these missions, simply mark your check in the memo.
We were able to help the following ministries: ESP Ministries, to help
replace a wrecked vehicle; Rapha House, safe house for girls rescued
from slave trade; North American Christian Convetion, to help with
expenses; Training Christians for Ministry, to make disciples; Cookson
Hills, to help students in a Christian environment.
Sometime in the near future we want to show you a five minute DVD of how
some people react to being able to read God's word in their own
language. We take too much for granted in our country. Thanks from the
Committee for your support!!


]]>user@domain.comMissions Updates2011-12-29T15:16:43-05:00http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/db1fd91884912aaf596c074c7ddeb4b5-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/db1fd91884912aaf596c074c7ddeb4b5-1.html#unique-entry-id-1Greetings and Happy Holidays,
I am requesting volunteer help at the Room at the Inn for the week of January 1-7th. The shelter is being hosted and staffed by Faith in Christ Fellowship Church and they do not have the numbers to fully support staffing the shelter. Faith in Christ has always offered their space to other churches to host, and this is their first try on hosting on their own. Holidays can also be a particularly difficult time to get volunteers.
I spoke with the Faith in Christ Coordinator, Nick Tobin this morning and he reports that he has all his 10-2 and 2-6 shifts open and a few female slots for the intake shift. He also reports that he has one meal that needs to be signed up for.

Many of you have responded to my last email and state that you are interested in volunteering but do not get calls. I would suggest that if you are available to volunteer, and know when you want to work to contact the coordinator that will be scheduling at your available time. The shelter schedule and Coordinator contact information is posted on our website: www.roomattheinn.org <http://www.roomattheinn.org/>

If you are interested in helping out next week at Faith in Christ please contact Nick Tobin: Phone # (805) 444-5075, please call after 2:30pm,

e-mail for Nick is: sk2tobin@yahoo.com

Thank you all for your continued support,

Robin Roy]]>user@domain.comSala Springs2011-12-26T08:44:13-05:00http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/efb855f3bafc6fc78edb24e29bb36e1d-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.lscc.tv/blog/files/efb855f3bafc6fc78edb24e29bb36e1d-0.html#unique-entry-id-0Dear Ones,

It always comes as somewhat of a surprise to me when the year end comes around again so quickly. This year has been a full one, filled with challenges and blessings.

Ed recently had a close friend ask him, “If you could do anything ministry wise that you wanted, what would you do?” and Ed replied that he had been considering that very thing recently. His answer, “I’d want to be where I am, doing what I am!” Truly we are among the most blessed people we know, not because everything is perfect in our lives, but because we are able to be doing what we truly believe God has called us to do.

Glimpses back over the year are glimpses of the people who have filled our lives. We have poured ourselves into people. I see the laughter and tears of our Celebrate Recovery group. I see the tremendous faithfulness of our leadership team, and feel the struggles they face in their own lives, yet they faithfully pour out of their lives into others who have needs. I remember the couples enjoying the dinner and a movie our team put together to kick off our couples ministry, and the great interaction as couples met in small groups and discussed “Love & Respect.” I see hurting and healing in our Griefshare group. My heart warms as I think of the discussions in our Old Testament Sunday School class where so many applications to present day life brought the characters from the Bible into our lives as role models and friends. I think of our kitchen table on Thursday mornings as the men gathered around it pray and partake of God’s Word along with their breakfast. I see their lively discussions, their compassion as they encourage each other in their ministries. I see young people timidly approaching horses at the beginning of the week, and riding proudly down the drive at week’s end. I hear the great Bible lessons my teen leaders prepared for the horsemanship kids, and see the women who transported kids, made treats, or gave a helping hand wherever it was needed. I look at our enclosed back porch and remember our friends who came all the way from Marquette MI to build it. The hay in our barn, reminds me of the friends who helped us put it in. The wall in the barn reminds me of the teens from Virginia working as a team to make it over the top. Our little guest house reminds me of those who enjoyed its comfort and those counseled at its kitchen table. A new roof reminds me of our Amish friends who helped Ed with roofing this summer. As I look across the lawn I recall the grandchildren playing in the kiddy pool on the lawn, riding on the horse, being pulled in the wagon. One of my special memories is of my friend Emily and I as we did chores by flashlight and prayed together each morning before beginning our long day’s ride on the Michigan Shore to Shore trail ride. I think of us singing hymns as we rode along a beautiful river in a beautiful place. I think of the hours Ed has spent on the phone, listening and giving out nuggets of truth to those who have come to respect his honesty and insight.

We praise the Lord for the Thanksgiving Day we were able to spend with our children and grandchildren, welcoming our newest grandson, only days old. We praise the Lord for the comfort of friends and family as we recently gathered at Ed’s mom’s funeral, and the hope, the joy of knowing that eternal life follows physical death. We have this reminder that people are eternal. We have this reminder that so much of what our world admires is not eternal.

Yes, we love what we do. We love investing our lives into others lives. We get tired, and sometimes, we get very tired. There is a lot of physical effort that goes into the farm and all that’s required to keep it going. But really, when the sun comes up again on a new day, and we are able to see God’s power changing lives and know that we have been a little part of that, we are humbly thankful that we can be in this place at this time and do what we do. Thank you Lord. Thanks to you who fill our lives. God bless your Christmas and the new year ahead.
We love you.
Ed & Ann]]>