God's Lost Sheep FOUND!! - February 2013 Newsletter

“Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost my sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Luke 15:6-7

 

God’s Lost Sheep – FOUND!!

 

Praise God!! PRAISE GOD!!! This has been such a month for rejoicing and praising God!! Some of you who get our emails have heard how two people have come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and this last week we just learned of a third!!! We can’t help but praise God for the work He’s doing on campus!!

Chris, a junior that Malcolm disciples, prayed for his friends back in Fort Collins to come to know God at a prayer meeting earlier in the month. A day or two later Chris’ friend, Blayden, was sharing with Chris how he had come to believe that God exists. Chris was stoked just to see God answering prayer and was going to share the Gospel with him over spring break. Nate (on staff with us) heard that and quickly encouraged Chris to call Blayden and share the Gospel with him before spring break. That very night, Chris called Blayden, shared the Gospel, and Blayden received Christ as Lord of His life!!

Since then, Blayden has been in contact with Chris and asking him questions about his new found faith. He has been back and forth about whether he wants to follow God or not. Pray that Blayden will continue to grow up in Christ and find fellowship in the Fort Collins area.

This semester Stephanie has been asking Gigi if she would be interested in getting together to talk, and, after a little hesitation, she finally met up and loved her time with Stephanie, asking, “Can we do this every week?” The next week that they met up, Stephanie shared the Gospel with Gigi, and she accepted Christ!! Please pray that Gigi will get involved in fellowship and will grow in her newfound life in Christ!

A couple weeks ago Malcolm told many of you about Junior, a guy that he and a couple other leaders approached in spiritual conversation and got to share the Gospel with. Malcolm and Robert (one of the leaders) got a chance this last week to meet up with him again and see where he was at in accepting Christ. As it turns out, he prayed the prayer that Malcolm presented when they had last met! Malcolm got to share Revelation 3:20 with Junior, and he was so excited to know that Jesus really wanted a personal relationship with him! Pray for Junior in his new faith, and for he and Robert to continue to meet up weekly.

We are SO EXCITED to see God answering prayers, providing opportunities, and people stepping out in faith!!! Pray that these new believers will be followed up with and encouraged to follow Christ. And pray that we will keep having opportunities to share Jesus with more people at Fort Lewis College!

Prayer Requests

 

-       Pray that we can continue to meet people and boldly share the Gospel to the lost at Fort Lewis College!! And pray that hearts will soften to God and accept Christ as Lord more and more.

-       Pray for students to balance their time well between school and ministry, and that busyness won’t blind them from the opportunities to share Jesus with FLC.

-       Pray for those that we have shared Christ with this past month to keep remembering the truth shared with them, and to keep seeking God. And, of course, pray that they come to know Christ.

-       Pray for our health and “ministry stamina” in the last couple months of the school year. Though we are excited for all God is doing, we are also feeling the mid-semester “drag”. I also have been having some small health issues, and some prayers for healing and wisdom on what to do next would be greatly appreciated.

-       We are also going to be the project directors for Crush Fear this May, and could use your prayers as we tackle this next step in trusting God.

Katarina gave her testimony and her first talk at her first combined retreat

Josh serenading the girls on Valentine's Day

Witnesses to Changed Lives - September 2012 Newsletter

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

Witnesses to Lives Changed

 

One reason people love fall is for the change that happens – the air, the smells, and especially the colors on the trees. But one change that we have been privileged to witness is the change in the students. And just like the oncoming of a new season, these students have been transforming right before our eyes.

I (Leah) met with two girls on two separate occasions at the beginning of the semester for one specific reason – to find out where they were with God. One professed to me, “I would really like to look into different religions this year.” The other said, “I really don’t want to follow God cause it’s been so boring for me.” Now, a little over a month into the year, the first told me recently, “I learned at the retreat how God shouldn’t be just someone I go to just when I need Him, but someone I need to follow every day.” While the other girl asked me later that same day, “How do I seek after God? What should I do?” (These were all paraphrases from our conversations we had.) As you can see, a complete 180º!!

Malcolm has seen two lives change before his eyes this last month. One was an encounter with a new student named Ray, with whom Malcolm got to share the Gospel and bring this young man to a point of decision. His reply to this invitation was, “This is something I’m definitely interested in, but I don’t want to quite yet.” Malcolm has tried to meet up with him again, but hasn’t had the chance to. Please pray for Ray, and that Malcolm will get another chance to meet up with him to see where he is at with God.

The other transformed life is our good friend, Chris. Chris is now a junior at Fort Lewis. When we met him his freshmen year, he was so quiet and shy he barely spoke to people. This year he is leading a bible study on campus, sharing his faith and taking other steps in becoming a leader. He certainly has a heart of gold, and it’s a pleasure to watch God change him over the last few years!!

 We praise God for all that He has done!!! We thank Him for calling us and using us to be His tools to live out the Great Commission here at Fort Lewis College. And we thank Him for providing us YOU – our faithful team and partners in the Gospel – so we can be here to work alongside His amazing work!!

 

Prayer Requests

 

-       Please pray for the administration at FLC: A new solicitation policy has limited (but NOT eliminated) our ability to share the Gospel on campus. Though we are still able to meet people and get into conversations, it has made it difficult to do so. Please pray that this can change, but in the mean time still be able to share boldly with the whole campus! And pray that we can keep making and maintaining good relationships with those in the administrative positions.

-       Pray for the new students: Many new students, who came to events at the beginning of the year, have already dropped off from Christian fellowship. Pray that not only for them, but also for those who are involved to make the right friendships that will encourage them towards Christ.

-       Pray for our leaders: Our leaders have busy schedules, but are devoting themselves to serving despite their workloads and long hours on campus. Pray that they have time to not only be diligent in their schoolwork, but also to be able to rest and invest in others on campus.

-       Pray for us: Malcolm and I have loved being on campus, but we also haven’t had many nights or weekends free. Pray that we get time to rest here and there. And, overall, have Christ’s strength in our weakness, and His wisdom in the work He has called us to.

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

Praise the Lord! - April 2012 Newsletter

 

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced…”

1 Chronicles 16:8-12

Thinking Back with Praise

 

Praise the Lord for this year!! We have finished another school year, and when we look back we can’t do anything except thank God for what He accomplished. Between the students we worked with and the staff, we have guessed that around 400 students on our campus have heard the Gospel, and over 30 people (either in our ministry or through the students in our ministry) made decisions for Christ this school year!! That’s more than either of us have seen, even while we were students!

Not only that, but the students have taken tremendous steps in their walks with God. From making the decision to be baptized, to sharing their testimony in front of a group (or a church service), putting together talks, leading bible studies, leading in various areas within the ministry – we were so blessed for the people God put in our path this year.

In this newsletter, we just want to tell you some exciting stories from this past semester – join with us as we look back at all that God accomplished our first semester on campus!!

(L to R) Clara, Jamie, and Shawnee at our end of the year BBQ

 

Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Shawnee was somewhat involved last semester – attending Connect, Cross training, and other events. By the looks of her, we all assumed she was a Christ-follower. But finally someone decided not to assume anything, and shared the Gospel with her. After taking a couple days at home to think through the information shared with her, Shawnee returned beaming with sharing that she surrendered her life to Jesus!

Watching Shawnee grow in the Lord this semester has been a great joy to everyone she encounters. Not long after personally receiving Jesus into her life, she began actively praying for her family to know Jesus, and has been sharing with them the same Good News that changed her life.

One of my (Leah) last times with Shawnee before she left was talking about her day, and she shared with me how she had this great quiet time that morning. Then she told me, “I can’t wait for the summer. Half an hour isn’t long enough to spend time with God. I really want at least an hour to read and study.” After talking some more about our walks with God, she told me, “I love our lifestyle!” She loves being a Christian, and it truly shows! Pray for Shawnee as she’s home this summer, especially for her spiritual growth and sharing with her family.

Senior's Night/ Last Connect of the Year

 

Reaching the Campus for Christ

Brandon, who just completed his junior year, shared this story with us:

“I had to present in front of my [psychology] class ‘My Career after College’ so I presented about college ministry. We had to give a definition what our career was and current topics discussed in the chosen career. I explained ministry. Then I said, ‘the current topic in ministry is “How to Know God Personally".’ I then shared my memorized version of the 4 points to knowing God personally (He loves you, we sin & are separated from knowing Him personally, Jesus bridged that gap, we must respond personally to his grace through faith in prayer). Basically, I had 10 minutes to share the gospel with my whole class. I don't fully know their response, but I like the quote, ‘Take the initiative through the power of the Holy Spirit and trust the results to God.’”

 

Prayer Requests

The next month is BUSY full of very exciting things. Thank you for your prayers!

-       We are excited to let you all know that Malcolm and I are moving to a new apartment! We hope new place will be better for ministering to the students, especially the climbers. Pray that we can move quickly and efficiently into the new place, which is happening before Crush Fear.

-       Crush Fear begins May 14^th (the students arrive May 16^th) through May 30^th. Students from all over the U.S. are coming to Durango for two weeks to walk through and crush fears in ministry, personal, etc. so they can live fruitful lives in obedience to God. Pray for staff and students alike as we prepare and walk through this project. Pray for protection, perseverance, and growth.

-       Pray for our student’s summer. That while they’re home that they will find fellowship and grow on their own. We also have many students leaving for summer projects (mission trips) for at least a couple weeks out of their summers. Most will be in Colorado, but we do have one student going to be “student staff” with Cru at Walt Disney World, and one going to Northern Africa. All of them have funds that they still need to raise. Pray for them as they raise the rest of their funds, prepare for their trips, and grow in their walks with God. If you would like more information on their trips and their financial needs, visit our website.

Our New Mailing Address:

Malcolm and Leah Hillewaert

75 Misty Lane #3

Durango, CO 81301

NIGHT VISION 2012

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY  

 

Night Vision is a 2-day concert in Olathe, CO, July 13-14^th. We have been given the unique opportunity to join with the Praise Him Ministries (PHM) staff to go around the festival and share the Gospel with people! Spreading the Gospel is the biggest passion of PHM, and is one of the biggest reasons they even put on the concert. If you would like to join us volunteering by sharing your faith, then contact us for more information, or visit nightvisionphm.com to learn more about the concert, PHM, or how to volunteer.