Health Update

I (Naomi) was given an injection that contained epinephrine. This drug, unfortunately, reactivated my Epstein Barr Virus and has caused my Mono symptoms to return. Joint pain and fatigue came back in full force. I was able to see a Nurse Practitioner who suffers from Epstein Barr herself. She has gotten me on some wonderful supplements that have greatly reduced my joint pain. I am still struggling with fatigue and am relying on an afternoon nap to get me through the daily demands of life and motherhood. Zack has had to take over the majority of chauffeuring of our kids, as driving is especially exhausting to me. We would appreciate prayer, as this has felt like a very discouraging setback. 

Friends for Dinner

One wonderful blessing for me that has come out of this pandemic era is zoom prayer meetings. Even though I’m not physically able to drive and attend an in person prayer meeting, I can attend, lead, or host a zoom prayer meeting.

A Bridges staff member on the UT team recently asked me to host prayer for their Thanksgiving outreach called “Friends for Dinner.” This is a hospitality program that partners International students with American Christian hosts for the Thanksgiving holiday, in the hopes that friendships will be built and the love of Christ shared with these precious students. I was very excited to hear that the UT team is using an EveryInternational video (below) that Zack produced to train their hosts:

It features our friend and former Houston Bridges Teammate, Blake Ackerson. He has some wonderful wisdom to share about hosting an international in your home.

If you live here in Austin, the UT team is still looking for Americans to host. Please reply to this email if you are interested, and I can send you info. The sign up deadline is Sunday, 11/14 at midnight.
Please pray…
-Total healing for Naomi
-That God would enable Zack to be productive with video editing and handle driving duties for the family
-More UT students and American hosts would sign up for the Friends for Dinner program
-Deep friendships would be built that would lead the Internationals one step closer to trusting Christ
-Hosts would gain a vision for reaching the nations that have come to us

Thank you for your prayers and partnership in ministry.

It has been almost 8 weeks and Naomi is still not entirely well yet. She has suffered from lingering joint pain and fatigue since we last wrote. Both of these are symptoms of Covid-19, even though both her nasal swab and antibody tests were negative. Naomi’s doctor told her that they are seeing false negatives for people with “minor” symptoms. If it was a false negative, God was merciful in delaying the test results 6 days because we masked and social distanced during the wait. I (Zack) never got sick. The kids and I are all just fine, health-wise.

Recently, Naomi’s joint pain has turned to joint stiffness with off and on pain, so she is making some improvement. Please pray for a quick total and complete healing! This season of sickness had been very hard on our family.

Some exciting news we want to share: a publisher is interested in the Christian sci-fi novel I wrote. At a virtual writer’s conference last month, I got to pitch my book to different publishers over Zoom calls. They were each presented with a synopsis and proposal, and one of them (a major Christian publisher you would recognize) requested to read the full manuscript. Honestly, this was a huge surprise, and we’re all thrilled. I have a few more rounds of editing to finish before sending it off, and then it has to pass through several approval stages. But it’s an exciting start!

Please pray for this next phase to go well, and ultimately for this novel to impact the lives of teens and college students for Christ. My goal is for this novel to be in circulation by the time Annalei (13) is midway through high school.

Thank you for your prayers and partnership in ministry.

1. Overall – That the weather will not be a factor in getting students to the conference or in affecting the conference experience on-site (The possibility of a lot of snow in Denver could affect these things.) 
2. Promise – Praise God that Philippians 3:12-14 provides eternal perspective, giving us the right motivation to set our journey towards Jesus.
3. Ambassadors – That participants will learn a lot about different cultures and have courage to engage new friends with the gospel
4. Chinese – That God will direct all of the speakers as they prepare their messages. May the Lord speak through them to stir the minds and touch the hearts of Chinese participants. 
5. Children of Abraham (COA) – For God to bring 70 COA seeker delegates
6. Multi-Nations – That God will help Joel as he works through the registration process and grouping of people; that the Spirit will put just the right combinations of people together
7. South Asian – For wisdom on how to best use the time we have within the South Asian track, and that God’s ‘best’ will be clear
8. Partners – Participants will have clear direction of how to put into practice what they have learned during Vision to reach internationals  
9. Promise – Read Philippians 2:5-11 and praise God that Jesus went on a very specific journey to save us and bring us near.
10. Ambassadors – That the “Honor Restored” tool training will propel students deeper into their relationships with friends from honor/shame cultures
11. Chinese – That the sessions will provide participants with authentic community and there will be meaningful spiritual discussions.
12. COA – For wisdom in thinking through what locations we will challenge the believers to be sent, and that they will respond to our challenge by going on summer missions in the US and abroad
13. Multi-Nations – That God will bring students into his grandeur story through Mult-Nations and that they will be a channel of blessings to others
14. South Asian – That our speakers will hear from God, as they prepare for their teaching sessions
15. Overall – That the final details of the conference will come together to allow for a smooth experience for everyone involved so that the focus can be on helping students know God better
16. Promise – Praise God that according to Psalm 37:23-24 those who trust in the Lord will be led by God on the best journey. Even though there will be difficulties, the Lord will protect them.
17. Ambassadors – That students will sign up for everyinternational.com and engage even more volunteers to serve with them
18. Chinese – That Chinese believers will be moved to take steps of faith to serve God on their campus, community and to the world. We specifically pray that many students will be compelled to sign up to participate on the Chinese missions over the summer – Boston or East Asia
19. COA – That the planning team for the retreat for believers following Vision will have wisdom and insight regarding a good location that accommodates all their needs, and that deep relationships and connections will be formed among all those who participate
20. Multi-Nations – That God will be pleased and honored in every way so He gets all the glory
21. South Asian – Ask the Spirit to create a sense of belonging within the SAN track, and remove any hindrances to the gospel being clearly understood.
22. Partners – That God will work through the delegates in the Partners’ track to make Christ known to internationals and mobilize others to do the same
23. Promise – Praise God for His amazing promise in Isaiah 40:28-31 to give strength to those who wait upon Him in their journey.
24. Chinese – That the New Year’s dinner event will be a wonderful time of celebration, connection, and challenge. May the believers have boldness, faith and love as they communicate the gospel to seekers. May seekers understand and respond to the gospel.
25. Merry Christmas! – Enjoy the Christ of Christmas today and seek for opportunities to make Him known among the nations!  Praise God that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).  Pray that those coming to Vision 2018 who are unsure of where their journey in life will end will leave knowing how they can be sure according to I John 5:11-13.  
26. COA – That nothing will hinder those who registered from being able to arrive safely and really listen to what God is speaking to them during the conference.
27. Staff Arrival – For good health and travel safely for staff arriving today and delegates tomorrow.  Some are on buses and vans that are traveling long distances and others on planes, so pray for good weather conducive to travel.  Pray that every student who comes will take a significant step forward in his/her spiritual journey.
28. Day 1 – For all to feel welcomed, a smooth registration process using local volunteers, with adequate housing for all, a good start for the on-site prayer team, and a great opening session with Dr. Douglas Shaw, followed by stud-dents being introduced to their track—and for all to be a foretaste of Revelation 7:9-10.
29. Day 2 – Ask God for great interaction during the track times, an enjoyable time touring in Denver (with no one getting lost), and Andree Yee creatively developing Peter’s journey of faith during the evening program.  Pray for God to orchestrate some great connections and fun during the variety of choices for Community Night.
30. Day 3 – Pray that momentum will build in the track times.  Ask God to allow all to feel personally cared for during the campus time.  Also pray for Andree Yee to continue the story of Peter’s faith journey during the evening program plus a good follow-up to that in the track times.
31. Day 4 – This will be the longest day of the conference.  Ask God to use Ana Schrader as she challenges believing students to live on mission.  Pray God will use his talk to call many to participate on a spring or summer mission. Pray for another meaningful time touring Denver.  Some tracks will have special closing banquets and some will also have outreach parties where believers will share their faith with seekers.  Pray for receptive hearts to the gospel. Pray too that the New Year’s Eve party and talent show will be a fun way to end 2018 and begin 2019.

January 1 – Day 5 – Ask God to grant safely in travel home.  Also pray for a chance to continue conversations that began at Vision 2018 and the ability to process all that was learned.

January 2 – Rest for all and a chance to reflect on and share with friends what was learned.  Ask God for believers to share their faith with others as a way of life and seekers to continue seeking truth.  Pray that movements of spiritual multiplication will be raised up on every campus/city represented.

Download Printable Calendar

1. Multi-Nations – That God will bring students hungry and curious to know Him
2. South Asian – That God will lead Dave Michaelian and David Stuckenschmidt as they go to Denver next week to meet with local South Asian Christian families, plan logistics, and secure an Indian restaurant  
3. Overall –. That we will see a large number of students register for the conference before the first price increase on November 10  
4. God’s Promise – Praise God for His promise in Deuteronomy 31:8 to go before us in our journey in life and never to forsakes us.
5. Ambassadors – That programming plans will be engaging and instructive
6. Chinese – For over 300 Chinese participants to attend the conference, especially for believers to bring their seeker friends. Pray that former participants will return and bring friends too.  
7. Children of Abraham (COA) – That the Lord will raise up 20 believers from a background of the majority religion of the Middle East to attend the COA track and potentially stay for a two-day retreat after Vision as well.  Ask God to remove all the barriers for these 20 to attend.
8. Multi-Nations – That God will bring students who will profit from the discipleship track as well as the track that teaches people how to share the gospel  
9. South Asian – That God will bring seekers with prepared hearts, so that they may take the next step toward embracing Christ as their personal Savior.  (Especially greater numbers from the west coast, as this conference is more accessible than past conferences.)
10. Partners – That the Lord will draw people who are excited to be trained in international student ministry
11. God’s Promise – That each participant will have a vision of God as portrayed in Revelation 5:6-10  
12. Ambassadors – That Christian student leaders will register for Ambassadors
13. Chinese – For all the staff who are planning and preparing for the Chinese track to have insight, creativity, and perseverance as they accomplish key tasks. Pray for those serving with this track for the first time to gain a greater understanding and vision for ministry to Chinese students in the U.S. 
14. COA –  For additional COA scholarship funding to be provided for all attendees–approximately $5,000
15. Multi-Nations – We are still looking for an evening emcee and possibly two morning emcees.  
16. South Asian – That the Holy Spirit will draw a good core of believers, who have a desire to grow in their walk with Jesus and to reach out to their peers with the love of Christ  
17. Overall – For wisdom for team leaders of the various parts of the conference as they work with their teams and put plans into motion 
18. God’s Promise – Claim Psalm 115:1 and Psalm 127:1 to be realities at Vision 2018
19. Ambassadors – That many more students from around the world will come and be challenged in their faith  
20. Chinese – That the program will meet the needs of both seekers and believers. May they all be engaged and challenged to take the next step in their spiritual journey
21. COA – For wisdom for Jerry and Mindy as they co-lead the COA track and as they delegate roles to staff, decide content, and coordinate all the moving pieces.  Also pray for wisdom in deciding who and what will be shared during the COA breakouts.
22. Happy Thanksgiving! Thank God for your salvation and the freedom to worship in America.  Then pray for great connections and conversations between students and staff in the Multi-Nations track.  
23. South Asian – For funding for scholarships to help students, especially from the east coast, where bus transportation is not possible because of distance  
24. Partners – That attendees will experience a greater vision of what the Lord is doing among internationals and how they can be a part of it
25. God’s Promise – Claim Philippians 1:6 for all participants, no matter where they are in their spiritual journeys as they come to Vision 2018.  We long for each one to take the next step of faith.
26. Ambassadors – That the testimony scripting time will be memorable as well as useful as they share it with others  
27. Chinese – That the new approaches we are trying this year will be more effective to engage with Chinese students  
28. COA – For Jordan Merkle, the main morning speaker for COA as he prepares the content.  The COA track also wants to focus its time around the theme of a ‘Rocky Mountain Family’ and how the gospel changes our experience of being in God’s family.
29. Multi-Nations – That God will work in and through the ambiance team (Jenny, Carrie, and Nichole) to help students feel cared for and loved, the scheduling team, and the program team as they get speakers and tell Biblical stories  
30. South Asian – For wisdom for the South Asian track planning team as they seek to address the increasing number of students from Hindu families that declare themselves to be atheist.

Bridges Bootcamp

Tomorrow morning, I (Zack) will be flying to New York City and spending 4 days there with fellow Bridges missionary staff. It’s our annual “Bootcamp” – ministry training for new staff and interns, specific to reaching internationals. It’s also the first step in a year-long project of producing a video training package called Every International. This training will eventually go out to churches, Christian students and volunteers who want to minister to international students.

Family Sickness

Please pray for healing for Naomi and the kids. Naomi is just getting over a stomach bug. Miah has a fever and sore throat, Cassia has a runny nose, and Annalei has been throwing up since this afternoon. Please pray as well that I would not get sick during my New York trip. The Every International video series is going to be a major focus for me this year, so I want to start off strong with the filming I’ll be doing in NY. Pray for Naomi to have extra strength while I’m gone, too.

Happy Thanksgiving! Zack and I are so thankful for your support for our ministry to international students and your prayers for our family. We recently had our Parent-Child Dedication for Paxton (pictured above) at our church.

Tomorrow, we will be hosting two Chinese gals for Thanksgiving: Iris and Summers. For Iris and Paxton both, it will be their first Thanksgiving. We are overjoyed for this opportunity, and we are not alone in this. Hundreds of Bridges staff/volunteers/supporters across the country will also be welcoming international students into their homes. Please join us in praying for the multitude of these special meals.

Please pray:

• For the hosts to make natural connections with the students and have an enjoyable time.
• The students would experience the love of Christ. (In light of the recent election, many students feel scared and uncertain about their future in our country).
• The Lord would open the door for spiritual conversations and on-going relationships. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to share about America’s foundations and traditions of Christian faith – and how Christ is central to our lives today.

As always, we are thankful for you and your prayers.

Last week was a busy week here at Big Break. It was our largest week with over 1,000 students in attendance. We saw God work in incredible ways.
The students initiated 2,638 spiritual conversations
They presented the gospel to 1,324 people
They saw 206 people pray to receive Christ!

After a day of outreach, students got up and shared their stories of what happened at they went out. It was so incredibly encouraging to hear about the steps of faith they took!! It was also a great example to my girls to hear story after story of people coming to Christ. If you would like to listen in yourself for some spiritual encouragement, you can go to the live stream on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings at 7pm central. http://big-break.com/live/

Thank you for your prayers again for my seminar (pictured above). I got to connect with and encourage a group of students who were just starting up Bridges on their campus SUNY University at Buffalo. Also, students from four campuses where there is no Bridges movement attended my seminar! I’m excited to see what the Lord will do through them.

This upcoming week is our smallest group, just because not as many colleges have Spring break this week. There are about 500 students here. But we are still very much in need of your prayers!!

Prayer Requests for this week:
-Spiritual protection over the conference, specifically the tech equipment (there were some major problems right before the opening session tonight)
-Energy and strength for the program team (Zack especially), as we are tired!
-Boldness for the students as they take steps of faith to go out sharing the gospel
-Many more would come to Christ this week
-God would empower the students who attended my seminar to start Bridges on their campuses
-My seminar this week Wednesday at 9AM would be well attended and go smoothly
-Special Request for Miah: She had a MAJOR fall on her face yesterday. Her bottom lip is totally cut up and very swollen. She knocked 2 teeth loose, and bruised her upper gums very badly. Thankfully, they are baby teeth, but we will take her in to the dentist when we return. Please pray that all would be well with her teeth and that she would heal quickly.