Greetings from the Trumbles!
We are rapidly approaching the time when we hope to depart for Malawi, Africa! The 2nd term of the school year begins 18 January 2010 and we want to be there by then. Our fundraising continues to progress and we know God will meet our needs but we are still short of a level that makes this huge commitment seem comfortable. Perhaps God does not wish for us to feel comfortable!
We are currently aware of specific commitments that put us at about 31% of our total support level. We are prepared to go to Malawi at a level less than 100% but it sure would be nice for the number to be higher than where it currently stands! So, let me be bold: If God is leading you to support us financially but you have been waiting because you feel like there is no rush since there is lots of time before we depart, please let me urge you to tarry no more. Please let us know your intentions and please prayerfully consider going to Africa with us by supporting us in prayer, or by supporting us in prayer and financial support.
We will have some up-front costs for moving and will have ongoing expenses but it is true that I continue to work at Compassion and thus our immediate need for support funds is not great. However, the time for purchasing airline tickets and making some other commitments approaches rapidly. It is fine if you don’t wish to start sending support until December or January but we’d like to know what to expect for planning purposes.
If you are interested in setting up a regular withdrawal from your checking account or a recurring credit card payment, let me know and I can send you the necessary form.
If you do choose to support us financially, please drop us a quick note by email or give us a call at 719-635-5109 to let us know your plans. It can take quite a while for us to get the information from the ABC home office so it would be helpful to us if you could keep us informed of your plans. Let me also take a moment to say Thank You! to those who are already praying for us and for those who have already provided financial support or agreed to support us financially in the future.
Beth and I really desire to depart in January and the need in Malawi is real. As a reminder, a key finance guy, Eckton, who had been working with the ministry of ABC, has moved to the United States to go to school and thus there is currently a key vacancy. Let me share a few comments from some people who are already in Malawi serving at African Bible College:
In a message to Grace Presbyterian Church (our local church which supports the Steve & Marion Spencer family), Steve Spencer said this:
Dear Grace,
Warm Malawian greetings to you from the Spencer Hut. We appreciate you making time for the Trumbles. They are a wonderful family answering the call to missions in Africa. And they couldn't be coming to Malawi at a better time. Our CFO just left and we are desperately in need of a new finance guy. Dan will fill that void perfectly. And as you know, we are always in need of teachers at the Academy and are looking forward to having Beth there. Thank you again for supporting the Spencer and Dehnert families. Thank you for prayerfully considering the Trumbles. Please note: any family willing to dress the entire family in red for their prayer card is surely worthy of support! God bless you and we're still waiting for you to visit us iin Malawi. Blessings from our hut to yours, Steve and Marion.
Connie Dehnert wrote the following (I'm pretty sure she's joking):
We desperately need you here!! did I tell you the new accounting system since Ekton has gone? When the students pay their tuition, we put a big barrel in your office and throw in the money. When we need some we dig it out! Not too easy to go into debt that way, right??
On another occasion Connie wrote this:
…we are in DESPERATE need of you and this is no joke…the more days that go by without you here, the more days it’s going to take you to FIX all the messes we are making in the absence of anyone who knows what they are doing in finance.
Finally, attached you will find a neat story from one of the young men who had recently moved to Malawi to serve at ABC. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read about his experience. Thank you for your prayers for our family as we prepare for this adventure that God has for us.
Prayer Items:
Praise
- For the ministry of ABC and the way that God is using the ministry to shape lives to be used in His Kingdom.
- For the faithful missionaries who have responded to God’s call on their lives and for those who are joining them in ministry through prayer and financial support.
Requests
- Please pray for our whole family that we would be passionate to do exactly what God calls us to do. Jim, our 7th grader, still is not thrilled with the prospect of moving to Africa. Please pray that God would work in his heart to make him excited for this adventure.
- That additional people would choose to go to Africa with us by supporting us financially
- Details – there are a bunch of details to be worked out before we leave. Pray that we would be diligent in tackling those details and that God would smooth the way for things to come together well.
Thank you for your support!
Dan, for the Trumble family
