The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9
It was about this time last year that I was preparing to serve in Spain for two weeks at an OMS camp. I returned home wanting to plan another trip for the following summer. I made a list of women to invite and began to pray for them. I knew that not all would be able to go, but when the invitations were sent out, there was not one that could join me. I extended my invitation beyond those on the list but still came up empty. It was evident that even though God knew my heart and desire to serve, He must have something else planned. However, the July calendar never filled up with anything except a few meetings.
Then, on July 12, when I had hoped to be in Spain, the Lord graciously freed my mom from years of struggling with Dementia. Since her rapid decline beginning in December, I knew deep in my heart that God, in his abundant grace, was establishing my steps for her homecoming.
My mom rarely went out of the house without makeup, her hair fixed or freshly ironed jeans. She was a beautiful woman, loved adventure and experiencing new things. She came to Ecuador four times during our first term. She joined us at Christmas during language school in Costa Rica and if she was able, she would have joined me in Spain because she loved to clean.
In the hours before her death, she was unresponsive and there was no make-up, her hair was a mess and she would have been appalled at the hospital gown. But I never envied her more than I did at that moment, knowing that she would be in the arms of Jesus very soon. Because God establishes my steps, I was able to be with her, pray over her, read scriptures to her and sing God's blessing over her. It's just the kind of primping that our spirit needs before seeing Jesus face to face.
He really does work everything for our good and HIS glory! Thank you for your faithful prayer support even when you don't have specific requests. God knows, He hears and He answers!
Blessings to you, Cindy
PS: I'm planning to return to Spain next summer and would love for you to join me. Please reach out and let me know if you're interested.
Puerto Rico Work Team
Thank you for praying for Doug and the team that served in Puerto Rico. In addition to painting the inside of the kitchen and dining area of a church camp when it rained, they were able to strip, prepare and seal the roofs of two homes that had been heavily damaged due to past hurricanes. The families could not afford the repairs and had been living with makeshift buckets scattered throughout their homes. Doug recently reached out to one of the homeowners to see if the repairs actually worked, was told: "Yes, the work was excellent and the temperature inside the house also went down. We will always be thankful for your team." Thank you for being a blessing to us, so that we can pass blessings on to others.
MFM USA Cabinet Meetings Greenwood, IN
We thank the Lord for the men who serve on the MFM USA cabinet and their wives who support their service. Cindy has the pleasure of planning the agenda for the ladies while the men attend meetings. This summer, we shared sweet fellowship as we prepared & participated in a Biblical dinner, prayer walked the OMS campus and covered the meetings in prayer.
Fall Schedule
Planning and preparations continue for our Fall Schedule. It's packed:
August 21-25 ~ Ohio Darke County Fair, working with MFM lemonade shake up trailer. (This is a first for us!)
September 9-16 ~ Mexico Evangelism Team in the Circle of Silence
October 14 ~ United Kingdom MFM Cabinet Meetings
November 2-4 ~ Canada MFM Cabinet Meetings
December 2-9 ~ Cuba Work Team
1. Praise God for His presence, provisions and mighty hand of protection!
2. Pray for some much needed family time July 29-August 5th in the Northwoods.
3. Pray as we plan for our Fall schedule.
4. Pray for 10 additional financial & prayer supporters.
5. Pray as preparations are underway to celebrate 70 years of MFM in 2024.
Vision: Our goal is the Lordship of Jesus Christ in each person's life, at home and around the world.
Mission: Men for Missions challenges men to Do, Go and Give in total obedience to Jesus Christ.
Click for the most recent ACTION magazine
May you be encouraged by how God is using the gifts, talents and resources of laymen around the world.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."
Here in the Midwest, it's planting season. The ground has thawed, snow has turned to rain, and the sun sends forth it's warmth making conditions favorable for growth. Except for tornados, Spring is such a beautiful time of year.
We spent two weekends in March sharing about some of the "planting" that we've been doing as we continue to seek global partners and opportunities for people to serve the Lord through an overseas short-term mission trip. We're so thankful that we can rely on God for the growth and trust Him with the results.
The evangelism/planting efforts continue in Colombia. In April, a MFM short-term team of 8, partnering with four local churches, witnessed 346 professions of faith. Please pray for these new believers as they begin walking with the Lord. The harvest is ripe in Colombia. Ask the Lord to send more harvesters.
As we celebrate our 17th anniversary with OMS this year, we're grateful that we have a planting team as this is not a one person ministry! Thank you for your faithful support to us.
Blessings, Doug & Cindy
MFM Staff Meetings
Thank you for praying for the MFM Staff. It's so refreshing to have us all together planning and preparing for the year ahead. Over the past year and a half, we've had some staff members move onto other ministries. Please join us in praying for God to grow our staff. We need regional directors in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa just to name a few. Pray that God will continually supply short-term team members to meet the needs of our national partners around the world.
Gibson City Bible Church Mission Conference
Returning to our sending church is a wonderful blessing! Lots of laughs, hugs, and incredible food are just a few of the highlights as we shared about what God has been doing through Men for Missions.
Cindy had the opportunity to share with a young girl during the ladies tea. Please pray for Cami as she begins her life as a new believer in Christ.
Please pray for them as Pastor Paul & Connie, our dear friends, plan to retire on June 25 after 28 years of faithful service. Pray for their transition and for the church as their search for a new pastor continues.
Fame Evangelical Church Mission Conference
Thank you for praying for our time with Fame Evangelical. This church is small but MIGHTY!
They have been a huge source of encouragement, love and support since we first became missionaries in 2006. Two of our greatest prayer warriors served in this church before relocating to heaven. We're so thankful for the opportunity to connect with their children during our recent visit.
2023 US Ministry Teams
13 Teams to 8 Countries with 103 people Last year there were 9 Teams to 4 countries w/58 people
We praise the Lord for His gracious and faithful increase.
There are many opportunities and teams waiting to be filled.
1. Pray for Doug, Kent & Dave as they meet with an Albanian partner in Iowa on May 2 & 3.
2. Pray for Doug as he joins a team to Puerto Rico May 20-27 to work on roofs damaged from recent hurricanes. They still has room if you're interested in joining a work team.
3. Pray for wisdom and direction as we prepare for short-term evangelism teams in Mexico with the first team in September 2023.
4. Praise the Lord for touching the hearts of 346 Colombians. Pray for the discipleship that will follow.
5. Praise the Lord for encouraging MFM-UK cabinet meetings held in Scotland. We are grateful to the board members willing to give up their Saturday to discuss plans towards helping to advance the Gospel throughout the world. 6. Pray for physical and spiritual farmers during this planting season.
7. Praise the Lord for our faithful financial & prayer supporters!
Vision: Our goal is the Lordship of Jesus Christ in each person's life, at home and around the world.
Mission: Men for Missions challenges men to Do, Go and Give in total obedience to Jesus Christ.
Click for the most recent ACTION magazine
May you be encouraged by how God is using the gifts, talents and resources of laymen around the world.
