May Newsletter--Back in My Day

Pictures 1 and 2) The kids love review time at Good News Club.

Picture 3) At Missionary Training School in Warrenton, Missouri, I learned how to prepare for my first term, along with friends and fellow new missionaries who all agree that Burkina Faso is number one (or were perhaps bribed to pose for this picture).

I started feeling old on my tenth birthday when I realized my age was in the double digits. Now, approaching the quarter century mark, I cringe to think it’s been a decade since my freshman year of high school and two decades since I gave my life to Christ. I’m exceedingly grateful God was working in my heart so long ago, but I’d rather not be able to use the words “long ago” to describe any part of my life. In college I stopped praying that God would slow down time and started thinking of each day as one step closer to Heaven.

Then I felt God’s calling into long-term missions and was so excited to go to Burkina Faso I had to force myself to finish college. And then I found out that with support-raising and children’s ministry training, internship and language school it would be years before I reached the field. But the other day, I woke up and realized that less than a third of a year from now I’ll be in Africa. My first reaction was closer to respiratory failure than joyful gratitude.

You see, it’s also been a long time since I’ve been to Burkina Faso (almost four years), and time can make you forget how much you love the children of a country, and spiritual battle can make you forget that the God who holds time in His hands not only walks with you but also draws you closer to Him through the hard things He calls you to. The funny thing is that the things that I don’t want to let go of here are all blessings given to me by the God I sometimes have a hard time trusting. Each of you who get this letter and pray for me are another reason that I don’t want to leave the country and do what you’re praying about.

So as I finish my internship in Kentucky, I’ve been crying along with some of my Good News Club® children who didn’t want their club to ever end. As I help prepare for Kentucky summer ministry before heading to Colorado for pre-language school and cultural training, I’m continually reminding myself of God’s promises that He’ll always be with me and that His strength is made perfect in weakness. I can’t thank you enough for praying with me!

Praise God for:
· Each member of the body of Christ who has blessed me through prayer, support, friendship, and love.
· What I’ve learned about ministry and for how God has strengthened me through my internship.

Please Pray for:
· Me as I prepare to head overseas, both that I will figure out how to get visas and ship things to myself and that I will joyfully put my trust in our Amazing Savior.
· The youth and young adults who will take intensive training in the next few weeks on how to teach summer 5-Day Clubs and for me and other staff as we teach them.

February Newsletter--A Scary Prayer

Picture 1) Children listen to the Bible lesson at Good News Club.

Picture 2) I explain a method for teaching the Gospel at a teacher training.

I had never before been so nervous about a prayer. It was the end of a typically crazy Good News Club(R) in inner city Louisville. In this club, you never know when children might start punching each other, when a child might come in wearing only his long underwear, or when a child might be preparing to tackle you so he can steal the toy dinosaur you brought as an illustration of an idol. It was difficult to tell if the children were even hearing what we were teaching, so you can see why I was a little nervous when I asked if one of the saved kids would like to pray out loud. I had no clue what might come out of the volunteer's mouth.

A ten-year-old boy whose name begins with A raised his hand, then made his way to the front of the classroom. He patiently waited for everyone else to get quiet, then opened his mouth. "Thank You so much for this moment in time and for this Good News Club. We really need this." He then asked God to help each person apply the main teaching from the lesson to trust God and do the right thing even when it's hard.

Shocked (although I should've known that God works just as powerfully in chaotic clubs as He does in model ones), I thanked A and dismissed the group. I had never before given God so much thanks for a prayer as I did that day. Though the group is only slightly less crazy and it's still easy to question if our efforts are making any difference, each week one of the children prays, and though you'd think I'd get used to it, I continue to be shocked by God's grace revealed in those prayers.

I praise God for:

All of you who support me in ministry through your prayers and gifts.

The wonderful church family I've had the opportunity to be a part of in Elizabethtown.

His work in the hearts of Good News Club children.

Please pray that:

God will continue to draw Good News Club children close to Him.

God will continue to prepare me for ministry in Burkina Faso through the remaining five months of my internship and will bless the ministry opportunities I get to be involved in such as Good News Clubs, teacher trainings, ministry promotions, and committee meetings.

November Newsletter--Bible Belt?

Pictures: Kids at an outreach to military children listen to a puppet skit presented by me and a CEF volunteer.

God provided this studio apartment (view from the front door) I am enjoying during my internship.

The CEF of Kentucky team includes Kari and Randy Ash, Audrey and Nathan Hamilton, and temporarily me.

The day after I arrived in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, the amn changing my oil assumed my Kansas license plate meant I was one of many soldiers overflowing the towns surrounding Fort Knox. When I told him I was actually here to intern with Child Evangelism Fellowship, he asked if I was Mormon. He said his mother was Mormon but that he was pagan. Not exactly what I expected from one of the first people I'd conversed with in the Bible Belt.

Nor did I expect the mindset exhibited by neighbors who, after discovering I was a missionary and telling me they'd been Christians all their lives, informed me they hadn't been to church in twenty years and offered me a beer and a cigarette. (After I declined, their next offer was Kool-Aid).

While the area phone book does list almost 150 churches, I'm surprised by how small their congregations are, and the area is filled with children who have never heard the message of salvation. Twenty-seven Good News Clubs are currently reaching children in Kentucky with this message. But we want every child in the state to have the opportunity to hear, a goal that reminds me of Jesus' statement about the ready harvest and the few workers. CEF of Kentucky has a team of just five people. That includes me, a person here only temporarily, with the goal of learning an idea of what I'm doing.

But through all this, I see glimpses of God's kingdom: I've listened to several children pray for salvation, I've helped teach the biggest Good News Club I've ever been a part of (with 60 children), I've witnessed the joy on children's faces after correctly looking up a Bible reference, and I've seen the dedication of our team who moved from other states to reach these children.

In addition to teaching at Good News Clubs, I've also taught at several teacher trainings. I've participated in my first committee meetings, learned the answers to many of the questions people ask about CEF, and learned how to use details like the filing system that keep the ministry working. I will be in Kentucky for about seven more months, continuing to gain experience and continuing to pray for more and bigger and farther-reaching glimpses of God's kingdom.

Praise God That:

There are 27 Good News Clubs reaching children in Kentucky.

I can work at this internship, seeing how to build up new ministry and learning from such a talented team.

Before I even arrived, He provided a studio apartment with wonderful Christian landlords, despite the high demand for housing near a military base.

Please Pray That:

I can learn and gain good expereince during my internship, as well as being helpful to the ministry in Kentucky.

God will provide more staff for CEF of Kentucky.

Children in Good News Clubs will believe in Jesus as their Savior.

August Newsletter--I Should Have Worn A Helmet

Pictures: Children play with a parachute during a 5-Day Club in Boston; a teenage student counsels a child for salvation during a 5-Day Club.

Never before have I been asked by over 70 people per day about the welfare of my nose. I'd taken a break with the teenagers who were attending a two-week training in which I was participating as a teacher, dorm mom, and guest missionary. After hours of learning how to teach Bible lessons, counsel children for salvation, and teach all the components of a 5-Day Club, the teens were ready for an active game. They had picked a game best described as team tag. Someone from the other team was about to make it across our line, so I sprinted full force to tag him, failing to notice that another teammate was coming from the other direction with the same gaol. We definitely gout our opponent out, but in the process the side of my head collided with my teammate's shoulder, toppling us both. The most visible result was a nose bleed that persisted off and on for acouple days. Of course the black eye and swelling that followed also attracted a lot fo attention. Someone said the changing colors of my eye reminded him of a blooming flower; I was reminded more of a rotting vegetable.

I didn't realize until six weeks later that my cheek bone had been fractured in two places. My body had already healed enough on its own to prevent the doctors from doing anything else. The sides of my face are no longer completely symmetrical, but the injury helped me appreciate God's family. The concern that these youths showed at an age when the normal teenager is self-consumed reminded me that the good I see in other Christians is always a sampling of the God who is living in them. I was also able to see God's power working in their lives as teens who had never taught children before learned how to use a Bible story to present the Gospel message and make applications for saved children. At one club, a student was teaching children the sotry of Naaman, who was told that the only way he could be healed of his leprosy was to bathe in the Jordan River. As he was explaining that similarly there is only one way to Heaven, one of the kids exclaimed, "So Jesus is like our Jordan!?"

In addition to the training I helped with in Kansas, I stayed busy over the summer working at at training in Michigan and acting as a team leader and teacher in a 5-Day Club ministry in Boston designed to connect 30 churches with children and families in their neighborhoods and provide them with training to begin weekly Good News Club in their neighborhood schools. This week I moved to Elizabethtown, Kentucky where I will be interning with the Child Evangelism Fellowship state director, Kari Ash, for about nine months.

Praise God That:

Over 2,000 children heard the Gospel and over 200 children were saved during the initial week of ministry in Boston.

70 teenagers and young adults in Kansas and 70 in Michigan have been equipped to teach children, along with other youth all around the world.

Please Pray That:

God will grant wisdom as I learn and work in many new areas in my internship.

God will continue to provide opportunities and workers for the pioneering work that CEF is doing in Kentucky.

A Few of My Favorite Things

pictures: I help raise the flag of Burkina Faso at the CEF headquarters prayer plaza.

Some of the CMI students take a study break.

"A room full of strangers coming together

Trying to live with this Missouri weather

Learning to teach about Jesus our King

These are a few of my favorite things.

When there're practicums

When the words don't come

When I'm sleep deprived

I simply remember God's promise to me

I can do all things through Christ."

These words, just part of a song set to a The Sound of Music tune and performed by many students, pretty accurately describe my experience at the Children's Ministries Institute(R). In March I returned to Child Evangelism Fellowship (R) headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri to complete the last five weeks of the institute and graduated in April. Each morning at the institute we gathered for devotions and prayer, followed by five classes on a variety of subjects such as ministry strategy and leadership essentials.

We also taught weekly Good News Clubs in area schools, and some of us were able to help with the children's programs at area churches. Since CMI students are housed in dorms in the headquarters building, the fellowship did not end when classes did. Although it was hard to go our separate ways after connecting with people from all over the U.S. and other countries who shared a love for God and a passion to bring His love to children, I am excited to be one step closer to ministering to the children in Burkina Faso.

While I was at CEF headquarters, I also received exciting news that brought me even closer to the goal. A budget correction and some new donors had vaulted my support level over the 90% mark. I now need to raise just $250 per month.

Thank you so much for your partnership!

Chelsey

Praise God For:

• All of the partners in ministry, like you, who pray and give!
  

• My graduation from CMI.
  
  

Please Pray That:

• God will give me wisdom as I help train youth to teach 5-Day Clubs for children. The training will take place May 31-June 12.
  

• God will provide workers and church partners for a pioneering ministry event in which I will be participating in Boston July 19-31. CEF workers from around the country will gather to teach 5-Day Clubs and train church partners to continue children's ministry thoughout the year.
  

• God would provide the remaining 7% of my support.

Teacher?

The founder of CEF, Mr. Overholtzer, wanted to be saved at age 12, but was told he was too young. When he accepted Christ as an adult, he accepted his predecessors' views on child conversion. Until one day he read a sermon by Charles Spurgeon that said, "A child of five, if properly instructed, can as truly believe and be regenerated as an adult." Skeptical, he tested the theory on two neighborhood girls, who readily received Christ. Shocked, he told them not to tell anyone and waited to see what would happen. Some time later, the girls' mother visited him, saying that even though her daughters had not told her anything, she had seen a big change in their lives. The ministry of CEF was born.

Over 70 years later, I joined CEF for a missions trip, ignorant of the statistics that 85% of today's Christians accepted Christ by age 14 and clueless of the importance of reaching the age group most successsful at adopting faith like a child. It wasn't long before I saw how eager children are for God and heard many more stories about how the changed lives of children can be the strongest witness for adults. Still, I had forgotten that the children I teach could also touch my spirit.

In December as I concluded a weekly Good News Club lesson on Elisha, I told the children that he died and went to be with God. One child raised her hand and siad, "So he didn't really die, right? He just moved." The next day my grandmother died, and this girl's words came immediately to mind. These children are not just students, but are my brothers and sisters in the Lord, my comrades in battle, and my encouragement to trust God and His promises.

Praises and Prayer Requests:
I will raise support and teach a Good News Club in Indians for the next few weeks.

March 15-April 16, I will complete the Children's Ministries Institute at CEF headquarters in Missouri.

On April 18, I will return to Kansas to continue raising support.

We are working on my possible role in summer ministry, including the chance to serve as a guest missionary at Kansas' CYIA (a ministry in which teens receive training and then teach 5-Day Clubs for children) and to participate in Boston 2010 (a ministry in which CEF workers from all over the country will gather to ignite long-term CEF ministry in Boston by partnering with local churches to teach 5-Day Clubs). We are also working to set up my U.S. internship (the next step toward beginning my ministry in Burkina Faso), which will likely be in Kentucky.

Please join with me in praising God for these opportunites and praying for His guidance.

May Newsletter--ABC News: Ministry Style

I am currently at 52% of my regular support.

Picture 1: During the CEF conference, I was able to rest from raising support and enjoy a few hours in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.

Picture 2: The regional conference provided an opportunity to meet CEF workers from several countries.

My main work continues to be raising financial support for my ministry, both in Kansas and Indiana. I also attended CEF®’s regional conference the first week of May. CEF was blessed with an excellent deal through a Christian group that allowed us to have the conference on a Caribbean cruise. Here are some ABC’s about what I’ve done since February.

I have:

· Applied for Little Rock ‘09 (CEF workers from across the U.S. will gather in Little Rock, AR for two weeks this summer in an effort to greatly increase outreach to children in this city. We will teach several 5-Day Clubs (similar to Vacation Bible School) and train teachers from partnering churches to continue children’s ministry through the rest of the year.)

· Behaved like a pre-schooler (Conference work-shops covered topics from pre-school-friendly Gospel presentations to training new leaders.)

· Called churches regarding possible support

· Directed the drama of Peter escaping prison (During one church presentation, I directed children to act out this story that illustrates the importance of praying for other believers.)

· Eaten escargot (The cruise included meals, with the option to try the unusual and fancy. At least it tasted better than it looked.)

· Folded 300 letters

· Given ministry presentations at churches

· Hosted an African party (My Hoosier housemates and I hosted a house meeting to present my ministry to a group of mostly college-aged individuals. And they all thought my African food was more edible than escargot!)

· Implemented a new strategy for raising my remaining support (Now that I’ve talked to 600 people/families and 500 churches, I decided to send letters to people I talked to over half a year ago who never responded, asking them to reconsider partnering in the ministry.)

· Jet skied (We had some free time in Jamaica.)

· Kept records of ministry data (Sometimes I feel like I need a secretary.)

· Labeled and stamped 300 envelopes

· Mailed ministry information to churches and individuals

· Negotiated (We bartered for crafts at a Jamaican market.)

· Prayed for my prayer supporters

· Quizzed myself over French vocabulary

· Regularly reported activities and ministry progress to CEF headquarters

· Stuffed and sealed 300 letters

· Turned an inappropriate comment into time for testimony (As my conference roommate and I were leaving the Jamaican market, vendors kept pushing us to buy more. I told them, “I have no more money,” and a man standing nearby (jokingly?) said, “I’ll give you money.” We ended up talking to him about how God is in control, even amidst pain. It was certainly the most interesting way I’ve ever started a conversation about God.)

· Visited Hell (This small town in Grand Cayman Island is known for rock formations that look like they belong in Hell. It was a good reminder of how important it is to tell children about the Way to Heaven.)

· Worshipped with CEF workers from Russia, Guyana, the Bahamas, and many more places

· Zipped down a water slide at Margaritaville (Yes, that was all we did there.)

Praise God That:
· I have achieved 100% of my prayer support goal and over half of my financial support.
· I was able to attend the CEF regional conference.

Please Pray That:
· I will raise 80% of my financial support by August in order to reach my goal of beginning the Children’s Ministries Institute this fall.
· Many CEF workers and Little Rock churches will be able to participate in Little Rock ‘09 and establish continuing children’s ministry that will reach many children.

February Newsletter--In the Mean Time

picture: I share about my ministry and needs with a friend.

I am currently at 41% of my regular support.

24 calls made, 4 letters written, 1 presentation given, everything recorded. For everyone wondering what a missionary candidate raising support does in a typical day, the answer is we talk. A lot. Since I started raising support in May, I’ve spoken with about 1,800 people. (If I had a nickel for every time I said “Burkina Faso”…) Back when that number was 2 digits, I didn’t realize how long raising full support takes. But God has His own purposes fulfilled in periods of waiting, when all we can do is press on toward the eventual achievement of our goals.

I’d like to do something a little different and share a poem I wrote about my own eventually, when I’ll finally be on my way to Burkina Faso. Don’t be shocked: you were aware of this danger when you signed up for a newsletter from someone who recently earned her degree in writing.

Eventually

Eventually you will rise,
ears popping, on wings of dawn, and as you descend
to settle on the far side of the sea, you will fix your gaze—
past the glinting metal wings that have born you

and your last caress of air conditioning, your last
access to properly flushing eau de toilettes, and
speaking of which, your last exposure to English,
as well as God’s last (passed) chance to smash
the prospering plans He has for you—you will

peer into the place where you will pour yourself
out like a drink offering over the scattered seeds,
and you will pray like you never have before
for yourself, for the unseen child below who
unbends from her family’s field to wave at the craft
carrying the courier of her salvation and for

the barefoot one who is right that moment slipping
the soccer ball past the goalie like your words
will one day slip through his fingers…until eventually
they lodge in the toes of his adult frame, planting
hundredfold crops in the prints left wherever he walks,
crops that you won’t taste until you stand forever by that
most distant sea,
eventually.

Prayer Requests
Praise God That:

I have been able to stay with my sister and two friends in Indiana. It has been wonderful to watch and learn from their ministry to people in the inner city.

I am surrounded by churches. There are close to 100 churches in Marion and many more in the area that I have contacted about being a part of my ministry.

Please Pray That:

God will provide full support in His perfect timing and I will have patience and trust in that timing.

God will give me wisdom about where I should travel and visit as I run out of contacts in more familiar places.