What a year this has been so far for us as a family. We have had numerous transitions, many days apart, hard goodbyes, a chance to spend time with great friends on the roads traveled, and many new ones beginning. So far things have been such a whirlwind of life that we are still trying to understand what life is like and will be like living in Canada and ministering in both Europe and Canada. We know that 2011 will bring much more clarity and a more realistic balance to what we have experienced in these last 11 months.
Well for us the journey these last eleven months has been full on, but filled with many wonderful joys and excitements along the way. One of those is coming to join our family this Tuesday (at the latest), as Janelle is scheduled for her third c-section on Tuesday, November 23rd to give birth to our third son. We are delighted to have him join us and become part of our family. We are blessed!
Please pray for Janelle and baby Z as they take on the next few days and either go into labour or have the c-section on Tuesday, we truly covet your prayers on their behalf. Please also pray for Caleb & Jaden as they welcome the new baby into the family and adjust to having another brother.
Ronnie is thankfully back in Canada now until the end of January, we are all delighted to be together and have time to be a family as we learn, adjust and embrace our new realities. We will let you all know when baby Z comes and joins us.
Romania
Ronnie has recently returned from his last trip of 2010 where he joined with around 40 others in Romania to celebrate the success of the church planting project he has overseen in the South East corner of Romania for the last 3 years. Ronnie has learnt much from this experience and has really enjoyed having an opportunity to work with some amazing people. From the church planters who have sacrificed so much and allowed themselves to be stretched in so many ways, to the trainers who have shared with such wisdom and experience, to the staff in Romania who have done an amazing job and become good friends along the way.
In the last 3 years we have seen 11 churches established and one mother church rescued from collapse, 30 missions teams mobilized into Romania to work with and support the church plants, increase in leadership of all the church planters as they have received high level training during 12 weekends over the 3 years.
We have seen lives changed by coming to faith in Jesus and people being healed and set free along the way. How awesome is that?!Ronnie is so thankful for everyone of you who have joined with us in partnering with the church plants in Romania, without you partnering with us Ronnie would not be able to do what he does. You are an essential part of making this happen! So THANK YOU!!!
Here are some of the comments from the church planters during the graduation:
- "NLI stepped in at just the right time, they were God's timely blessing for the work in Negra Voda. The team from Canada was instrumental and we still talk about them today, their impact was extra ordinary" - Dorel Toma, Negra Voda church plant
- "There is a great battle in the old city of Constanta for the young gypsy people, with the work we were doing in the church plant there you could see that something clicked in the children" - Matthew Duru, Old City Constanta church plant
- "NLI taught us to go out and meet people where they are at. We have seen people filled with Holy Spirit and giving their lives to follow Jesus" - Ionel Druga, Lumina church plant
- "We were challenged to go out and meet the people, with your help we were able to enter people's homes with the Gospel. We saw that people were welcoming and open to God's word, we have experienced amazing things" - Sami
Bobocea, Culdalbi church plant
- "NLI has been a gift from God and the timing of their partnership was perfect for enabling us to plant the church" - Nelu Chirita,Galati church plant
- "You helped us when it was hard and enabled us to carry on the work in Babadag" - Paul Benko, Babadag mother church
Ronnie had an opportunity to congratulate all the leaders in the church plants for getting this far, thank them for the opportunity to be a part of their journeys of faith and encouraged them to allow Jesus to continue to build the churches in a real, relevant and replicable way. For Ronnie it has been an honor and a privilege to serve the church in Romania and see God use him to assist, challenge and encourage the church planters and see lives changed through the church in Romania.
Spain
Ronnie was a part of a team that spent 10 days in Spain at the end of September to pray with the church planters and mother church leaders in this nation. NLI is currently assisting the Salem church movement in Spain to see 3 churches planted in the cities of Alcala, Aviles & Toledo.
There were 7 individuals from Canada who came to join Ronnie and Jesus (one of the Spanish leaders of the Salem movement) to visit both the locations and the leaders of the church plants and the leaders of the mother churches in Madrid and Bilbao.
Barb Shram from CLF in Warman was asked by Ronnie to lead the team as we prayed for the people of Spain. Barb did an amazing job hearing from God, leading us to seek repentance for the people of Spain and pray blessings over the cities. Barb and the whole team were instrumental in allowing God to speak through them to release many prophetic words over the leaders in Spain. It was exciting to hear and see God touch, inspire, challenge and reignite so much in those wonderful leaders. We look forward to seeing all that God has done and hearing of the impact that this team has made on the spiritual reality that exists in Spain.
Thank you to each of those people who gave of their time, money and lives to come and be a blessing to the church planters and church in Spain. Thank you!
Ronnie will be concentrating even more on the work in Spain and that region of Western Europe come 2011 as he transition out of leadership in Romania. Our hearts are to invest our time and efforts into seeing the church expanded and movements created in the countries of Western Europe. Thank you to all of you who so faithfully join us in prayer and financial partnership we could not continue to do the work God has given us in Europe without you!!!!
Prayer Requests
- Janelle and baby Z, that everything would go well with delivery if it is before the scheduled c-section or during. That baby Z would be healthy and that he would take to feeding really well. As well that Janelle's birth surgery and recover would be as pain free as possible as well as quick and complete.
- Caleb & Jaden as they work through welcoming and embracing the new addition to the family.
- All of us as we adjust to 3 boys and the realities of having a new born in the home again. That Ronnie would be able to take care of Janelle, Caleb & Jaden and help with the baby as much as possible.
- The church plants in Romania, that they would continue to allow Jesus to lead and guide them. That all they have learnt and experienced over the last 3 years as a part of the NLI project would help them in establishing a genuine Jesus following community that would bring his love and transformation to their cities.
- The church and leaders in Spain, that they would be able to build off of all that God has done through the prayer team that was recently there. That God would ignite their hearts and give them renewed vision to bring his transformational grace, love and truth to the nation of Spain.
Huge blessings and many thanks!!!!!
Ronnie, Janelle, Caleb, Jaden & baby Z †
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