God Can Do WAY MORE - December 2012 Newsletter

 

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20-21

 

God Can Do WAY MORE!

 

 

I (Leah) was reminded of this verse halfway through this past semester, and I was hit with this thought, “God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. What do I ask for? What have I been imagining?” I realized that day that we can easily be the limiting factor for God to work even greater things to happen! God has such amazing plans – are we on board for them to happen?

About two years ago, we planned a Connect to have free pizza, a game, and a couple testimonies that shared the Gospel. We had prayed for at least one person to come to know Christ personally. That night, Alex came for free pizza, and a couple days later accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation from sins!! Malcolm has worked with him one-on-one since then, so he holds a very close place in our hearts. Now Alex is leaving to go back home to Florida for school. Please pray for Alex as he transitions to life away from consistent, loving atmosphere to follow Christ. Pray that he can share Jesus with others, especially his family.

About three years ago, we had a retreat where Ashlie came for the first time. After hearing all this talk about having a relationship with Christ, Ashlie asked a student, “What would you share with someone who wanted that?” My friend, Hedy, went through the Gospel with her, thinking she was training Ashlie to share it with someone else. In reality, when Hedy went over the prayer at the end, Ashlie told God she was a sinner and wanted God to have control of her life! Since then, Ashlie has grown into a mature woman and a budding leader. After two summers serving at Walt Disney World in Florida, she has decided to go back again for her first semester after graduating from Fort Lewis College. I had the pleasure to not only watch Ashlie grow, but walk along side her and challenge her the past year in discipleship. Pray for her as she works and shares the Gospel at Disney, and as she adjusts to life outside of college!

About four years ago, I was just starting my internship with Master Plan Ministries. I had met a feisty freshman, named Mollie, who wanted to really to live for Christ. This last semester was the last semester I had with her before she left on another adventure on a sailboat in the Caribbean. At her last Connect she presented in her farewell speech, “I’ve learned a lot through these past few years of college, but I think I can sum up most of what I learned in three main points. One: It’s ALL about God – everything comes back to Him. Two: Give all the glory to Him. Three: Never give less than 100%.” I couldn’t be more proud of Mollie! Pray for her last semester on the sea to be fruitful and safe, and that God will show her what He wants her to do after college.

Though we are excited about what God has done in the lives of students, we are more excited to see what He has in store next! We are already seeing and expecting God to do immeasurably more than what He has already done on campus and in the lives of these students.

 

Prayer Requests

-       PRAISE GOD!!! The policy has been reviewed and changed – evangelism is protected and no longer limited on campus!! Thank you SO MUCH for praying! Pray that next semester we can go out strong to share the Gospel with the entire campus!

-       We have 11 students signed up to go to Denver Christmas Conference! Pray that they can raise the money they need in order to go. The school has provided a charitable sum to help them pay for the conference, but they still need a little more. If you’re interested in helping them, please contact us ASAP. Pray also that they will learn a lot during their time their, and that the conference will spur those students going to be excited to reach their campus next semester.

-       Pray that our students will be safe over their Christmas break, not only from snow, but also from temptations that come from home. Pray that they will instead be rested and excited for the next semester to go all out for God!

 

A Special Request

As the year comes to a close we look back at God’s abundant provision in our lives and we cannot help but praise Him! We have not once gone hungry, and have had all of our needs met every time. Without you these stories of students’ lives being completely changed by Christ would be far harder.  We thank God for your prayer and support in making all of that happen. Nonetheless. things rise up that are unexpected costs and expenses.  Here are a few things that you can prayerfully considered giving a special end of the year gift to.

-Car maintenance: Both of our cars are in need of new sets of tires for the winter. And the Suburban is in need of a new battery.

-DCC: We are going and need your help to get there so that we can lead and encourage the students.

May we ask you specifically pray about giving a special end of the year gift of $50, $100, or $500 to be put towards these needs?  Thank you for considering this. If you give, whatever the amount you decide is great, and all gifts are tax deductible. 

To give go to www.masterplanministries.net and go to the donate page and click Malcolm and Leah.  Or send a check written to Master Plan Ministries at P.O. Box 1082 Durango, CO 81302

 

Our Passions for HIS Glory - July 2012 Newsletter

 

“…if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”

Colossians 1:23

 

Our Passions for HIS Glory

 

As Leah and I walk through our first full summer together, we find that expectations can crop up everywhere.  For example, we were wanting to make sure we were well rested, recuperating from the past school year, and able to do ministry the way we have wanted to over the summer. These were difficult to keep balanced, but it has been a great learning experience, especially for me (Malcolm).

This summer brought more challenges than the school year in some ways. I got the chance to step out of my comfort zone of being in a leadership role when Leah and I got to lead the evangelism team at Night Vision. The time and energy spent there was great, and all the effort was not a loss as we learned just the other day that over 100 people gave their lives to Christ at the event.  Praise God for His faithfulness in working in people’s hearts! God exceedingly showed how faithful He can be if we are just willing to get out and let him work. I’m in awe of how God can take all of our insecurities and make them disappear and loose all meaning compared to watching people come into a saving relationship with Christ. Thank you for your prayers and help!

Almost as soon as the show was done, we were off Denver as we had planned a climbing trip with the three interns we have this summer. The purpose of this trip was to go climb and share the gospel with climbers we met (and, at least for Leah and I, to learn how to plan and lead some sort of trip).  We really want to learn how to use the things we are passionate about for the glory of God’s name.

One story of the week was when we were working on a boulder problem with about 6 other people at the same time, learning about them as we climbed.  After a couple of hours the conversation about God naturally came up and we had a full blown conversation about whether or not God was perfect and whether Christ was the only way to go to heaven. For me, there is nothing more exciting then talking to people about Christ while climbing!

We had a very fun week as we got to go to Boulder and Mt Evans for climbing, and Rocky Mountain National Park, Water World, and a Rockies Game for some relaxing good times.  I’m blown away with the blessings that God have given us.  We got to spend a week in some of the most beautiful places, enjoyed God’s creation and sharing the best news ever with people that desperately need him.  As always the first time you do something there is always kinks and quirks to work out, but overall I came away thinking these trips could be very successful in the future. 

Sharing the Gospel at Night Vision

 

Prayer Requests

 

-       Pray for those who received Christ at Night Vision, and for the staff who are following up with all of them!!

-       Pray for our students – freshmen move in  August 23^rd, our big kick off BBQ is August 25^th, and classes begin August 27^th!! Pray that our students will come back ready to serve, and that students and staff will get the chance to reach as many people as possible and quickly as possible.

-       Pray for us as we leave August 14^th for our last trip for the summer! We’re bummed because we’ll be gone for all the beginning activities (we’re returning August 27^th), but we’re so excited to get a fun vacation AND get to see some dear friends get married August 25^th in Oregon!! Pray that we will have a safe trip, and also come back ready to go hard on campus for the 2012-13 school year!!

-       Thank you to all of you who have been sending us prayer requests!! Please know we’re praying for you all.

 

Eternally Significant - May 2012 Newsletter

 

“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Eternally Significant

 

Has fear ever kept you from doing more in life? Has it kept you from living a life of adventure and fun? Has it kept you from living out the Great Commission? We believe that fear is one of the most, if not the most, debilitating factor to keep people from living the abundant life Jesus promised His followers in John 10:10.

This year, we had 19 students from all over the United States come to Crush Fear (a two week project in Durango, CO) for one simple reason:

They were tired of living in fear!

Master Plan staff put these students through a myriad of activities where they had to choose to either run from the things that scared them, or walk through their fear trusting that Jesus would take care of them. From physical fears (like heights) to personal fears (like being alone and confrontation) to ministry fears (like evangelism), these students trusted Christ through everything we threw at them!

Malcolm and I wish we could tell you all the amazing stories from those two weeks, but we only have time for one to give you a glimpse.

On our last day of sharing our faith on the streets of Durango, Malcolm and I decided to take a risk and take our carload of students to the tiny town of Silverton (about 30 minutes from Cascade Lodge). I got to be paired with a girl named Laura, and after having a difficult time trying to share with tourist, God led us to some locals to share the Gospel with.

Laura and I saw a couple guys sitting on their porch talking, and Laura boldly went up to them and asked if they wanted to take a spiritual picture survey (Soularium). After a while of talking, it was brought out that just the day before they were in a crazy situation where, as they said it, “it had to have been God that saved them.” Laura took the opportunity and asked, “Well, would you like to know this God who saved you?” They both said, “Yeah! That would be great!” I am so excited to let you know that you have a new brother in Christ today, because Laura boldly stepped out by faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to live out the Great Commission in her life!!

Later that night, Laura commented on the day by saying,

“ I did the most eternally significant thing of my life today.”

Laura, along with so many other students, caught Jesus’ heart and mission for what is truly worth investing in now that will last into eternity.

 

Prayer Requests

 

-       The first week of June we had the honor of attending Master Plan Ministries’ very first New Staff (and old staff too) Training at Three Trails Ranch (the property that the ministry has been spending the last three years working on to become functional). We had a great time getting to know our 10 new staff people that has come on within the last year, and being trained up in ministry. Please pray for these new staff for God to bring in their monthly financial needs so they can get on campus as soon as possible!

-       Night Vision 2012 in Olathe, CO, is July 13-14!! Please keep us in prayer as we prepare for the event to share the Gospel with as many people as possible. We need volunteers to help us, and we would also love for YOU to join us! Contact us soon for more details, or register to volunteer at nightvisionphm.com

-       Pray for Malcolm and I as we trust God with our busy summer of travels and support maintenance.

-       We are praying for you – so let us know if there is anything specific we can be praying for!! We love you all, and are so blessed to have you has partners to prepare others to reach and influence the world for Christ!!!

 Crush Fear Pictures

Back in the Saddle Again - Jan/Feb Newsletter

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Romans 12:9-15

 

Back in the Saddle Again…

What a crazy and amazing start back to full-time campus ministry! We feel like we have been sprinting since December, but this has been the most rewarding month and a half!

Though we have been busy with event after event (weekly meetings, a snow day, a retreat, Angel and Mortals), the best stuff has been happening in our day-to-day interactions with students. We have been so excited to be able to share the Good News of how Jesus changed our lives. Not only that, but we are encouraging our students in our discipleship appointments to be bold in their lives – whether it means to stop walking in sin or to take that step of obedience to share Jesus with someone else. 

With all the joy of living in obedience to what God has called His people to also come the spiritual attacks from our enemy who would like nothing more than to keep the Gospel from spreading. We have seen small dissentions between staff, between us as a couple, and also in the students. We have seen some of our students go from walking strong with Christ to walking the line of sin. The best way I can describe it is we’re battling to make Romans 12 active in our daily lives, and the enemy doesn’t like that!

But what is so great to see is how God is sovereign and overcomes evil. We fight hard to keep seeking the Lord, keep seeking peace amongst each other, and keep letting God’s Truth reign over our feelings and circumstances! Thank you for all your prayers – God is doing big stuff on campus, and He’s definitely not done yet!! 

Stepping Out in Faith

 

Anne is a junior transfer student, and she has been such a wonderful addition to our group this year! She got to go to the Denver Christmas Conference, and had an amazing opportunity while there. Here is her story.

“On New Year’s Eve, we were sent out into the heart of downtown Denver to evangelize. We started by doing a flash mob across eight blocks. An hour later, we lined the street again for a massive wave and invited bystanders to join us. Across the street stood a high school girl, Eva, who ran over to join us. Afterwards, I finally decided to break the ice by asking her a few questions and talking to her about her background in Christianity. For the first time that night we met someone who didn’t believe in God. She asked us a lot of deep questions, allowing us to provide truth for her. At the end of our time together we exchanged numbers and offered to meet with her again before leaving Denver.

“The following day I received a text message from Eva asking if we could still hang out. Once we agreed to meet for lunch, she also asked to join some of the conference activities for the day. Along with all the other college students she helped us package 100,000 meals for Haiti and listened to a guest speaker during women’s time talk about shame. Afterwards we were able to learn more about her at dinner and she joined us again for the main session, which involved 1300 college students praising Jesus through song and an incredible talk by the main speaker.

“During campus time that night I was able to share my story about Eva with the rest of the students and staff from Master Plan Ministry. In the middle of discussion, I received a text message from Eva asking if we could talk. She proceeded to pour out her past to me, and the pain she felt from it. I was able to offer her healing and love through God’s love. I am thankful and filled with joy to tell you that she accepted Christ that night.”

 

Changed Lives

Chris is a sophomore this year, and we were so excited to have him share his testimony at our last retreat. He has graciously let us share his testimony with all of you!

“Even though I went to church growing up every Sunday, I thought of it as more of an obligation or job and didn’t truly see God for who he is and what he did. Through junior high and high school I felt this empty gap in my heart and resorted to drinking. This brought me to college where I drank too much one night and ended up in the hospital.

“Through everything that happened, I felt like God gave me life again. He saved me. A few weeks later, I met a few guys, who were a part of a ministry on campus in Durango called Connect. They ended up inviting me to a retreat taking place that month. Here I saw the true love of God and I realized how much I needed it in my life. Through all the talks and discussions, I saw I needed to surrender my life to Christ.

“I am so thankful to this day for everyone in connect and showing me the love of God and brining me to a life with Christ. If it weren’t for that first retreat, I probably would never have given my life to God.  I thank God every day for the people in my life that showed me how much I needed his grace and love.”

  

Prayer Requests

Thank you all so much for praying! We have been so blessed to have so many people praying for us and for the students.

-       Pray for Megan, Jeremy, Brandon, Halley, Chris, Nick, Dan, Richie, and all the other students that need Jesus in their lives as their personal Lord and Savior – and that we can have an opportunity to share with them as much as we can.

-       Pray that our students will continue to be bold in their walks with God by living out the great commission and walking in the light of truth.

-       For a student, Alex, and his family who are grieving the loss of his brother and their son who committed suicide a few weeks ago.

-       Pray that us on staff will be continually encouraged by God’s Truth, and that we will work together as a team

-       Pray that we will continue to work together in unity as a couple, and that God will continue to be bold in sharing the Gospel. 

Master Plan Students (from every campus) at DCC

Playing broom ball at the Ranch Snow Day

Sledding at the February Retreat

Rugby in the snow

Valentine's Day/ Angels and Mortals Connect