Erika's Prayer

I was praying the other day about this whole support raising thing, and my prayer went a little something like this:

Lord, if You have a perfect date set for us to be in Croatia, why did You start us on the path almost 2 years ago? At this rate it'll be 2 more years before we get there! Why didn't You wait to tell us about it until closer to our go-date so we wouldn't have to wait and wonder so long? Why, oh why, didn't You let us move to Michigan, provide Dave with a good job, let us rent a nice apartment and buy some real furniture, get comfortable, and live our nice little lives with no reason to seek You or depend on You in a serious way? (pause) Oh, I see. Thank You. Amen.

Thanks Bobby

Thanks go to our good friend, Bobby Pulte! He is the producer, director, grip, etc. of our introduction video. (Since we don't have credits running at the end, Erika and Dave took turns being the gaffer and the best boy.)

We made this video because we want to help you get to know who we are and why we are interested in overseas ministry. It is really just the beginning of the conversation. We also wanted to give you a way to introduce us to people who might be interested in partnering with us. We hope that this video and our blog will be tools that God can use to connect us with people.

A Riddle and An Explanation

Image you’ve stepped onto a bus full of children. First, you hear a little boy exclaim, “I saw the most giganticus whale in the world!” The kids in the next row are equally excited. “I rode on the big brown horse, which one did you ride?” From the back of the bus you hear a group of older kids. “I’m going to the first person to walk on Mars!” Now, how many stops has this bus made?

The answer is: one! Earlier this summer I (Dave) rode a school bus full of students on a field trip to the Public Museum in Grand Rapids. Our students had a great time, and each one left with a different impression of the overall experience.

Erika and I have discovered a similar phenomenon as we follow-up with people who have heard about our ministry in Croatia. Some people bring up the camp ministry and ask why we are moving to Croatia for two weeks of summer camp. Others ask us why we need to study the Croatian language if we are only working with English-speaking TCKs (Third Culture Kids). These are good questions that we are happy to answer. The interesting thing is that these questions pertain to only one aspect of the broad ministry we are called to.

…so, we’d like to briefly outline the ministry of SEND International and our part in it—in an effort to keep the dialogue flowing.

S is for Starting and Serving churches.

In our case, we will be serving a church in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. The next three letters describe how churches are started and served.

E is for Evangelization of the lost.

While we will have scheduled involvement with English-speaking TCKs (kids who aren't Croatians, but are living in Croatia) our aim isn't limited to them. “E” includes anyone God brings across our path—Croatian or international.

N is for Nurturing and discipling new believers.

Our ministry will involve discipleship both as part of the local, Croatian church, and also through our involvement with summer camp and on-line follow-up.

D is for Developing leaders in ministry.

This aspect illustrates the diversity of our role. We will 1) direct a program through the camp called Counselor Helpers, 2) develop further opportunities to get MKs and TCKs involved in hands-on ministry, and 3) help develop Croatian church leaders.

We hope this sheds light on the big picture and explains why we sometimes get caught up in certain details. Please continue to ask us questions—that’s how we get better at keeping you informed.

Cheers!

Beggars Can't Be Choosers

When I was a kid we lived by simple laws like, "beggars can't be choosers." Practically applied, this rule means that if you expect me to share a Starburst, you better not complain when you get the yellow one. I suppose someone's mom probably coined the famous line while tring to stop an argument. Since those innocent days have met some very choosy beggars in my life. If we had been better informed we might have said, "beggars shouldn't be choosy."

Recently, I have been interviewing people in ministry about their philosophy and practice. One of my questions is always about money, and the answers kind of make me think about the ol' playground creed. As someone who depends on the financial partnership for ministry, do I have the right to be "choosy" about who I ask for money or from whom I accept it? Here's my two-part answer: 1) I am not a beggar and 2) I should be discerning, but not picky about incoming funds.

The reason I am posting these thoughts is because part one (I am not a beggar) was a bit of a shocking revelation to me. It is something that I should've known, and probably did know in my head, but it was a fact that was not effecting how I live or approach ministry. As a child of God and a servant of The King, I am not lacking in anyway. When we share about our ministry we give people an opporunity to partner with us and enjoy the blessings and encouragment of giving and being a part of something big. So, I am not begging. My family and I are simple waiting for God to give us what we need, when we need it.

Kids Need...

After working in the field education for seven years, spending many hours interacting with teens and young people as a volunteer for church ministries, and even having a few years of experience being a young person myself I have begun to reflect on the idea of mentorship and "what kids need" as they grow into adulthood. So far, I have come up with three broad categories.

1. Kids need to hear about God's plan for life, and, even more specifically, about God having a plan for their life. God's existence and even His attributes can be seen in creation, but the Gospel comes through a messenger. God must consider direct communication (information) important since He gave us the Bible. The transmission of GOD's message of hope and change must be passed on!

2. Kids need to see good role models. This includes parents, of course, but in the tween and teen years they need to be able to look outside of the nuclear family to see examples of how to live well.

3. Kids need to feel the love of God in a tangible way. This happens through individuals and through community. Faith and truth are not just intellectual pursuits; they are experiential as well. In fact, a postmodern generation might argue that these are more about experience and feelings than thinking and knowing.

So, kids need to hear and learn about the Bible, they need to have individuals who will take time for them (i.e. mentors), and they need to be part of a supportive community which includes their peer group as well as people unlike themselves. This may sound like a good commercial for getting kids involved in Church. I suppose it is, but what about kids who don't have a church or youth group to go to? I am not talking about kids who dislike church, but rather kids who have no church in their proximity. Kids who live in a country where they can't speak the language or kids whose parents are starting churches on the mission field. That's why I am excited to go to Croatia! I am excited to get involved with missionary's kids and other English-speaking kids living in Croatia. I am thankful that God can use my passions, gifts, and experiences to meet real needs in the world.

May 2009 Newsletter

Here's a recap of our latest newsletter for those who are stopping by...

SUPPORT UPDATE

We’re letting the freshness of Spring breathe new life into our support raising! In order to turn our almost 40% into 100%, we’re redoubling our efforts and God is blessing!

60% by September

When we hit 60%, SEND will pay us a salary (separate from our support). This will free Dave to focus his prime hours on working toward 100%.

100% by January

Our new support goal date is January 2010. We aim to depart in February and start language school before the next camping season begins.

One-Time vs. On-Going

At this point, our one-time gifts are right on track, so what we really need are on-going promises. Would you pray about dividing your one-time gift into an on-going pledge?

CAMP UPDATE

Spots are almost full for MK Camp again this summer, making us all the more eager to get there and be part of it!

FAMILY UPDATE

Dave is still working fulltime with 4^th graders, and has been blessed with the opportunity to work part-time for Summer School. This will give him more hours to work on support raising, and will keep us on the school’s insurance!

Erika and Rolland are enjoying the daily pleasures of babyhood. At 5 months, Rolland is rolling over, sleeping well, and growing like the cutest little weed you ever saw!

ALL ABOARD

If you’ve been waiting to invest in this work, please consider starting on-going support now to help us reach 60% by September and keep us on pace be fully supported and flying off in 2010!

Just comment on this post, and we'll contact you with information on how to give. May God multiply your gift!

Why I Call It Partnership

My radio is usually tuned to 89.3 WGNB, the Moody radio station in our area. This week they are doing their yearly pledge drive, which--while I know it's necessary--is a little annoying to me. Maybe that's because this year I feel like Erika and I are also doing a sort of "pledge drive" (and it's lasting much longer than a week). As I've listened to the radio this week I've thought about the difference between giving to charity and partnership in ministry.

I prefer the word partnership to the word giving. To me, giving to a charity or ministry implies a quick, clean, one-time intersection of needs and provision. Partnership is an on-going relationship.

When I think of partnership I imagine the nation of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. While Joshua led the army against the Amalekites, Moses sat on the rock and Aaron and Hur held up his arms (Ex. 17). Each person--including every unnamed soldier-- played an important role, and each person shared in God's blessed victory.

Similarly, Paul wrote about his partnership with the Philippians (Phil 1:5, 4:17). The church in Philippi not only took up a collection for him when he was visiting, but they also sent Epaphorditus to personally meet specific needs. Paul was out pounding the pavement, but he knew that the funds, the help of Epaphroditus, and the general support of the church made the spread of the Gospel possible (2:25-30, 4:18). The church supported Paul's ministry just as literally as Aaron and Hur supported Moses's uplifted arms which, in turn, supported Joshua and the army in battle. Every person had an important role, and every person had a share in God's blessed victory.

Paul outlines the logic of partnership in Romans 10:13-16, beginning with the purpose: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." He reasons that for people to call on the Lord they need to believe His message. They can not believe the message if they do not hear it. So, they need someone to come and tell them about God and His message. It all starts with people being sent. "As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

We hope that our supporters (and potential supporters) will be more than givers. We need partners with us like the partners in the examples above who exemplify the kind of interdependence that God intends for His work. We hope our supporters understand that the spread of the Gospel begins with and depends upon the partnership of senders. Those sending us into ministry play an indispensible role in the work and share equally in God's blessed victory.

Differing Motivations

Yesterday, Rolland got so frustrated with "tummy time" that he decided to do something about it. For the first time in his life he rolled over from tummy to backy... I mean back. Today is his fourth month birthday. After Dad changed an exceptionally dirty diaper Rolland celebrated by rolling over from his back to his front. One move while angry, another while happy.

Maybe it has something to do with his Grandma and Grandpa Noble. He waited two weeks after his due date to be born... just a day after the Nobles arrived in Grand Rapids. Now he learns two new feats of strength while in the Noble's home on Spring Break. Oh, and he has been sleeping all night.

Rolland's mom and dad also have new motivation. Our friends, the Ortizes, have finally got a moving date to Croatia. After being fully supported for almost a year, the paperwork and other details have come together fo them at last! We have been talking with our friends in Croatia and at SEND, and we have set our sights on February 2010 to make our move over there. Rolland is ready and it seems like Croatia is ready to receive us. Now all this left is for people to choose to join our financial support team, it is all about the motivation!

Ministry Update

There is an old phrase that goes something like this: "It's money in the bank!" I know that banks don't seem like the safest place today, but we are happy to say that a $10,000 match grant has been credited to our account (see our July '08 posting "Birthday Blessing"). Thanks to those of you who are committed to ongoing financial support, your gifts were officially matched!

The Bible teaches us that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Since that is true, we're not surprised to see God providing for financial needs in spite of a tough economy. The cool thing about God's "cattle" is that He asks His people to be stewards of the herds. Stewardship multiplies God's blessing. The giver and the receiver can both rejoice in what God is doing and what He will do with those finances.

There is still room for more faithful givers on our team.

Encouraged by perseverance

This morning I was reading from the book of Ezra. It begins with King Cyrus sending the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, this was prophesied by Isaiah before the people were even exiled. In chapters one through three the people are filled with excitement and anticipation as they begin the difficult work, However, it is not long before there is strong opposition. When King Cyrus was succeeded by Xerxes and Artexerxes the enemies of Judah lodged a complaint and basically had the work of rebuilding the temple forcibly shut down. It is not until Darius becomes king that the work can resume. This must have been a tough blow to the spirits and motivation of the Jews. They knew that God wanted them to rebuild the temple, and they had been waiting for years to see God's promises about the end of the exile come true. Then, just as things are rolling and starting to look hopeful, the opposition strikes hard.

I can relate. We hit the ground running one year ago as we began on the path Croatia and ministry. Support was coming in quickly, we were checking trainings and requirements off our "to do" list, and it looked like we would certainly be there for camp in 2009. I can not point to an enemy that is specifically working against us, but we have hit a serious slow down in the process. We are back to waiting to watching, just like the Jews in chapters four and five of Ezra. We do TRUST that God is in control, that He IS doing the work, and that He WILL complete His work. It took time, effort, patience, determination, and faith; the temple was rebuilt and later the city walls were rebuilt, too. God always comes through. We can trust Him.

This Blog

In addition to baby pictures, general news about our day to day lives, and the occasional recipe, we also hope to give some insights into our spiritual growth. That is the topic of my writing today.

A little over a year ago we began looking forward to the prospect of moving to Croatia. We did not think the road would be easy, but we did think it would be relatively quick. So, we tightened our belts and pushed on toward our goal of leaving the US to work at a camp in the Croatian countryside.

A year later, as we unpack boxes and prepare to receive mail at our third US address, we are understanding that the process is more difficult and slower than we had hoped. I use the word "understanding" because we are beginning to see not only that the process is slow, but also why the process is slow. There is more to it than raising money; there is also the need of raising partners. More than just getting our paperwork in order, our hearts need to be put in order. And more than just reaching out to minister to kids at camp, we can challenge Americans to think globally and consider their stewardship of God's resources.

Feel free to get in touch via e-mail if you would like to: a) hear more specifics about our journey, b) read some of Dave's Bible studies, or c) help us reach out to MK's in Croatia.

P.S. Here is another baby picture!

Check out the website

Erika has written another article for MK2MK. Check out "Permanent Change of Station" at www.send.hr/mkcamp/mktomk or click the link to MK Camp at the left of this article.

Unlikely Economics

I (Dave) set a new personal record last Friday when I got--not one, not two, but THREE job offers. OK, so maybe "substitute teacher" is stretching the definition, but it was a real possibility for work. Two of the job options (subbing or working part-time for a food testing lab) seemed like good ideas because those jobs left me with ample time for contacting churches and working on Partner Development. Nonetheless, I accepted the third offer, which is a full-time job working as a teacher's aide. This has set me to thinking about God's economics.

This new job opportunity (which includes insurance benefits) came along at just the right time. My short-term insurance recently ended, Erika will soon lose coverage, we have a baby coming soon, and our bank account has sprung a leak that just won't quit. The new job seems to be God's way of providing for all of those needs, as well as giving me a chance to be involved in education again! But what about the time we need for Partner Development?

You may remember our story about Erika's birthday when we were awarded a $10,000 matching grant. Last week we finished (finally) all the official paperwork for that grant AND last week we moved above 50% of the way to fulfilling the match. What that means is that since Erika's birthday in July we have received more than $500 in monthly pledges! And along with those pledges, we've gotten wonderfully encouraging notes from our partners. One, an adult MK, wrote about his understanding at a personal level the need for this type of ministry. Another supporter increased his pledge and explained how excited he is to be an active part of what God is doing in Europe.

I have learned during this week of upheaval in the US economy that God's economy is something altogether different. Only He can meet our needs now and in the future, so I must be careful not to put my confidence anywhere else--not in my bank account, not in my job, and not even in my "abilities" to convince people to give money to camping ministry.

Things change so much in 4 months

Here is a picture of Erika in May...

...and a picture of Erika in September.

So much has changed, and not just the things you can see in the pictures! There have been good times and hard times, both of which we trust God will use for our ultimate good and His glory. There have been steps that bring us closer to ministry in Croatia and things that feel like setbacks.

Here are a few steps we've taken towards Croatia:

1. Just last week we heard news that the government is at last beginning to issue work permits to our co-laborers!
   
2. We have been asked to begin some more writing for the MK Camp website/internet magazine.
   
3. We have seen the Lord add several more financial supporters.
   
4. We have cut our monthly expenses, streamlined our lifestyle, finished most of our training, and begun to practice language.

All of this is in an effort to be ready when God opens the doors to Croatia for us.

We are so excited to see what will unfold in the next 4 months! If the Lord wills (James 4:15), we will be holding our son (in between diaper changings), finished with all of our training for SEND, and be "outward bound" for Croatia. We know there will likely be more "surprises," but we know that God is constant in His love for us, His plan for us, and His ability to work out all things for the good of those who love Him. We look forward to what He will bring next!

Thoughts on "support discovery" (by Dave)

We are certain that God is leading us to ministry in Croatia, but going with a faith-based organizations means waiting and asking for funds to support that work. I thought I would share some reflections on how my attitude has changed from "we are begging for money" to "we are offering opportunities."

As I do the math on our ministry budget there are two things are that are clear to me:
1) This is God's work and as I heard a pastor say: "God's will, God's bill." (It is beyond us!)
2) God works through people. (Money doesn't grow on trees)

Some years ago my mom went into the hospital, and after a few days my dad made an observation that I have not forgotten. God could have healed my mom through prayer, or sent a pastor to heal her through the laying on of hands, or some other miracle. He didn't. Instead, God sent many people from the church and our family who sat with her, encouraged her, and supported her when she came back home. By using many people God multiplied the blessing of my mom's recovery.

I can see God working in the same way for Erika and me (Really, God is working for the MKs and the unreached that we are going to serve) . If somebody gave us a check today for $468,000 we could finalize plans to move to Croatia for our first term, but who would go with us? As of today we have at least 52 committed prayer partners, 23 committed monthly givers, a loving church, and many other supporters who have given us gifts and great encouragement. All of these people will go with us (in God's eyes and in our hearts) when we begin to minister in Croatia.

Just like God brought together a team of people when my mom was in need, we can see Him bringing a together a team of people to support the ministry to MKs. As we leave for Croatia and as we see lives changed it will not be to our credit nor for our encouragement alone. God is multiplying the blessing of His work!

P.S. We are creeping closer to having half of our monthly financial needs met. We still have a match-grant available for new ongoing supporters. Praise God for His provision!

MK Camp

This summer's dates for MK Camp in Croatia were July 23-29 and August 3-9. We missed it! Actually, we never planned on being able to get to Croatia for camp in 2008, but we did originally hope to be moving to Croatia to begin language classes in September 2008. Seeing "move to Croatia!" written on the calendar this month has been a little bit hard on me, but it was written in pencil. God has been teaching me a lot through the waiting process. Things like patience, trust, and confidence in God's control are at the top of the list. God has blessed us in many ways and I would hate to miss out on enjoying what He has given because I feel sorry about what I am still waiting for. We are convinced that we be arriving in Croatia right on schedule (His Schedule).

FYI there are some interesting testimonies and articles written by campers and other MKs on the "MK Camp" website. Check out the links to Counselor Helpers and MK to MK -- You will like reading "Why Do Mountains Matter" by Erika Sterken.

-Dave's first blog entry

Birthday Blessing!

On Erika's birthday, we got quite a financial blessing! We (along with countless radio stations around the country) are the grateful receivers of a match grant. Here's how it came about:

We had an appointment with an "anonymous" foundation, but we'd been told ahead of time that they weren't looking for new missionaries to support, so we were just looking forward to asking lots of questions of this "expert" we were meeting with. Due to construction, we missed the appt entirely, but called in time to reschedule for the later in the afternoon. We decided to try to find the place anyway, and after several minutes of driving around, we realized we would've missed the appt even if there had been no construction. (So, we were very thankful we had a legitimate excuse to reschedule. Praise God for road construction!) We went to a fantastic sandwich shop (it was Marie Catrib's for those who live around Grand Rapids) for lunch, walked along Reed's Lake, and headed over to our appt. But, instead of asking lots of questions, we ended up answering the questions he posed to us, and after double the length of our scheduled time, he said the foundation would give us a match-grant up to $10,000 for people who signed on as regular supporters! Amazingly, we had written that very number on a list we were making for ourselves earlier in the day. God really confirmed that He was at that meeting. (So, if you're thinking about supporting us regularly, this is a great time to sign on! :)