Craving spiritual fruit

Thank you for praying for our mission in Tampa, Florida.   The support from our prayer warriors is priceless!  We are trusting God for spiritual fruit this year.  We want to see people come to know Christ and get discipled but the hard thing is that we can only trust him to give us the increase.

We are so excited to welcome the team from Midtown this week!  We are asking God to give us more connections with people around the city that are ready to get saved and grow in the Lord.   The enemy has already been at work.  We've had some gliches with the plans while the team is here.  We don't want to create our own agenda.  We want to be purposeful and intentional so please pray that God will lay out our week for us in the next couple of days.

Let me give you some updates on our ministry:

Teen Bible Study

Teen bible study

Last month we started a teen bible study at our house.  We've had 7-10 kids every week.  Mark is going through the 7 stages of spiritual growth.  We have some kids that already have a relationship with the Lord and some that don't.  The kids lead the worship time and we usually break up in small groups at the end for prayer.  

Discipleship

Lucy is still meeting with Mallory and she's continuing to grow in her walk with the Lord.  I'm still meeting with Danielle and Nora.  It's been  exciting to see Nora invest in her friend Venus.  She's meeting with her once a week to study the bible together.  This is exactly what we're asking God to do, to multiply us.  Mark and Jaime are meeting again after the long break due to his health issues, but now his work schedule seems to be getting in the way. Please pray that Mark and Jaime will have that one on one time every week.  Our ministry need men to be ready to go and teach others also.

Tuesday Night Prayer

Pearsons at Tuesday Night Prayer

We are faithful every tuesday to gather together and pray for our needs, friends, city, missionaries and anything else that arises.  It is a time to regain strength for the rest of the week.  We had Doug Pearson as a guest in January.  The night that he came to speak, Mark invited one of the international students from India and he was able to hear the gospel and be loved by the Pearsons and us!  

Friends of Internationals

Mark has had the opportunity to meet every Monday with a guy from China to study the bible.  Actually, it's been more like pastoral training.  He wants to go back to China and pastor.  We count it a blessing to be able to train a chinese guy from Tampa and have the Lord use him in his own country.  This is awesome!!!  Rebecca Toti was also able to share Christ with a girl from Iran.  She was open to hear about Jesus.  Seeds are being planted and we just need to wait for God to give the increase.  This Saturday while the team is here, we have a sport activity planned with international students but so far we don't have that many signed up.  We need you to pray that students will show up this Saturday.  We want to share the love of Christ with them.  We can't make it happen but we know that God can.  

Our team celebrating Lucy's Birthday

Our team....

As we shared with you last time, the Totis have joined our team!  It has been a blessing for Mark to have another man.  They are here ready to make disciples.  Please be praying for Ron's job.  We know that God will provide.  We are asking God for more team members that are ready to count the cost to be a part of a church planting, disciple making team!  

Once  again, thank you for your prayers and support.  Unless you're in the battle field, you don't realize how much it means to know that others are supporting you.  There are days that I get discouraged and long for the day that we will have a church body and see the fruit that God has given.  I want to be bold and intentional when I'm around people.  People need Christ and they don't know it, I can't waste my time thinking about myself and let people  go on their way.  I have a heavy burden, an urgency to tell others about my Savior.  Please pray that our team will have boldness to speak the good news to people!  I don't want to be discouraged by the enemy.  I want to be focused on what God has called me to do!  

It feels like summer time already in Tampa.  The temperatures have been pretty hot.  We got to go to the beach with our kids last week for a couple of days for their spring break.  It was a great time to get away and just create more memories as a family!  We are greatful for God's blessings in our lives. He is good!  

Continue to pray for the mission in Tampa.  We desperately need him to do a work and lead us to those who are ready to hear!  

We love you!

Tampa Team

Schaffers, Lucy, Totis