Prayer Update, #1

This is a prayer update for Howard & Kathy Merrell, 10/22/2015.. View this email in your browser

Getting Ready: Most of you have read our letter announcing our future ministry.  If you haven't, you can find the information here, and even read more by scrolling around on the blog. Support: Based on CBC's missionary-committee's recommendations, reports of supporters who have already begun sending funds, and one time gifts, we calculate that we have over a quarter of our budget for 2016.  We have been privileged to share about our ministry with our home church and another church here in Covington.  We'll be doing a presentation at a church this Sunday. PRAYER: Several folk have committed to pray for us.  One youngster has blessed us with his requests that we be preserved from solar-flares.  There are a couple of prayer requests at the end of this note. Transition:   We have continued to take steps back from our former role and are taking steps ahead.  Here are some thoughts on one step, mostlysymbolic, but real all the same.  We have begun putting together both an email, and postal mail, list.  Obviously you are on the email list. On November 15, Howard will leave for Guam.  He'll be at PIU's main campus for training until November 27.  Then he'll be in Palau a couple of days to meet with key folk and promote the spring semester at PIU-Palau.  He'll be back in Covington late on December 1. While Howard is in Micronesia, Kathy will drive down to Louisiana, where she'll celebrate Thanksgiving with both boys and their families.  She'll leave the car there and fly back home.  We'll both be here for the Live Nativity outreach our church is doing, December 4-6. While we aren't moving out of our house, we need to make sure it is ready to leave for the four months we'll be gone.  Likewise we need to make sure bills get paid, prescriptions are filled, and other stateside obligations met. Plans Coming Together: We'll be headed to Palau shortly into the New Year. We'll let you know when tickets have been purchased. Our church partners in Palau have already made housing arrangements for us.  We have contacts working on a car, and HM hopes to nail down some other details when he is there next month.  Our new role with Liebenzell USA is taking shape.  We plan to return to the States around the first of May, we'll fly to Louisiana.  Then we'll drive home after attending our granddaughter's high school graduation. We praise the Lord for: The opportunities we have to present the work into which the Lord is leading us. Good news we hear from other Liebenzell ministries. Likewise, good reports that my counterpart Iotaka Choram is having success in reinvigorating the PIU Teaching Facility in Chuuk. Folk who pray for, and support us. That our public presentations, letters, posts, etc. will not only be about our ministry, but that we will encourage others to step up in Great commission ministry. Please pray: That we can get what we need to get done, done before we leave. For coworkers in Palau and Guam.  What we are doing is good, but it involves work on the part of others. That we'll have sense enough to realize what we don't need to get done. We might have house-sitters for at least a part of our time in Micronesia.  Pray that we can use the resources that the Lord has given us to be a blessing. Pray 7.  If you see the number seven remember to pray for us.  Seven is the number of students that would make a core at PIU-Palau.  Let's start praying for 7. We'll let you know when to raise the number. Lot's of travel. The rest of our support team. Romans 8:26 Our home address is: Howard & Kathy Merrell 2106 S. Carpenter Drive Covington VA 24426.  We'll be making arrangements to have our mail shipped in bulk every few weeks, so if you send us a snail-mail while we are in Palau, our response will really be snail-ish.  We aren't sure about the speed of our internet, but we will have some connection, so email will continue to be the best option.  Our covbchm@gmail.com and kmusiq@gmail.com, addresses should be just fine.  We are using my PIU address, hmerrell@piu.edu as our "official" missionary email address, while we are in Micronesia. It depends on having a fast enough connection to use Skype, but we are hoping that our 540 784 1195 number will work.  We'll let you know.  If you are interested, you can find information on how to be a part of our support team here. Apparently Ava takes after her other grandpa, who is from Zimbabwe, where they drive on the left.  In Palau, though some of the cars are right-hand-drive, we drive on the right.  Either way we are moving on. Thanks, H&K

A High Tolerance for Ambiguity, I Think, Maybe:

I (hm) have been reading a couple of books on cross-cultural ministry. Kathy is reading a book, on the subject, I have already read. (see below) Some veteran missionaries recommended all three.
It seems that a common element in all three books is to identify some element of difference in various cultures, and then set up a scale. Is this culture more this way, or that way? One of the authors, 

Sherwood Lingenfelter (Kathy is reading his book), does a good job in reminding us that cultures are not monolithic. None of us fit perfectly in the culture where we spend most of our time. In reading James Plueddemann's book I observed a couple of ways that I don't quite fit in with the low-context trait of many of my country-persons.  High context oriented people tend to value relationships over tasks.  Donald Trump's famous "You're fired!" line is  perhaps the pinnacle of low-context, if such a mixing of metaphors is possible.  I on the other hand have a tendency to hang-in-there with folk past the point where some of my colleagues think I should let the non-performer go.  In their view the project, ministry, or goal is more important than the relationship.  So all that to day that I'm a bit more high-context than the broad North American culture.

But I digress.  (If you start with a digression, is it really a digression?  Now I'm digressing from my digression.)

 http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Across-Cultures-Effective-Ministry/dp/0830825789

The scale Plueddemann identifies that I want to comment on is, Tolerance for Ambiguity.  My culture, especially the executive/management subculture has a very low tolerance for ambiguity.  Folk in this realm, and senior pastors--the role I have filled most of my life--are supposed to be among them, thrive on measurable goals, six-month and five-year plans, vision statements, mission statements, accountability, etc.  I, on the other hand, have often described my style as "muddling."  Figure out what direction one is going and try to take steps, ad-hoc, as they come up, in that direction.  As I read the book that is supposed to be telling me about those who are different than I am, I found out an important truth about me.  I have a pretty high tolerance for ambiguity.

• I tend not to plan days off.  I'd rather just let them happen.
• Vacations, beyond answering the big questions--where will be go? will we drive or fly? etc. tend to be the same.
• I tried to work with a preaching schedule, but it was not nearly as detailed or far-reaching as many of colleagues, and it is was always subject to change.

The virtue--and clearly there are vices, as well--of a willingness to tolerate uncertainty is that life is uncertain.  Unless we live totally without plans, our program will be interrupted by death or the Lord's return.  We high tolerance for ambiguity types take great comfort from James 4:13-16.

   “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13–16, NASB95)  

"Amen!" James, "Preach it to those arrogant goal-setters"

I actually think my counter-cultural (counter to my culture) trait is helpful at this point.  This winter when I'm in Palau the success or failure of what Kathy and I are trying to do depends on a lot of factors, most of which are out of my control.

So let me finish with some prayer requests:

• Pray that plans will be made at the right time, by the right people, with the right outcomes in mind.
• Pray that we will be flexible.  We need to trust God.  As James points out, He is sovereign.
• Yet, yet pray that we will continue to move in right direction.  Pray that we will muddle effectively.
• Kathy fits better with our North American culture than I do.  Her tolerance for ambiguity is lower than mine, and her role in this venture is less defined than mine.  I think you can see the prayer request there.
• In a couple of weeks the leaders of the Palauan Evangelical Church will be meeting.  Our ministry in Palau will be on their agenda.  Pray for them.
• Two more, not related to the rest of this post:
  We are in the process of sending out letters, seeking prayer and financial support.
  We are working toward--since I am involved, "muddling toward"--being ready to leave in January.  

Thanks, it would encourage us to know that you are praying for us.  Let us know how we can pray for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Christians-Global-Mission-American/dp/0830837809

http://www.amazon.com/Ministering-Cross-Culturally-Incarnational-Personal-Relationships/dp/0801026474

Support Link:

Our techie folk recently reworked our website.  That made some of the links I put in this post obsolete.  The new address for LMUSA giving page is http://liebenzellmission.org/give/.  When you scroll down on the page you'll see a screen that looks like the picture below.  Click on the picture to take you to the webpage.
I'm updating this post, 11/13/15.  I hope it works now.  Thanks, HM

Several of you have generously asked about how to partner with us in our venture.  Some of what you will find on the LMUSA website is reproduced below.  Thank you.

Checks can be made to Liebenzell USA, Global Ministries and mailed to: 

Liebenzell USA, Global Ministries
PO Box 66
Schooley’s Mountain NJ 07870

Please include the following information with your gift:

I would like to give a (check one) monthly ___ / one time ___ gift of $ ___________ in support of the Merrell’s Ministry.

___ I would like to receive LM USA’s monthly eNews.  Email address ________________

Name:_____________________________________
Street Address: ______________________________
City:______________ State:____ Zip:_______

Liebenzell is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial

Accountability.  Contributions are tax deductible.  You will receive a receipt.  Contributions are solicited with the understanding that Liebenzell USA has complete discretion and control of the use of all donated funds.

(Most of you would probably rather figure this out on your own.  If so, just go to the first link and click away.  If you want more detailed instructions, here they are.
I jumped through the cyber hoops to see how they work.  :)

You can also give online:

To give a one-time or a recurring donation using a credit card:

Go to http://liebenzellmission.org/give/
Follow the instructions under "online giving."

·         In the box next to “Category” select “People.”

·         In the box next to Fund select “Howard & Kathy Merrell.”

·         Fill in the amount of the gift.  If you wish to make this a recurring gift, check that box.

·         This form will only allow you to select “Card.”  To do a direct draft from your checking account see below.

·         Enter the information about your card.

·         Enter billing address, etc.

·         Click Submit to complete the transaction.

·         (Note:  You have the option of creating an account that will be saved for future giving.)

To make a donation using elictronic transfer:

Go to http://liebenzellmission.org/give/
See the instructions under "Electronic Funds Transfer."
At this point the link to take you to the EFT Initiation Form is not yet functioning.
Request the form by email, by clicking on the "Contact" link in the upper right hand of the screen.  The form and instructions will be sent to you.

Looking for teammates in this new venture:

For all of our careers as pastor and pastor's wife/musician/teacher/counselor (Kathy has done a lot), Kathy and I have encouraged participation in the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20.  For the past couple of years we have been transitioning out of our pastoral role.  Most people would say we are retiring.  That transition from the role in which we served at Covington Bible Church for more than forty years is coming to an end.  Beginning in January we will assume a new role as Missionaries.  I have previously posted about this new role on this blog, here and here.

As you can see from those previous posts we are asking for folk to join us in preparing and enabling a new generation of world-changers.  Here are the kind of teammates we are looking for.

A wonderful family, with whom we have been privileged to work over the years, joined out team about ten minutes after we announced our intentions.  I got this text from them the other day.

"[Six-year-old son] prayed for you guys tonight.  (This family prays for missionaries after supper, each evening.)  He prayed for a safe flight because a solar flare could take the plane down."

I found out, just tonight, that big sister had been studying about the sun in science class.  She had shared about solar flares and how they could disrupt safe air travel. . . .  

Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  That's what we are seeking to do.  We are looking for some other folk who would stand with us financially and in prayer to help make this possible.

I, Howard, am the one doing this letter-writing, Facebooking, blog-posting thing.  It isn't the way we want to do it.  We'd much rather sit down over a cup of coffee, or at least be means of phone or Skype.  So, if, after reading about what we are doing, you say, "I'd like to find out more?" please drop us a line, or just call us.  If we are close enough we'll get together, if not we'll make a time to talk by phone or Skype.
My email is hmerrell@piu.edu, or covbchm@gmail.com.  If you would rather write Kathy you can get her at kmusiq@gmail.com.  Our phone numbers are: Kathy, 540 691 4438, & Howard, 540 691 6539.

Thanks, and may the Lord protect you from falling-rocks, meteorites, rogue elephants, and solar-flares.

Howard, for us both.

ps:  Our pastor, Doug Williams, has been contacting other churches on our behalf.  If you would like to get in touch with him, his email is awa4him@gmail.com.

 

 

This is getting real:

There is no doubt that this next phase of our life and ministry is coming to reality.  Fast, I might add.

I have bought tickets--I was able to get them with frequent-flyer miles--to go to Guam & Palau the second half of November.  I'll be training on procedures, policies, etc. for running a PIU Teaching Facility and I'll be meeting, greeting, promoting in Palau.  I'm looking forward to some of that great Palauan food.
Kathy will be going to Louisiana for Thanksgiving.  Our boys and their families have established a tradition of getting together for Thanksgiving and Easter, so Kathy will get to see all our family.  I hope I can Skype in, maybe for the prayer before Thanksgiving Dinner.  They can give thanks for dinner as I give thanks for my "next day's" breakfast.  Kathy will drive to LA, leave HM's car there, and fly back to Roanoke.
We haven't bought tickets for our January - April time in Micronesia, yet, but we plan to fly from Roanoke VA to Palau in January and then back to Monroe Louisana, stopping in Guam for the PIU graduation, at the end of April.  Our Granddaughter, Carrington, graduates from Sterlington High School, May 9.  Then we'll drive home.
Kathy and I have been privileged to share about our ministry at a sister church, here in Covington, and are looking forward to other opportunities.
Right now I'm in the middle of a two week series of lectures, on homiletics and pastoral ministry, at Appalachian Bible College, our Alma mater.   It wasn't set up to be such, but it is kind of a warm-up.  I don't know, yet what I'll be teaching at PIU.  The registrar is looking to see what will be most useful.  Like most adventures there is a lot

that is unknown
We do know that God has brought us to this point so that we can use what He has entrusted to us for His glory.  This looks like a great way to do that.We know that all over the world there is a great need for prepared leaders to step up to help lead the church in obeying the Great Commission.  As you can see from our last post, that is what we'll be doing--helping recruit and prepare leaders.   We know that our Pastor, church, family, and friends have been very supportive.  We are told that we have an apartment in Palau.  Several folk have already indicated that they are joining our support team.  So there are some things that we do know.  We have a couple other questions to answer before we know just what our full support package looks like.  We should have those answered in a week or so.

If you would like to be on our email or snail-mail list, let us know.  covbchm@gmail.com

Our last post has more information about what we are doing, not only for the four months we'll be in Micronesia, but for the other eight months as well.

Next. . .

Dear Friends,

 After a long time of thinking, talking, and planning, our future ministry has “suddenly” come to a public reality.  I, HM, have had a long relationship with Liebenzell Mission USA, and Pacific Islands University, a college on Guam founded through Liebenzell Mission.  Out of those relationships, a role that fits our abilities, gifts, and interests and that meets a critical need in furthering the progress of the Gospel, is emerging.  Our Pastor, Doug Williams is encouraging us to move ahead with these plans.

It has been said that “Everything rises or falls based on

James Plueddemann, Effective Ministry and Mission
in the Global Church 

leadership.”   We are seeking to leverage the experience we have gained in over four decades of service in Christ’s Church to help raise up, and assist leaders who will labor in pre-evangelism, evangelism, planting and nurturing churches, and repeat leadership development.  Two broad areas of our ministry are taking shape.

January 1, 2016, we will become missionaries with LMUSA.  Four months of the year we will be assigned to serve with Pacific IslandsUniversity.  Howard will be the Director of the Palauan Teaching Facility of PIU.  PIU’s campus is located on Guam.  The core of our ministry is providing Christian Higher Education to the people of Micronesia.  One of our core values is making this education as accessible as possible to the people of Micronesia.  With that in mind we have operated Teaching Facilities in Yap, Chuuk, and Palau.  If you think of the way Community Colleges are related to State Universities, and then reduce that to a micro-scale, you have the right idea.  Howard will teach some courses, coordinate with visiting teachers, and assist students with online classes.  Some of these students will go on to graduate from one of PIU’s programs.  All of them will receive training to be more effective leaders in their church, and community.  The Palauan Evangelical Church, which has a close relationship with PIU, is currently preparing missionaries to serve on the Island of Papua, Indonesia.  This is illustrative of the potential.  In addition our efforts will make PIU a healthier institution, benefiting all of Micronesia, a region where leaders with a solid Christian worldview are desperately needed.

Click on the picture to find out where Micronesia and Palau are.

This aspect of our leadership development will require us—really tough—to live in Palau for four (winter) months/year.   For these months Howard will be on a full-time schedule.  Kathy will use her gifts and abilities in hospitality, music, teaching, and encouragement to good effect.

The second part of our leadership development will be “assistant to the director of Liebenzell Mission USA.”  Our motto is “Live Ready” (Eph. 6:15).  In this role we will be assisting missionary recruits and their sending churches, working in a pastoral role with existing missionaries, and in other ways seeking to help world-changers push back the boundaries of darkness.  For the eight months that this is our focus, we will be on a part-time status.  While this aspect of our ministry will involve some travel, we plan to keep our home in Covington and work from here.

Part of our income is coming from Social Security, but we are seeking supporters to partner with us in this venture.  We are  currently working on a budget.  We would love to talk to you about what the Lord is doing in our lives and what we believe he will do through us.

I have worked really hard to keep this description of what we will be doing to one page.  If instead of writing about what I know, I had writen about what we don’t yet know it would have extended to ten pages or more.  Pray for us, and join us in Praising our Great God for the opportunities He is placing before us.

We would love to hear from you about this new chapter in our adventure.

H&K

New Chapter:

A couple of weeks ago we received permission to make the following announcement.  Our Pastor, Doug Williams, read it at the morning services of Covington Bible Church:

Kathy and Howard Merrell are applying to be missionaries with Leibenzell Mission USA.  As such, Howard

will become a part-time employee of LMUSA.  He will serve in two roles:

1.     Teacher and Director of the Palauan extension of Pacific Islands University.  This will require residence in Palau for about four months per year.

2.     Assistant to the Director of Global Outreach, Liebenzell Mission USA.  While this ministry will require periodic travel the Merrells will maintain their home in Covington, working from there the other eight months of the year.

Kathy will assist Howard in this ministry, and will use her gifts and abilities in serving both in Palau and here at home.
Upon approval as missionaries with LMUSA, and under the direction and authority of Covington Bible Church, the Merrells will be seeking a support team to pray for them in this endeavor and to underwrite the expenses of this ministry. 

We have been working on this for some time, now.
In fulfilling this role I am expecting to travel to Guam and Palau for a short trip this fall, and then Kathy and I will be moving to Palau for January - April.

Stay tuned.

http://mission.liebenzellusa.org/