After a three year process and many short term mission and vision trips, Lori and I have continued to follow the lead and direction of the Lord and he is leading us to Browning, Montana. We have had a heart for Uganda for the last two years, but the Lord has truly placed a hold on that. We see some reasons that seem clear as to why, but for now and as far as we can see we are staying stateside. Browning is a small town just east of the Rockies about 1.5 hours from Whitefish. It is home to the Indian Affairs Dept. of the Blackfeet Nation. The Blackfeet Reservation is located in north central Montana and shares the western boundary (of the reservation) with Glacier National Park. This scenic reservation is home to over 16,000 Blackfeet. We will be serving alongside Native Americans on their reservation proclaiming the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have discovered in this process that there are thousands of unreached indigenous people right here in our own nation. They too are in need of salvation that comes through our Savior Jesus Christ. We know that at this time God has made a way for us to not only reach them for Christ, but to live on the reservation and be engaged in every day living as well. We are very excited about the opportunity we have to serve the Lord in this capacity.

In addition, Lori and I have the privilege to come alongside pastor Marty Balk and his wife Dena and serve with them at their mission church of twenty years. They have been faithful servants of Christ and being a part of the work they have been doing is such a blessing. Potter’s Field Ministries will also be starting a weekly kid’s club at their church on Saturday’s that we get to be a part of. This includes sharing the gospel with the children of the community and overseeing 3 PFM interns and sharing our lives together with them. Beyond this, the opportunities for serving and outreach seem great and we will know more once we have been on site for a bit and spend time planning and praying for direction from the Lord through the leaders he has placed there.

As we move forward we are in need of your help, especially in the area of prayer. We have been experiencing a huge amount of spiritual warfare and owe much gratitude to the close friends we have been able to share with who have been encouraging me and praying. I share this because we know that we are heading into territory that is ripe for the Gospel but can be hostile to it as well. We know that Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 6 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. We are entering a spiritual battle that we know Jesus has already overcome.

We are also asking for help in the area of finances and support as well. We have created a ministry budget to finish out 2016 and know that the Lord will provide through the faithful giving of His saints. If you believe the Lord is leading you to support us as stateside missionaries in any way, we would love to share with you more about ways that you can help us. Here is a quote from Harry Ironside that our pastor shared today in a sermon from Acts 13. It was quite fitting as this was the Sunday we shared our mission with the church:

As the brethren in Antioch laid their hands on Saul and Barnabas, they identified themselves with their missionary efforts. They said in effect: “Brethren, we are one with you in this missionary enterprise. You go out into the regions beyond, and we shall stay by you here at home. You go down into the dark caverns of the earth, and seek to find the gold and precious things that shall adorn the crown of the Lord Jesus Christ in the ages to come, and we will hold the ropes and look after your temporal needs and pray.” This should always be the attitude of those at home toward those who carry the message to the uttermost parts.

Now that we have a more clearly defined direction, we will continue to send out regular updates so you will be able to share in this walk with us. We are planning to arrive in Montana on April 8th 2016. We have been so encouraged by the faithful prayers and giving recently and it has shown us that God has us in his hands every step of the way. Thank you so much for being a part of the team in Browning! It is going to be so exciting to be a part of what Christ is doing right here in our own back yard.

1Chron 16:24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!