Early this month the pastor of the church we attend asked if he could take an extended leave of absence. The pastor is young & feels like he is burning out. He asked if I could help with the church during his absence. I had been helping out at the church since moving to the UAE but this was very unexpected. Please pray for the pastor & for the church....and me!

 

God is constantly amazing us about how many opportunities He will present. From meeting people on the street & the supermarket to networking with other churches & organizations. In July we have not only continued our ministerial activities, but have also been invited by several Christian groups in the area to join with them in their efforts to make Christ known through mobilization & training. The Great Commission is not a task can possibly be completed by one denomination or only part of the body of Christ. It will take us all working together. We rejoice at these open doors & pray for strength & wisdom to know which ones God wants us to walk through. The possibilities here are limitless but we want to make sure we are guided by His hand.

 

As we mentioned in the note we sent out a few weeks ago, due to our declining budget we will need to return to the US to begin fundraising. Our residence visa only permits us to be out of the UAE for no more than 5 1/2 months straight. Any longer & we lose our visas. So we will return to the US on December 9 and stay through May 31. If we are unable to raise the support we need in that time, we will need to return to the UAE for a couple of weeks & then return to the US for another 5 1/2 months. Please pray for our schedule & that we will be able to raise all the funds needed to sustain us on the field for a minimum of 2 years. Although it is still several months away, if your church would like for to us to visit while we are in the US, please contact us as soon as possible by emailing us at vancecogwm@yahoo.com or karimassengill@yahoo.com... or simply respond to this email.

Today, Kari and I celebrate 20 years of marriage, of which 18 have been spent on the mission field. We have lived in 6 countries & served in dozens more. There is no way 20 years ago as students at Lee could we have guessed  all the places and people God would be put in our path. We could have never asked Him for more. We have never requested riches or possessions. The treasure of serving Him, and the people He has allowed us to share our lives with is more priceless than anything this world will ever have to offer. We can only pray that the next 20 years will be as wonder as the last 20.

Thank you all for everything you do for us. Your prayers and support mean far more than you could ever know. Reaching the unreached only happens by the whole church fulfilling its Biblical responsibility by engaging in its role in God's redemptive plan for the world.