I have a lot to share with you! God has been doing some awesome things that He can only do.
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| Mark and Rajiv getting the fire started |
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| Couple from India |
I'm going to have to rewind a couple of months to get you up to date. In
October we had a get together for halloween and we invited a married couple from India to spend the evening with us. They learned a lot about the american culture by eating chilli and roasting marshmallows. It was a great evening to love on them and to build our relationship with them. God has put them on my heart to invest
in them. God will take care of giving the increase.
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| Get together in November |
The following month in November we also had an evening of games and snacks with some international students and some students from USF. It was a great night to connect with them and to start to establish some friendships. One of the girls that came is a close friend of the girl that I am discipling. She's going through a lot right now and not very open to spiritual things but we're praying for her and we believe God can change her heart and maybe she will be willing to study the bible together. Her name is Brittany, you can pray that her heart would be open to hear God's truth.
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| Tuesday night prayer |
Danielle and I are moving forward with discipleship and God has been giving her some cool open doors at the USF campus. Lucy has been meeting with Mallory for discipleship and she's been faithful to come to tuesday night prayer. Mallory also brought one of her friends to prayer and she's been having some spiritual conversations with a couple of her roommates. It's awesome to see how she's already wanting to invest in others when she is still growing in her faith. The bad news now is that Mallory may go back to Texas next semester. We're praying that God will make a way for her to stay so she can get more grounded in God's word. Mark and I have not been able to meet with Jaime and Nora due to all of his health issues but we're planning to go back to it next month. God has taken them through some rough times but I believe this season has been a season of growth in their faith in God. Nora has been praying for one of her neighbors, finally last week she was able to meet and pray with her. The awesome thing is that she's willing to meet weekly with her for bible study and her son may come to our teen bible study that we'll start next month at our house. Her name is Venus so please pray that nothing will come up so that they can have that time in the Word together. This is one of those things that only God can take credit for because Nora hadn't been able to see this neighbor and the very last day before she moved from that apartment God gave her a divine appointment and allowed them to connect.:) It's awesome to see how our disciples are catching the vision of making disciples. Praise God for that!
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| Teen Reunion at our house |
In December we also had a reunion with the teens that were a part of our bible study at the apartments. We had 9 of them to our house for some snacks and a time just to love on them. They were very happy to be at our house. There is one teen in particular, Jason, that has been asking Mark more spiritual questions lately via text. We believe that our short term investment of the Word of God was not in vain. Somebody else will come in their lives to water that seed and God will give the increase.
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| Friends of Internationals Christmas Party |
A couple of weekends ago we had the Christmas party for Friends of Internationals at USF. We had more people show up that we had expected so food was very limited. It seemed a little crazy but it all worked out. Mark shared the gospel clearly to everyone, some students got up and left as soon as he started to speak but most of them stayed. One student said that that was the very first time he had ever heard that message and we were told that this student got saved that night but Mark needs to follow up with that. We'll keep you posted with that, so stay tuned for the next blog!:)
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| Sunday Morning Service |
We have more members in our church planting team!!! This is an answer to prayer! The Toti family arrived in Florida a couple of weeks ago after a long driving journey from Oregon. We are very excited to have them with us! Please be praying for their transition.
Once again, we got in the spirit of the christmas season. Lucy, Syera, Nykki and myself spent last saturday afternoon baking cookies, and alright, Mark baked some rice krispies too. He wouldnt be happy if I left him out..haha:) The Totis and the Barajas baked some cookies too and brought them to our house to do a cookie exchange. Each family took some plates filled with yummy cookies to deliver them to their neighbors. Our family had a blast meeting neighbors and inviting them to tuesday night prayer and if they had teenagers to our teen bible study that we're starting in January. Pray that God will bring those he wants to be a part of it.
We are praying for spiritual fruit in 2015. We want God to connect us with lost people that will be willing to study the bible and through that, they will come to know the Lord. We can't make that happen on our own, so please be praying with us that God will do it!
A quick update on our family, starting in January Mark will no longer be doing his insurance job, he will be focusing his time in the church plant and Friends of Internationals ministry at USF, I will continue to work as an interpreter as long as I need to. God knows my heart desire is to be more available for my children and the ministry but for the time being this is what God has given me to do and I am thankful that I can help our family during this time. The kids are doing great in school and God has provided great friends for them. Mark will be coming to the Focus conference in January to Midtown. He's looking forward to it and I'm jealous....haha:)
Thank you so much for your love, prayers and support. We know that we''re not alone here, we know we have a church body behind us!
We love you! Have a happy New Year!!!
The Schaffers :)
