On The Road: Week 1

Greetings from Mifflinburg, PA. 
This time last week we were on the road to Lancaster, PA to represent Global Outreach Mission at Lancaster Bible College's missions conference. Global was one of forty mission agencies represented at LBC's annual missions week Feb. 15-19.

Here I am after assembling our display the day of the conference.

The conference went well and the Lord arranged 12 solid contacts with missions-minded students. I look forward to following up with these young men & women as they continue to seek the Lord's will for their life of service.

We were also blessed to reunite with Herb & Rose (dear missionary friends of ours from MMS days) and Sheldon & Jan's, and Jake & Ruth Ann's Life Groups from our supporting church in Lancaster!

Thank you to Steve & Cindy (Karen's brother and sister-in-law) for hosting us in their home over the course of the conference.

This is Sadie, Steve & Cindy's Beagle

Yesterday, after the conference, we drove the additional two hours north to Mifflingburg, where we're currently staying with Dave & April (Karen's other brother and sister-in-law). This morning we were blessed to share and reconnect with our supporting church in Lewisburg, PA. It was fun to be back with our brothers & sisters at "The Church On The River"! They've been part of our ministry for twelve years now.

To Buffalo & Beyond!
We're keeping our eyes on the weather as we continue our journey northward on Tuesday. Lord willing, we'll make it into Buffalo, NY ahead of the next winter storm. We're excited to have a day set aside to meet with all our friends at Global HQ Wednesday and then cross the border into Canada Thursday to prepare for our next Candidate Orientation Class which begins Sunday.

We'll have more updates and photos for you soon. Thanks for praying for us, watching the weather with us, and joining us on this journey.

Tucker & Tanner Take Pictures of our Guests

Global Co-Workers Stop In For A Visit
We were blessed to have Tom & Diana Turley, Member Care Coordinators for our mission, stop in for a two night visit. They began a deputation trip several weeks ago and are in the process of returning to Buffalo, NY by way of Orlando, Florida; Graham, NC; and Louisville, KY.  The Turleys served 25 years as missionaries in Brazil before returning to the US to provide love and care for our 200 missionary families serving around the world. Their role is critical to the future of Global Outreach Mission (and to good stewardship of Kingdom resources), as they use their lives and faith to keep our missionaries spiritually healthy, inspired, and serving on the field.

Tom & Diana enjoyed a tour of Graham, a work day in the office (GOMEX), lunch at Graham Soda Shop, apple fritters from Daily Donuts, and fellowship and prayer in our home before heading west before heading north. We'll see them later this month as we head to Buffalo, NY/St. Catherines, Ontario to work with them and the other members of our HR Team conducting February's Candidate Orientation, Feb. 28-March 5.

While they visited, Tucker and Tanner asked to use the camera. Here are Tucker and Tanner's pictures of the the Turleys.

Diana & Tom: Photo by Tucker

Diana & Tom: Photo by Tanner

Just for the heck of it, we thought we'd toss in a couple of our own shots.

Global's Director of Partnership Development (me/left) and

Missionary Care Coordinator (Tom/right) in our Graham, NC office.

Tom, Diana, Karen, & me in front of our map 

showing countries in which Global missionaries serve.

Regardless of who is using the camera, or where the pictures are taken, we hope you understand that we've never been part of a more exciting opportunity than the one God's provided for us with Global Outreach Mission.

Thanks for being part of this Kingdom Adventure!

Fruit Of Your Faithfulness

Your Gifts And Prayers Are Bearing Fruit!
The main focus of my role with Global Outreach Mission is to make sure our missionaries have what they need to develop and maintain the personal relationships necessary to get to the field and stay on the field. It's my pleasure to report that because of your investment in our lives and ministry in North Carolina, Greg & Donna Jouglard, one of the missionary couples I've worked with these past six months, have now raised their full financial support and are ready to deploy to Africa!

Greg & Donna

Greg & Donna are headed to Impfondo, Republic of Congo, to manage Global's newest radio station, Radio Sango Kitoko transmitting in partnership with Pioneer Christian Hospital, another Global ministry. PCH is a 60 bed missionary hospital in the heart of the Congo River Basin rain forest. The radio ministry has grown from a vision of Dr. Joe Harvey, Director of Pioneer Christian Hospital, to carry God's truth beyond the hospital grounds. "Radio Good News" 106.3 FM, is now broadcasting 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. Here's an update from Greg & Donna:

January 13, 2016: Greg & Donna Jouglard, Houston, Texas

     "Today the (radio) tower crew will depart the US for the village of Impfondo, Republic of Congo. During the next six weeks they will erect a 300 foot tower which will allow the radio station to be heard across a radius of 70 kilometers sharing the Word of God, and the Hope that is in Christ, with the Congolese people. Please pray for a safe journey and the successful completion of the tower raising.

     "God has been faithful in these last weeks. Greg and I have partnered with more people in this radio ministry and have reached our support goal! We are scheduled to deploy to Impfondo next month to help the tower crew and begin our work with God's ministry that is Radio Sango Kitoko, Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for us, hosted us, and partnered with us in this journey."

Dr. Joe Harvey, Pioneer Christian
Hospital. Republic of Congo

THANK YOU for being a critical link in the chain of faith stretching between Buffalo, NY; Graham, North Carolina; Houston, Texas; and the village of Impfondo, to reach the helpless and hopeless of the Congo River Basin with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Karen: A Heart Song Of Praise

Greetings from Graham, NC! It's Karen doing the writing today.

Karen

Recently I was listening to some music and a song came on that I hadn't heard before. The words caught my attention and I stopped and listened. It was one of those times that tears came as I remembered just how thankful I am for where God has brought us.

These past few years have been hard but have constantly pulled us to our knees drawing us closer to the God who loves us, and who knew His plan for us, even before we were born into this world. Life has a way of throwing us into times of wondering just what-in-the-world God is doing with us, in us, through us. Inspirational music, acts of encouragement, and even words of Scripture can be hard to embrace when circumstances seem to dwarf your faith--making it seem way too small to cope.

Then, when I heard this song, "Never Once," I suddenly realized that at some imperceptible moment I had come to a place of feeling I was indeed "on the other side" of the rugged mountains we've been traversing in these past years. Deep in my soul this song expressed the truth that: never once in all we've gone through did God ever leave us all alone.

Of course we know that God is always with us whether we actually have a deep sense of it or accept it by faith. But I also realized that we have been embraced by so many people through this time of multiple transitions that it would take many more pages, and several hours, to recount them all.

We have been blessed by faithful supporters--some new and some who have been with us through the entire time of our mission service thus far, and continue with us. We have also been blessed by both old and new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Some have quietly maintained support to sustain us so we did not have to worry about meeting our daily needs. Some sent cards or called or even visited to encourage us. Some guided us with wise counsel as we hit particularly difficult times of struggle. Many prayed for us and with us. Some sent special gifts of encouragement. We are so thankful for each one!

As we continue to grow into our roles as Global Outreach missionaries, we thank you for being the team that partners with us so we can continue to serve where God has called us. We have much to learn, and are so glad that God is a patient Teacher.

Please pray for Keith as he daily embraces the many new responsibilities of guiding others in developing the teams they need in order to go, settle in, and serve well as they work to spread the Gospel of Christ across the globe. Please pray for me as I learn new software and strive to take on more of the responsibilities of home and personal ministry management.

Please hear the joy in our hearts as you take just a few minutes to listen to the song that expresses our deep praise for God's faithfulness to us...to you...to ALL of His people:

(Be sure to click on the play button AS WELL AS the Sound button)



We never walk alone and we never will! Thanks be to God!

Thanks to each of you who are God's hands and feet for all of our needs. Every missionary that is serving somewhere in the world has a team of people who enable them to do so. We are part of that team for some 200+ other missionaries who serve with Global Outreach Mission. YOU ARE THAT TEAM FOR US!