Classes at the Missionary Training Center have begun!

Classes have just started for us here at the Missionary Training Center and I told Mandy that I feel like my heart has just exploded. The first few days have been incredible! I can't believe that the Lord has lead us here to be equipped for cross-cultural ministry and is allowing us to rub shoulders with all of the amazing staff that is here who have been there and done that. One of the classes that we started with was called "Big Picture." It's objective was to give us an overview of what the whole process will most likely look like for us "missionary candidates." One thing I thought was cool was that we started with the end result - a MATURE CHURCH. What Mandy and I are being trained to do is not just go and share the gospel with a people who have never heard it, that is only the beginning. What we hope to do, empowered by God, is to see a mature church established, one that can reach the next generation and other people groups around it with the gospel. The above picture consists of 4 components that NTM feels that a church that is growing towards maturity will continue to display. What impacted me the most is that this isn't just something that a church should display somewhere in the distant future that we will, Lord willing, play a part in planting, but that WE are the Church! These are realities that should be on display in our lives! The amazing thing is that we don't have to strain and strive to make these characteristics true in our lives, THEY ARE TRUE! We have the very life of Jesus as our life, and it is only our responsibility to look to Him and depend on Him. By His grace may we all...
1. Live under the authority of GOD'S WORD
2. Know what our IDENTITY is as children of God and know what our purpose here on this earth is
3. Know where we get our LIFE from on a daily basis to live according to the way that He desires
4. And display a life that is in a continually process of DISCIPLESHIP

Our new Home!!

So we just got settled in at the Missionary Training Center in Camdenton, MO.  We started orientation on Wednesday and it has been really incredible so far.  Here are a few pics of our new home!! Although it is small it is a great space and Paisley loves her new room!! It is nice for us to not to have her sleeping in our room any more.  It is really good to finally be here.  We just got a list of classes that we will be taking over the next 3 years and we are really encouraged with the thorough training that we will receive.   Sorry for such a long time since up dating.  We have been so busy, but thats not a good excuse.  Love yall we will up date soon with how classes are going.  

view from front door

coffee corner.. lol

kitchen

bath

Paisley's room

I still need to paint the letters still!

 Our room!

Paisley 7 Months!!! What Me Grow!!

So Paisley was 7 Months old on the on the 16th and she is doing great.  She is officially crawling and beginning to pull up.  What a big girl she is! She is adjusting well to her new surrounding in Missouri and making lots of friends in the new nursery.  She has been quite the social butterfly this month!!  She loves to laugh, grin, and get attention from anyone she can!!  She is absolutely precious!!

Hambrice Christmas 2011!

Watch Me Grow 6 Month

 So Paisley is 6 Months old and will be celebrating her first Christmas.  We are home in Arkansas and she is getting lots of attention as you can tell by the pictures, she loves.  The Grandparents are in awe of how sweet she is.  My mom describes it as "being a puddle of mush."  She is almost crawling.  She get up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth and then lunges forward.  We are actually all sitting here watching her try!  She is getting more and more personality.  She is pulling up when the circumstances are right and she has learned she  has a tongue that she can stick out of her her mouth and pootie noises. lol   She has 2 bottom teeth that have broke through the skin and the doctor says that her two top teeth are going to come in soon. She has been a great teether and has not been unusually fussy.  She is finally starting to sleep through the night some which is such a blessing. Although we are in Arkansas for about 3 weeks, we have moved to Camdenton, MO and Paisley will finally get her own room and will be sleeping in her new crib.  On our way home we stopped in MO and dropped of all our stuff and half set up house.  Paisleys room was the first room we set up and we set her in her crib and she had the biggest time playing in it.  I think she is going to love it.  Anyway hope you enjoy the pics.    

We Did It!

Graduation was awesome. This was the 3rd time for both of us to graduate (unless you count Mandy's kindergarden graduation from Stamps - and she does!) and it was by far the best. It was cool to be a part of something that was so God honoring. The past two years has been great. Thank you all for you prayers and support as we have been seeking to follow the Lord. Thank you also for your prayers for my graduation speech!

Pastor Paul Bowser and his wife Sandy. They have been such a blessing to us during our time in Wisconsin.

Graduation - December 16th!

Our two years at Bible school is almost up and I wish I could do justice in explaining all that God has done in us over the last two years. Yes, it was hard to leave home and move to Wisconsin, but ask either one of us and we would tell you that we would not trade these two years for anything. I (Jeremy) have been given the awesome privilege of representing our senior class by speaking at graduation on December 16th. In my speech I will be examining the purpose statement of New Tribes Bible Institute and explaining how that focus has affected the hearts and lives of each senior graduating.

NTBI Purpose Statement: The purpose of NTBI is to establish believers in the foundational truths of the Bible with an emphasis on church planting among unreached people groups.

Establishing believers in the foundational truths of the Bible...
If I had to narrow it down to what these were, and what has been foundational it would come down to these two:
1. God's faithful character
2. God's complete, finished, and sufficient work in salvation for sinners through Jesus Christ.
These are pretty much the bedrocks of the Bible and it is God's character that has that has moved Him to provide salvation for us in His Son. I wish I could do justice in this blog update and in my speech to what Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf has accomplished not just for us to enter into a relationship with God, but for us to continue to walk with Him and have victory in this life.

With an emphasis on church planting among unreached people groups...
NTBI is unapologetic in why they exist. They are the beginning phase of training missionaries to take the gospel to those who have yet to hear it. So this emphasis on church planting among unreached people groups causes them to constantly keep the needs of the world before us and challenge us to be a part. But is this what they should do? I would like to argue that because of those foundational truths that I already mentioned (God's faithful character and His complete work in Christ), it is the only thing logical to do. This faithful God has promised to reach all tongues, tribes, and nations and has made provision for each of them through His Son. The clearest thing to do, and the clearest thing for this school to do, is to emphasize this and seek to obey Jesus' commands to preach the gospel to all creation!

Would you pray for me as I continue to prepare to speak at Graduation? I want to speak in a way that honors God and encourages those who are there. We would also appreciate your prayers as we are finishing up school and packing everything to move to Missouri for the second phase of training for New Tribes Mission at the Missionary Training Center in Camdenton, Missouri.