October 1, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support these last few years. I have been humbled and overwhelmed by your sacrifice and generosity.
Whenever I receive pictures, e-mails, or letters with updates from you, I am refreshed knowing that we are partners in this ministry. In addition, I hunger to keep connected with you and not just share what is going on in my life.
I wanted to give a few updates regarding the last three months and then walk through the coming months.
This summer went well, as we reconfigured our office to meet our new needs. This has allowed us to be able to receive more office staff as well to better serve our staff overseas.
I will be traveling both to Calcutta, India and to Kathmandu, Nepal from October 14-30. I have been to both cities several times and it blesses me to see WMF ministry and the deepening relationships, the new buildings, and the strengthened community as time progresses.
In previous prayer letters, I have mentioned and copied reports at length from our staff in Nepal, who have written about the miracles taking place with young men living on the streets. These friends were addicted to drugs and are being delivered because of their encounters with the Holy Spirit. If you don't remember, please go back and read my earlier letters or some of the letters from our staff in Nepal. You can go to the Word Made Flesh website at www.wordmadeflesh.com and look up any of these staff members' letters. Staff members are listed in alphabetical order, but the countries in which they serve are listed right next to their name.
I have been absolutely blown away by the love of our Savior, reading the reports from Nepal. The theme reintroduced to me over and over this year started in Nepal. These young men were changed by the simple words “Come to Me.” They kept hearing these words as if God Himself was speaking to them.
My challenge this year (pursued lightly) has been to study the use of the directive “come” in the New Testament. “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”, “Come” said lovingly to Peter while walking on the water, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” “Here's the bridegroom, Come out to meet him”, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”
I have been blessed reading these reports from Nepal and cannot wait to be with them.
Please pray for me as I travel; please also pray for our staff in India and Nepal. I will be traveling during some Hindu celebrations being held both in Calcutta and Nepal. While the draped and decorative lights and bright colors are festive, our staff have reported great suffering during this time. Oppression, nightmares, physical pain, sickness, and division have plagued them.
Please pray also for us as a community, as we remain busy. We have a board meeting in early October, then I travel to Asia, we have an Omaha community retreat right after, and then year-end accounting begins.
I am grateful for your place in my life.
You are loved,
Brent