A Winter Review

Christmas was a blast with the two boys this year. We had a quiet holiday season at home spending lots of time with our families, making many memories which we will cherish in the years to come.

There was a little girl at a church in Maine who saved up all her change with the help of her grandma. She showered the boys with new gifts and gave Becky and I a gift certificate to the grocery store, we were so humbled.

January 3rd marked our 4 year wedding anniversary! We enjoyed a quiet night out while the boys stayed at home with grandma.

Thank you for your prayers for us concerning meetings! The Lord has been opening up doors of opportunities to preach the word and present our ministry. Here is our January itinerary:

January 6 - Haven of Rest Baptist Church, West Haven CT

January 10 - Calvary Christian School (K-5) chapel, Derry NH

January 23 - Clinton Baptist Church, Clinton ME
January 25 - Calvary Christian School (6-12) chapel, Derry NH

January 26 - Men's Breakfast - Fellowship Bible Church, Chester NH

January 27 - Calvary Baptist Church, Woodsville NH

Our meeting at Haven of Rest is Becky's best friend Becky's church. We were able to spend the afternoon at her parents house and our Josiah was able to play with Becky's little brother Josiah. (Confused? me too...). This was our 3rd attempt to be at this church. The first time there a parade came though town which closed the main streets and 2nd time we had been snowed out (back in December). The pastor there is really right on the front lines of ministry and has a real zeal for reaching the lost.

Thank you for your faithful prayers!

The Diem Decemberly

A few teens from a church youth rally I spoke at really wanted me to come and preach at the chapel of their Christian school. Teens want to be challenged and I believe are capable of grasping and applying deeper things of the faith. Not so much as giving them the "benefit of the doubt" but believing that the Spirit that is in me has taken permanent residence in them. Not by pushing them into a place where they don't want to be, but talking about pursuing God, reaching for your full potential in Christ and knowing both the consequence of sin and the joy of obedience. I really enjoy the high school age group, but because of the snow we will have to wait until April.


- The beginning of this month Steve was able to spend a Saturday in the white mountains with his brother in law Ryan. The air temperature was frigid but the views at the top of Mt. Hancock were spectacular.


- We chopped down a tree, strapped it to the top of our van and put it in our living room.


- On December 9th we went to Free Baptist Church, Waterboro ME. This is the second time I have had the opportunity to share God's Word with the saints in Waterboro during the Sunday school and Sunday morning hour. It was a great to see familiar faces and to encourage and be encouraged. Someone left this verse on my seat : Psalm 138:7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me.."


- On the way home we liked Maine so much Steve took us 1/2 hr north on the turnpike instead of south.

- On December 15-16 we are going to Haven of Rest Baptist Church, West Haven CT. We look forward to spending time with the Pastor and his wife on Saturday night, but there may or may not be a church service in the morning depending on the weather. This is Becky's best friend's church, who also is Becky. Our last meeting in November we were at the church of Becky's parents old pastor from RI who now serves in ME. Every weekend I ask Becky, "So let's see who you know this week."


- Dad and Josiah built a snow man and a fort with a tunnel.

- Becky just finished her class on Theology Proper and sent in her take home final today!


Thanks for taking the time to check out our blog!


Please continue to pray for us:

- That our walk with the Lord would be abiding and growing

- For meetings in January and February


- Endurance

- Faithfulness to opportunities to minister around us.


- For our support to come in - PRAISE: WE ARE AT 58%

Fall Happenings

Our required monthly support total has been increasing! Watching the Lord at work has been awesome. The next couple months our meeting schedule begins to slow down after a busy fall with every Sunday having a meeting. We are praying that this is an indication that perhaps we will hear that our support will be at 100% by January. However, this is all up to the Lord and His perfect timing. Although we enjoy going to new churches, meeting to new people, and ministering to the saints, our heart longs to be on the field. The Lord has taught us much during this time.


Fellowship Bible Church now has a new Pastor, Terry Wragg. What a joy to begin to get to know him and he and his wife has already put his arms around our family in friendship and in prayer. Rebecca, his wife is a great encouragement to Becky, reminding her that this time of deputation all happens for a reason. Terry and Rebecca both show genuine hearts to serve Christ and the flock ministering with zeal the Word of God. It has been a blessing to begin this relationship with them in person, verses a 21 hour plane ride separating us.



Steve: I have been able to devote more time to preparation of messages, studying Spanish, keeping up with email, making phone calls, and minister to people. It has been amazing to see the Lord provide for our family as I work less hours every week. It was certainly a step of faith that the Lord helped me to over come. Largely overcoming my own pride, fearing what others would think of me if I were to work less and devote more time to deputation. Instead, we have received greater encouragement and understanding hearts.

Becky: My class with NSTM is drawing to an end (Theology Proper) . I have enjoyed it so much! Thankfully I am feeling better, after fighting a sinus infection for two weeks, just in time for the final and a paper. Steve got me a gym membership and I am excited to work out, but it will also be a great opportunity to meet new people in town. I have begun to think about what we will be bringing Argentina, especially with the Christmas coming up. Basically, what sort of things will make our home feel like home down there.






Where we've been:

14-17 - Oct S.Hope Community Church, S.Hope ME
21-Oct - Faith Bible Church, Littleton NH
28-Oct - Emmaunel Baptist Church, Oakland ME
2-4 - Nov - Fellowship Bible Church, Chester NH
11-Nov - Nepaug Bible Church, New Hartford CT (Steve's B-day!)
12-Nov - Becky's B-day!
14-Nov - Calvary Baptist Church, Windsor Locks CT
25-Nov - Belgrade Bible Church, Belgrade ME

Thank you so much for your prayers and taking the time to check out our blog!

Catching Up ~

Thank you Jay Bennett, for making our blog look great!

Answer to Prayer!

Becky and I have been amazed by the Lord at work. As we mentioned in our prayer letter, the prayer concerning a new van has been answered. It has been running great and certainly has been well used. It certainly makes 4 hour car rides more comfortable.

The timing of this gift was incredible. We received an email about the van on a Monday night, so I called and made arrangements to pick it up. But that day my truck had been over heating so I brought it into the shop. On Tuesday we we received news that my truck wasn't worth fixing (it was going to require about $1200 in parts, yikes!). So the family that gave us the van, knew that we wanted a van, but little did they know that we really needed it, but God knew!

Work during the week has been steady, and we praise God for that. Steve has been able to work with Becky's Dad, learning construction skills and while paying bills.

Morning Perks:

The summer has been busy with meetings but we really enjoyed our family vacation. It was what we need as things picked up quick this fall. We have been guilty of burning the candle at both ends on Sunday mornings, waking up real early and getting in real late. Somehow that morning cup of coffee never tasted better!

A Wedding to Remember:

We have also celebrated the marriage of our good friends Jon (Guppy) and Kristen in Portsmouth, NH. It was a great time of deep sea fishing and solid fellowship. Jon was the last of the Faithful Five to tie the knot, it was exciting to see him and his bride drive off into the sunset on his boat.

A Word on Endurance:

As I think of deputation one word keeps coming to mind, ENDURANCE.

Numbers 21:5-6 says that the "soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way, And the people spoke against God, and against Moses. Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread." Being hungry, thirsty, or tired is not a sin. But it was the attitude that lacked faith (Hebrews 11:6).

This is a quality that marks the character of a faithful Christian. To endure temptation, trials, hardships, persecution, etc. To keep going, never stopping.

Let us look unto Jesus, who endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). And hungering after a forty day fast, He did not grumble, nor settle for a morsel of bread neither for the riches of the world (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus didn't sell out, but endured it all, faithful to the end, being called the author and finisher of our faith. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (II Timothy 2:3)."

Here is a look at where we have been and where we have been going:

September 8th - Youth Rally; Cambridgeport,VT
September 9th -Bucksport, ME
September 15th - Guppy's Wedding!
September 16th - West Haven, CT
September 23rd - Hampden, ME
September 27-29 - Missions Conference; Dover-Foxcroft, ME
October 7th - Mars Hill, ME

We are currently at 50% of our required monthly support.