June 2012 Ministry Update

Ethan returned June 16 from Athens, Greece where he was teaching for ten days recently. Here is an update from him:

Et I had a great teaching trip to Athens, Greece this month teaching Biblical Theology to Romanian Pastors and Leaders. What are Romanians doing in Athens? Thousands work here in the construction industry, just as they do all over Europe.  There are several large Romanian congregations, and we had people from four of them.   In front is David Kern, my teaching Partner. The boys in front came with their dads every night (there were usually four of them).  We gave them curriculum books just like the others and they followed along intensely for four hours a night!! Wow, what is God going to do with those boys? This was my first as an official TLI staff member, and I want to say Thank You so much for being one of our financial supporters. I told my students the first night that I am able to come and serve them because of a team of supporters who send me. I join the students in saying “Thank You” for sending me to serve!

Our team in Minneapolis before the trip. Our team taught 5 different groups: Romanians, Albanians, Farsi speakers from sensitive nations, Arabic speakers from nations in Africa and the Middle East, and a group of English speakers from Africa and the Phillipines; a dozen or so nations in all!  Most of our students were extremely well read in the Scripture but few had ever seen or studied the themes of the Bible in a macroscopic view, or the story of the Bible from start to finish. So, the Biblical Theology curriculum was very exciting and helpful for them in understanding Scripture as whole. All in all, the trip was very intense, and the teaching both challenging and fruitful. For me it is a taste of things to come and I am so amazed that God has given me the opportunity to serve with TLI! TLI staff & wives in Colorado Springs. Speaking of TLI, and amazing, I had a great staff meeting in Colorado Springs! I can't say enough how thankful I am to work in such a well organized ministry with such smart and experienced guys. I love their passion for the Lord and His glory in our lives, ministry, and in the nations! Despite my jump directly from Athens to Colorado, I didn't really jet lag. Thanks for your prayers!! We had three intense days working through a lot of planning and decisions. One of the decisions was for TLI to co-locate our staff in one city… but we are not yet sure if that will be Minneapolis or Colorado Springs. That will be settled in October. Either way, we will be moving, probably next spring. We also planned most of our TLI trips for the coming year and I will be heading to Kenya in November, Greece again in January, then some locations in South Asia. It will be a busy year, and I am very excited to get in the field and teach, as well as start writing curriculum! Job # 1 Now that I am back from Greece I am back on the support raising trail! I will be meeting with many in the local area, and will probably take a trip out west again as well. Please pray that we can get our budget raised by this fall and begin teaching and traveling. Prayer for this month:  1. Praise God for the good trip to Greece, and pray for the pastors we trained as they serve Him in that city! 2. Praise God for the ministry of TLI and a great staff meeting. The needs and vision continue to grow which is exciting and sometimes overwhelming. We have more opportunites than we can serve, and we need wisdom to serve well.    TLI needs 200+ pastors and students to travel as volunteer teachers next year.    TLI needs 12 additional staff    TLI needs at least 10 fulltime missionaries to staff positions at schools in Africa.    3. Pray for my family as we wait to hear where TLI, and our family will be moving. We will have to make some housing decisions so please pray for wisdom here. 4. Pray for our family as we enter a season of change. It is exciting and we know God is leading us to green pastures! Pray for us to lean on and rejoice in the Lord, and lead our children joyfully and faithfully in this transition. 5. Pray for our support raising efforts and that God would bring all He calls, to partner with us!