Harold Bussell was fond of saying “An expression of gratitude is an expression of dependence.” * It's true. We want to thank you for your faithfulness in reading every word of our newsletters, for praying for us regularly and fervently, and for contributing your hard-earned cash for our ministry work. Without your contributions we would not see our material needs met sufficiently to continue. This year your sacrificial giving has allowed Steve to train Indians in India and to be supported as he serves full-time at Create Thailand. Soon Allyson and the girls will join him there while Samuel remains in college in Massachusetts. Most of all we covet your prayers as the work we do is fraught with challenges that are only resolved spiritually. You are literally sending us to the front lines of a spiritual war, and without good supply lines from back home we would be cut off and defenseless.
As a staff-person on the School of Frontier Media (SFM) Steve is serving as a confidant, coach, facilitator, teacher, trainer, correspondent, videographer, editor, scriptwriter, encourager, gopher, mediator, and chief bottle-washer. That's a lot of hats. This intense six-month program officially began on July 1st and it's been full speed ahead ever since. Steve is hard at work on long days ensuring the international students have a positive learning experience. Our hope for this program is to train and equip other missionaries with media skills and knowledge that helps them to better proclaim the Gospel to others. Mostly we expect to encourage people who will share God's heart for the peoples of the world, and be willing to go to the ends of the earth to obey God's call on their lives. To paraphrase Ralph Winter, we could try to put out the raging fire by ourselves with a small bucket of water, or we could go recruit a hundred firemen. This SFM is part of how Create International recruits more firemen to put out the fires for those who have not heard the Good News. Consequently, your prayers and contributions are helping to multiply the power and effectiveness of this media ministry around the world.
The students this year are literally from four different continents. Adewole is from Nigeria, Africa; Martha is from Egypt, Middle East; Angelica is from Columbia, South America, Trifena is from Indonesia, Asia; Aman is from India, South Asia; and Angela is from New Zealand, Oceania. Our experienced and amiable school leader Sameh is also originally from Egypt. In fact, Steve is the only one involved in this training program from North America. Please pray for Steve as he will be teaching on story-building and scriptwriting for evangelistic films from August 1st through the 5th. He is motivated to provide the best, most relevant teaching he can in a short time.
Pray also that these students will make the most of their time here and get a bigger picture of what God has for them in the future. Your dollars and prayers have made it possible for Steve to be serving these students right now, helping to equip and train them for their missions service. You are making an eternal impact on both their lives and the others with whom they will share the gospel in four corners of the world. What could be better than that?
In the meantime, Allyson is holding the fort on Cape Cod, getting prepared to move to Thailand, and setting Samuel up with an apartment near his university. Everyone is looking forward to the next stage and excited to start with homeschool and Thai language study. Allyson and the girls depart for Thailand on September 5th.
Looking ahead to later this year, we'd love to tell you the specifics about our upcoming outreach location, but we can't. For the safety of our staff and students, the project partners, and the people group in the film we need to keep all mention of it quiet until production is completed. We can let you know that it is in Asia and it is a people group with whom Create has been praying to work with for over twenty years. The time has come and we are very excited to be involved. Please keep us in your prayers regularly and often as we approach our departure later this year. We need all of your prayers for safety and the success of this top secret mission.
Our transition in accounting services from Ripe for Harvest to YWAM has regrettably not gone as smoothly as we would have hoped. This has resulted in a several months of diminished income since March. We have also noticed that many contributors checks were returned because our names were written in the memo rather than on an enclosed note or Post-It. Please see additional details below when sending contributions. Contributions above your regular giving that you send now will be used to make up the present deficit, help get Allyson and the girls to Thailand, and saved for our upcoming outreach film project. We also welcome any special contributions to help us furnish our new home, provide a car in Thailand, and toward the upcoming outreach costs.
Thanks for joining us in this special mission. This newsletter will self-destruct in thirty seconds.
* Lord, I Can Resist Anything but Temptation, page 156.
Directions to Donate
1. Please make your check out to "YWAM".
2. Please do not write our names anywhere on the check. IRS regulations require that they return the check to the donor if a name is written on it.
3. Include a Post-it or separate note with your check indicating that the check is for Steve & Allyson Baldwin (our name serves as our account number).
4. Mail check and note to:
YWAM (Accounting)
P.O. Box 3000
Garden Valley, TX 75771-3000
5.) Your contributions are tax-deductible and you will receive a receipt from YWAM.
If you prefer to give online through automatic deductions, contact us for the necessary forms.
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