We appreciate your patience in regards to waiting on this newsletter. We had a lot of ministry obligations toward the beginning of this month, and thought it best to wait until those were complete so we could include them in this report. As usual, we have been seeing much progress in the preparation sphere of things, and feel strongly that the Lord is indeed preparing us in more ways than we could have ever imagined as opportunity's arise in abundance.
Ministry Update:
We were able to take a much-needed vacation alongside one of our supporting churches this month. They had planned since early February to take their small congregation on a church retreat to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky and asked if we were willing to come alongside of them. Trenton prepared a message, and we had a wonderful time learning more about the Bible and growing in relationship with them.
The day after we returned, our church held its very first Outreach event which was a Fall Festival complete with Blue Grass Music from the Paul Family. We had a very good turnout, including over forty people who do not regularly attend the church, and we are looking forward to starting work on a community Christmas play which we hope brings about a similar result.
The following weeks were spent catching up with some of our other supporting churches. Following the pause we had over the course of this summer due to unexpected difficulties arising, we have found it best to start from ground zero so as to keep our supporters in the loop with where we are in regards to ministry and moving forward. On September 27th we met with the pastor of Harbor Church in East Tawas and were able to see their brand new church building that the Lord has blessed them with. And on October 8th, we were able to visit E-free Church of Gaylord and share our ministry there.
E-free Church of Gaylord, Michigan began supporting us back in January. But, due to bad weather, our meeting with them was cancelled until just this past week. They are a very active church and are working on planting a church in Alpena, Michigan very soon. We had a great time meeting with Joy and her husband and are super thankful for their encouragement and hospitality!
During the week of October 1-8, we had many ministry events to note. First, on October 8th, our home church officially launched its upcoming short term mission trip to Uganda with Denny and Cassie Nuwagaba returning for a visit to introduce what exactly the team will be doing and when. The trip is scheduled for January of 2025, and Hanna has been nominated to work alongside two others in mapping out all the details.
On October 7th, our worship team had the opportunity to perform at the Impact Music Festival in Hale, Michigan.
And, on October 1st, our discipleship group traveled down to New Philadelphia, Ohio for the LFBI Certainty Conference where we sat under four days of preaching in regards to reaching the next generation with the Gospel of Christ. We got to meet some of our instructors, and connect with other missionaries and/or pastors. We also grew in relationship with those on our discipleship team and we returned feeling closer than ever. It was a life-changing week that left us spiritually exhausted, but ultimately stronger and more prepared to do the job we have been called to do.
Life/Health Update:
Traveling as much as we have this past month, Hanna has had a difficult time finding things she can eat while on this strict treatment plan. However, the Lord has blessed and she has been able to keep on track with things as she looks forward to her first procedure the beginning of November. After this procedure, they will put her back on one major food group and repeat the process over the course of another eight weeks. She is not looking to be done with the treatment until the middle to end of next year.
On The Field:
This month, the Australian Institute of Theology officially launched in Glenwood, New South Wales, which seeks to prepare teachers of God's Word to fill pulpits across the continent. It is provided through the efforts of lead pastor Dr. Andrew Curtis at Emmanuel Baptist Church, the largest church currently active in Australia. Down in Wollongong, New South Wales, Matt and Barb Douglas are continuing to seek volunteers for their upcoming Olympic Ministry Program. The program seeks to reach attendees and athletes alike at the Olympic Games being held in Paris next year. If you or anyone you know are interested in finding out how you can participate, visit https://seeolympics.com/ or contact me directly.
Prayer Requests:
Pray for some changes that are going on in our ministry. We are looking to set up some meetings this month to get things figured out. But please be in prayer for God to do His will through us as we move forward.
Pray for our next church visit on November 5th. We will be traveling down to Ohio and will be visiting Hanna's sister on the way back up to Michigan.
Pray for Trenton's job. He went back up to full-time a few months ago so that we can pay off our house faster, and he is seeing a lot of his employees come to him with questions about God and the Bible. He has had a tremendous ministry there as of late, so pray that the Lord would continue to give Him clarity of mind as the questions arise.
Pray for Hanna's treatment for her autoimmune disease. She has a long way to go and it has been somewhat difficult to work around with a busy schedule.
As usual, pray for Australia, that the Lord would not only prepare us to serve Him there, but that He would call others as well. AUSTRALIA NEEDS MISSIONARIES!
Praises:
Praise for all the opportunities for growth and praise that the Lord gives us the courage and endurance to say "yes" to them!
Praise for safe travels as we headed down to Kentucky and Ohio. Praise also for the people we got to do it with! We are truly blessed!
Praise for our supporting churches. They have all been so encouraging to us even through the difficult times we faced this year. Even when things seemed out of control they continued to believe in God's call on our lives, and that means so much!
Support Status:
Our one-time moving fund is currently at 64%
Our monthly support is currently at 20%
If you or anyone you know would like to support us with a one-time gift or monthly, visit abwe.org/shields.
Want to learn more about Australia and the need for missionaries there?
Shields International Ministries | In partnership with ABWE Australia
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