November/December Update

Hi Friend,

These past couple of months around here have been busy and exciting times. Things got especially busy at the end of November when Steve and Tamara returned to the US to have a baby (they are still waiting on the baby, who is due around Jan. 20th).

Steve and I had been the only guys on this campus this semester, so when he left, it was me and four women. I assumed his role as campus director, in addition to maintaining campus ministry responsibilities. The beginning of December was an especially trying time as I felt the burden and weight of that responsibility. Towards the end of last month, I really had to take some time with the Lord and get my own heart right with Him and trust Him that He had not made a mistake putting me in this situation and that He would accomplish His purposes in His strength, not mine.

During the Christmas season, we had two Christmas evangelistic parties. One was mostly for guys, and we did that at my house. I invited about five people and one of the students I work with invited five. Altogether, we had eleven people (some folks couldn't come, but some folks brought friends, so it worked out pretty well). That was an encouraging time to get to watch my friend take a step of courage and share his testimony and a gospel presentation with those who came to the party.

Our team also hosted party together. Praise the Lord that we saw three girls come to know the Lord through that party!

Finally, last week we had another 'Exam Study Break' talk by one of our national staff who is in seminary in the US but was back here visiting his family and wanted to help us. Although only our national staff could attend because of security precautions, we all spent a lot of time preparing and praying for this event during the month of November. Praise the Lord for the 40 students who came and heard the gospel at that talk and especially for the four girls who came to know the Lord on that day.

Right now, our students are in the middle of exams and it is difficult to get time with them (although the guy I mentioned from the Christmas party above remains faithful in meeting with me even during exams, also praise the Lord for him). Our team is winding down the semester by taking some time to evaluate how the semester has gone, wrap up some administrative details and prepare for some classes that we will be taking after our conference in Thailand next month. We will be leaving for Thailand for our vacation time next week. Please pray that Brooke, Kelley (my two American teammates) and I will get good rest during that time. Pray for our two national staff as they travel home for a traditional festival time that that they would have good times with their family and friends in their hometowns.

Finally, please begin praying for next semester now. Our team is going to face a lot of changes as we begin the new semester. A newly married couple, Andy and Erin Ashley, will be joining us, and Steve and Tamara will be back with a new baby. We also continue to look at solutions to do ministry more effectively at our freshmen/sophomore campus (the junior class will also be there next year, and in fall of 2007 all undergraduate students will be there).

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

In Him,

Brian

LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN BE PRAYING FOR OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS:

*Pray for my friend 'Mike' from the Christmas party I mentioned above. He will be going home to a place where he also has little to no Christian fellowship. Also, when he told his parents that he had become a Christian last summer, they were very worried that he had joined a cult. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would enlighten their hearts and that they would use Mike in seeing his parents come to know the Lord.

*Pray for Steve and Tamara (Steve is our campus director) that their little boy (who will be named William Tyler Dortch, William after Tamara's dad who passed away in May '05) would be born healthy and without complication.

*Pray that our team would use our time wisely as we finish up our last week in country before vacation/conference time. Pray that we would be refreshed during that time in Thailand and that the Lord would bring us back here ready and excited to do ministry in the new semester.

*Pray for Andy and Erin Ashley as they make final preparations in the US to leave and join us here next month.

*Pray especially for the seven girls who came to faith in Christ during December, that they would remain faithful and grow in their relationships with Him even over the next month that they are away from school and home with their families.

My friend Alex competes in the long jump event at the campus Sports Meeting in early December 

The 'Courtyard' friends--we all opened our present from home together at my apartment on Christmas morning and then joined others for breakfast. Later that evening, our team had dinner together, read the Christmas story and had a time of prayer.