Missions Around the World
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Dear Father Mike,
I pray you will receive the gift of faith and the blessing of hope this Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is such a beautiful day with a wonderful purpose! We are thankful for so many reasons. Family, friends, purpose, provision and the presence of God in our lives is only the beginning. Before you are consumed by the activities of the day this Thanksgiving I hope you are able to make time to spend a quiet moment with the Lord and express to Him your heartfelt gratitude. A heart overflowing with THANKSGIVING! PEACE! It is impossible to look at the world around us which is full of conflict, hatred and revenge... war and death, and not be thankful for the PEACE we have in our life here in our little corner of the world and in our hearts. Because of Jesus and faith in Him we are given a beautiful and most important eternal gift, received by faith! Peace with God, Forever! Your friend, with deep gratitude! Julia Schatz Dear Pastor Mike, GREETINGS AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING! As we witness the turmoil in the world around us I think we are all eager to set aside a time to give God thanks and praise for the wonderful peace we have in our hearts because of Jesus, the Prince of Peace! I pray you can deeply ponder this powerful truth with family and friends as we pray for those who a reeling and mourning the loss of loved ones in the Middle East and beyond. May God draw them near and give them comfort. As promised, here is the news about the ministry in the Republic of Georgia and Azerbaijan.... continued from my previous newsletter. (Please let me know if you didn't get a chance to read the newsletter I sent prior to this one, with news from the ministry we did in Israel. I will gladly resend it to you. [email protected].) Thank you for sending me! Republic of GEORGIA: When we landed in Georgia my co-leader and I were a bit exhausted and just a little shaky. We had spent more than 40 hours at the airport in Israel because of cancelled flights. The awesome team with us the previous week in Israel were able to depart on time, safe and sound, THANK GOD! This all happened very close to the exact time the attack on Israel happened. Steffoni and I did not leave on time! About 40 hours later we were on our way, and miraculously to the place we had planned to go to begin with! The Republic of Georgia! Our small but amazingly compassionate medical team, including a doctor from Georgia, was already there and had completed the first day of clinic. Everything went as scheduled for our time in Georgia. God raised up an awesome team and we were blessed to serve with brothers and sisters in Georgia. It was also a great vision casting trip - a time to plan for future partnership and ministry in Georgia. We are invited back next fall! The Republic of Georgia has close to 4 million people. It's a small country in many respects, but it has 39 people groups, 16 of them are unreached. 80% of the people are culturally Christian, they do not have the peace that comes from the Prince of Peace. Less than 2% of the population are born again believers. This country first came to faith in Christ in the 3rd century. God sent a single woman named Nino to Georgia to share the Gospel and heal the sick. After God healed the Queen of Georgia and miraculously saved the King from death, they both came to faith in Christ. Georgia borders the Black Sea and is located north of Turkey. Georgia and Armenia are 2 Christian countries surrounded by Muslim countries and Muslim territories of Russia. AZERBAIJAN: When we departed Georgia, Steffoni and I went on to the country of Azerbaijan to train and equip in Trauma Healing. Thank God for the 12 believers we served in this beautiful country. We spent every day for 7 days in a row with them! Wow, it was a powerful time! We went through all 7 sessions in New Hope Trauma Healing and we also had a chance to share the gospel with another group of young people - some who did not know the Lord. Please pray for them. They are being followed up by our brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan. This group expressed great gratitude for all they learned and plan to begin to lead groups in Trauma Healing. That's what we long to see! That's what our Lord desires! Multiplication! We are excited to continue with them by zoom and to help them start their own Trauma Healing groups in Baku! Believers who receive healing from past trauma in their lives become bold and confident Ambassadors for the King of Kings! Equip the Saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ! Ephesians 4:12 Please click here if you would like to give. Good News! There is actually good news coming out of Israel and Gaza.
Please click here if you would like to give. Hopefully you will get a kick out of this photo. While enjoying our tour day, someone we partner with while doing the ministry in the Republic of Georgia asked me to try on this hat! They is famously worn in this part of the world! Hey, I like it! I think it will work well in Ohio too!   Dear Pastor Mike,
Thank you so much for your prayers. They were greatly needed and deeply appreciated. Of course I thank God for hearing your prayers. He is able! I have very recently returned from 28 days of ministry in the MECANA Region of the world. God gave us many wonderful opportunities to let our light shine for His glory in dark places. We were in a three countries. You probably never thought you would hear me say that I'm at a loss for words, given that some have been reading my updates and newsletters for almost 25 years! So why in the world am I at a loss for words? You may know that one of the countries where we served is Israel. We took a medical team to a poor village where men, women and children have limited access to medical care and they are in the bondage of spiritual darkness. The clinic went well. A community leader said that our team "brought joy to his people!" It was our prayer that God would reveal the joy of knowing Him through faith in Jesus, to those we ministered to with God's love and compassion. On the morning, and the very hour, my co-leader and I were preparing to depart the country with the team, is when the horrific attack happened. Our driver and friend arrived to take us to the airport, with these words: "We are under attack! You must hurry!" Shortly we learned just how dire the situation was in our beloved Israel AND as the conflict continues... well, I'm at a loss for words. And, probably like you, I'm NOT at a loss of grief and heartache and desperate cries to our Lord. This is an excerpt from a newsletter from the president of Chosen People Ministries, Mitch Glazer. I really appreciate his words of advice how to pray. "These terrible events today will be a game changer for Israel, and as Scripture tells us, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We know the Lord gave the land to the Jewish people, and that he will protect them, but that’s not to say that along the way there will not be considerable pain. Finally, pray for the citizens of Gaza, many of whom are oppressed by Hamas, especially the believers. Pray that their leaders will come to their senses and release those who have been kidnapped, that they would stop sending missiles into the various territories, and that efforts will be made on all sides to make peace.........." Please pray God will cause the seeds that were planted in our time of ministry to bear fruit for His glory! And for the Jews in Israel as we pray for them, "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61. God, they need your healing. Thank you! Blessings! Julia Good News!There is actually good news coming out of Israel and Gaza.
Pastor Mike,
Soon, I'm boarding a flight for the Middle East! We are mobilizing an amazing medical, eye glass, children's ministry and Trauma Healing team... taking God's love, light and compassionate healing to hurting people living in spiritual darkness. They need Jesus, the light of the world and the Prince of Peace in a choatic world. After we will move to the second mission point, also on the other side of the world. The Republic of Georgia where will also hold a medical clinic. Then after about 10 days we will move on to Azerbaijan where we will help followers of Christ by training them in the ministry of Trauma Healing. The preparation for this 28 days of ministry has been all consuming but also, very exciting! God is opening doors and we are entering in and praying He is preparing the hearts of all we cross paths with to receive His love! Thank you for sending me! When I get on my flights to Go and make disciples in obedience to God's Great Commission, you are always on mind. I pray for those who support, pray and partner with me in the Great Commission! Thank you! Fondly yours, Julia Dear Pastor Mike,
God continues to give many invitations to respond to open doors of opportunity for ministry in the Middle East, Central Asia and right here in the US and on Zoom! For that reason the first part of June was a special season for me to concentrate and focus on the crucial need for financial support so I can continue to serve, full time, and to GO, ... and without hesitation, to His timely and beautiful invitations! So many of you responded to this need! Thank you for giving! I am so grateful and NOW I am eagerly preparing to GO! Please see the information about this below and please pray for me and the team. You are receiving this email because one of the following statements is true:
It is an honor to partner with you, to be used by God to take the healing power of God's love and forgiveness to hurting, lost and broken people who live in spiritual darkness. God continues to open doors of opportunity. Thank you for sending and for going with me with your support! So what does any of that have to do with Giving Day on September 7th? Giving Day is a special event allowing all e3 staff to receive an added bonus to gifts given on that day. Each gift made to a staff support account between 6:00 a.m. and midnight CDT will be enhanced by a $150,000 bonus pool of funds. This means your gifts of support go farther! God has used this special day to make it possible for me to have funds available to give to special needs while on mission: Medical supplies for clinic ministry outreach or to help a national partner with a special need. What should you do right now?
Until the whole world hears! Blessings, Julia Pastor Mike,
God provided some wise friends to advise me and I'm eager to talk with you about this. When I was in San Diego a couple of weeks ago I met with some ministry partners who freely, carefully and lovingly helped me with wise counsel. It was three different individuals at three separate occasions with the same advice, so I am confident God wanted me to hear, receive and act on these words of wisdom. What advise did they give me? "Let us, those who pray for you and are on board with what God is doing through you, know your needs! Be clear with them." I praise God that for almost 24 years He has raised up individuals, families and churches who partner with me and provide for my financial needs so I can be fully engaged and focused on the Lord's mission work. It is our work... co-laboring with the Lord and with those who partner with me. Go into the world and make disciples. Reach the lost with the wonderful message of salvation - trust in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Be reconciled to God. I thank God every day for the ministry, financial and prayer partners He provides, and I trust will continue to provide. Now, I need to make it clear that I'm in need of more support. Why? e3 Partners has structured the money management of ministry trips in a way to make it possible for leaders, like myself, to lead more teams and not have the overburden of raising all the funds to cover their travel expenses in addition to their cost of living expenses. Until recently, for the most part the TRAVEL EXPENSES of team leader(s) have been absorbed by team members. When a team member pays for the cost of the ministry trip they join they are also paying for a percentage of the cost of their leader, based on the number of team members who go. Some e3 staff, like myself, are engaged in the work of ministry FULL TIME. We are not funded by a spouse or other sources of income. My salary, like others, comes from the support of individuals, churches and families who partner with me. It is important to know that this is Biblical model. They send their gifts of financial support monthly or annually or from time to time to Pure Charity and the funds are entered into my support account so I receive a salary. BUT, in the last couple of years changes have happened to make it crucial that I share my needs with you clearly and without apology. I am using the wisdom God provided through the advise of my friends. FIRST REASON: Even from before the global covid pandemic we began to train and mobilize fewer large teams because more often God is opening doors of opportunity with national believers to have training in discipleship, evangelism and trauma healing ministry. For these purposes only a few e3 staff or volunteers are needed to provide for these trainings so we are not mobilizing large teams as often as before. This means that we are now using funds in our support account to pay for the travel expenses for our trips. Flights, lodging, ground transportation, food, all expenses as well as sometimes helping the nationals with their special needs. This means that the funds for salary are depleted. SECOND REASON: Over the years some of my faithful monthly supporters have passed away and are now with the Lord. These are folks who supported and partnered with me for many years. Praise God for them and their faithful partnership. HOW YOU CAN HELP? My salary, ministry trips and expenses are funded by committed ministry partners. Would you ask God if He is moving you to come alongside me in this work through consistent partnership. I am seeking individuals, churches and families who will partner with me in this shared vision of reaching the lost for Jesus. Your gifts of support will allow me to train and equip believers in the Middle East and Central Asia to share the Gospel and make disciples. Also, to use the ministry of Trauma Healing around the world to strengthen and heal Christ’s Ambassadors for the work of the Kingdom! So I am asking confidently and without apology, please prayerfully consider partnering with me in taking the Gospel of our Lord to places where men, women and children live in spiritual darkness. Let's take the light of Christ and His love and healing to them! So what is my goal to fill the need? This fall, and hopefully ongoing, there are many opportunities for travel to Central Asia. I am often surprised by opportunities and invitations. I am currently hoping and praying God will raise up a number of new ministry partners, financial supporters, so the total monthly increase in financial support is $1,000.00 per month. Then I can say YES! Send me! This amount will cover the need of additional expenses for travel. Of course any amount is needed, wonderful and greatly appreciated. Dear Pastor Mike,
Summer 2023 is here! YAY!! I pray your summer will have many wonderful opportunities to build good memories with your loved ones and you have opportunities for refreshing fun and relaxation. Where in the world have I been lately? Here is a review and summary of ministry earlier this year and some of what's been going on in recent weeks.
Click here to go to my staff support fundraiser, please. Prayer Needs:
Dear Pastor Mike,
HAPPY EASTER! The Lord has Risen! He has Risen Indeed! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! It is my prayer for you that you have trusted in Jesus and His resurrection and received the everlasting hope of eternal life! God made a way. He did for us what we can not do for ourselves. The Bible tells us that Jesus died a terrible death on the cross, an instrument of shame and torture, to take our place and pay the penalty for our sins so those who believe will receive forgiveness for their sins, but even more! He died AND rose again so that we might have LIFE! It is through His death and resurrection that we receive life. In the resurrection Jesus gives us the assurance that He is the powerful Son of God who has conquered death and reigns as Lord of all. (Romans 1:4; 4:25). Now that's Good News! As always, I am deeply and forever grateful for your loving, caring and generous gifts of financial support and for your prayers. It is with your partnership that God sends me into the the world to proclaim this truth to hurting and lost people. Thank you! Romans 10:3 - 15 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him if they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? Thank you for sending me! Julia Thank you so much for praying for us while we were in the Middle East. The team was awesome! God used us to touch the lives of hurting souls, with His powerful love and hope! To make disciples who will make disciples..... 2 Peter 2:2 100 precious children came to the beautiful and powerful Children's Easter Program! The kids had so much fun! They loved it! So did we! The whole team clapped and sang the songs as we sat among the children to encourage and love them! There were puppets and an awesome skit with actors playing the roles of men and women in the Easter Story. We loved the song so much we asked for the words to be translated into English. At the end of the program each child was given a certificate to get new shoes! This is something we learned that they really needed. The children are from families who were displaced from the war in Syria. This program presentation was complete with a clear and compelling presentation of the gospel message and an invitation for them to respond with faith in Jesus! Please continue to pray for these children. The following day we had the blessing of visiting with one of the women whose children attended the program. This mother was so grateful to have very nice new shoes for her children! Please pray for this dear woman. She has put her faith in Jesus but it is difficult for her because of persecution from other family members. My team and I are doing an Introduction to Trauma Healing with a group of women. We are explaining it is important to understand God wants to give healing for heart wound (trauma). These young women have very hard and broken lives. I'm so happy to know that they want to continue to have Trauma Healing Sessions. The stories from the Word of God bring hope and healing and help us to know and understand God uses the hard things we go through to help and bring comfort to others. I love this dear woman in the photo above. I have known her since the time we first ministered to the refugees. I was at her baptism. She is a faithful Christ follower and faithfully sharing her faith. You can be sure that she has a huge smile on her face. She is attending a family event we had to celebrate Mothers. This photo below, I was asked to give the message to a weekly women's group. It was a lot of fun! Many thanked me for challenging them to share their faith in Jesus, even when it's hard. I just wanted to share this with all of you. It is a beautiful email I received from a dear friend who faithfully prays for me. Each month I receive a prayer in my email and it gives me so much encouragement. "Good morning Julia! Lord, thank You for building our bodies so wonderfully! Today I’m especially thankful for my immune system. Truly, fearfully and wonderfully made. And so much more ingenuity in this earthen vessel that we won’t even know about this side of heaven. You are the micro and macro, the beginning and the ending. Our everything. Praise You! Lord, from Ephesians 3, I’m going to borrow Paul’s prayer (NLT): I pray from Your glorious, unlimited resources, please empower Julia with inner strength through Your spirit. Please make Your home in Julia‘s heart as she trusts in You—we want our hearts cozy for You!—Make Julia’s roots grow down into Your love and keep her strong. And may Julia have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is Your love for her. May Julia experience the love of Christ, even though it is really hard to understand. Then, please make Julia complete with all the fullness of life and the power that comes from You, Lord God. Thank You for wanting things for us that we can even fathom. You are the Best Father. Please give Julia resources, energy, health, grace from strangers, love from friends, and make this day a wonderful gift to her with Your name all over it. We love You. In the name of our blessed Savior, Jesus, amen. UTWWK, love, Sally" (Until the whole world knows!) God, we ask for your blessings in 2023, not by shielding us from all sickness and sorrow and pain: But by strengthening us to bear it when it comes. Not by making our paths easy: But by making us sturdy to travel any path you set before us Not by taking our hardships from us, But by taking fear from our hearts Not by granting us unbroken sunshine, But by shining your face on us even in the shadows Not by making life comfortable for us, But by showing us the people who need your love and your truth the most And give us the desire and excitement to be there to share Yes Lord, bless us and keep us. Shine your face on us and be gracious to us, Turn your face toward us and grant us peace. Dear Pastor Mike,
WHOEVER? You may be wondering why this is the word I have chosen to highlight in my news. Last Sunday I attended the same church where 38 years ago I first heard the Good New that Jesus is the Savior for lost sinners and 'WHOEVER" believes in Jesus, God's Son, who paid the penalty for their sins, their sins are forgiven and they are given the free gift of eternal life! Yep, that's me! I'm one of God's WHOEVER's, and now His daughter and a member of His family. Also, my favorite story from the Bible was taught and preached at that service I attended. It is a story about another one of Jesus' WHOEVERS. The Samaritan Woman in John 4, Jesus spoke with her at Jacob's Well. As my friend Mike so powerfully said when he gave this beautiful sermon, "There was no greater example of WHOEVER! Jesus cuts through all the social, moral and spiritual boundaries of the day and declares unequivocally that when He says "whoever" He means "whoever!" I love that story so much! That woman was at at best disregarded and cast aside. Most would avoid talking with her. A sore in the eyes of her community. But it was probably much worse! She was scorned and shamed. Her reputation was stained by one failed relationship after another. She was desperately looking for love in all the wrong and many places. Then she met Jesus!... He knew her! and all about her shameful life of failure and poor decisions. And Jesus did NOT avoid her. He went to her on purpose! And she believed Jesus when He told her He is the Savior. When she believed that day she received Living Water and was restored to a right relationship with God. She left the water in the bucket behind to run to tell others about Jesus! She began a relationship with Jesus that would both mend and fill her broken and shattered heart. He gave her purpose. Go and tell "WHOEVER"! I love that story because it's my story too. What is your story? Who are your "WHOEVERS?" I am preparing to mobilize a team to the Middle East, soon. Why? To tell that world about Jesus! We have a message of hope from God for"whoever!" A gift from God we will eagerly extend to "whoever" for their response to believe and to receive, this compassionate, merciful and very expensive gift. John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them" He wants to mend and fill their broken hearts and broken lives and give them a new purpose, so all people in this broken world will hear about Jesus. As always, I am deeply and forever grateful for your loving, caring and generous gifts of financial support and for your prayers. Romans 10:13 - 15 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him if they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? Thank you for sending me! Dear Pastor Mike, Happy Valentine's Day! This was almost late. I am freshly back from Poland. This morning I had an annual appointment with the ophthalmologist and my eyes were dilated. I can see almost clearly enough now to send you my Valentine's Day greetings and love. After all sending a late Valentine's Day email just isn't ok. It is my prayer that your Valentine's Day is overflowing with the awareness of God's love, goodness and presence in your life. God answered your prayers. The ministry in Poland went really well. We were there for 12 days and almost every day, sometimes evenings too, were filled with meetings to equip the church with training inTrauma Healing and evangelism. We were even invited to a Christian school and a church youth group meeting where we trained high school students how to share their faith in Jesus with others. Many refugees from Ukraine were in attendance for Trauma Healing. We also loved having time with the group of refugees, who would rather be called missionaries, we met in October. They helped train others. I hope you enjoy the photos below. Thank you so much for your financial and prayer support. Thank you for sending me! |
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