Robin and I pray that in 2015 “the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22-26). Our word for 2015 is “Trust.” Our 2015 Bible passage is Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
In December, Robin and I emptied our house in Orlando and listed it for sale, so we no longer live in Florida. We are currently living in Tennessee until we raise the additional monthly financial support we need to move to and minister in New York City. We are trusting that the Lord will sell our house and bring in the monthly support in His perfect timing.
Our single-minded goal right now is to fulfill God’s call in our lives to reach NYC for Jesus Christ as missionaries with Cru. Robin and I are excited, while also experiencing loss (moving away from friends and family), fear of the unknown (not knowing God’s timetable for us in 2015), and eager anticipation to report to our new assignment in NYC.
As we pray for you, will you please pray for us? Pray that we will daily keep our mind and hearts focused on the Lord. It’s so easy to become discouraged. Pray that our schedule is full of opportunities for us to share the spiritual need of NYC with others, and various ways that people can come alongside us to reach NYC for Christ. Pray that we raise the remaining financial support we need quickly.
Robin and I were able to connect with Cru staff and college students from NYC this past weekend (January 16-19) at the Cru Northeast regional winter student conference in Albany, NY. 292 students from all over New England attended the conference, where they were challenged to grow in their faith and live their lives for the Lord on campus and beyond. They also had a digital outreach, where they shared their faith with their online friends.
The NYC Cru staff are very excited that we are joining them in NYC. Most of them know us from interactions at previous Cru conferences and from when we spent the summer of 2010 in NYC on a Cru mission trip. The Lord has gifted Robin and me with skills and experience that will give the Cru ministry in NYC a big boost. The NYC Cru staff are already sharing ideas with us that they’d like us to implement to reach more students with the gospel.
It’s also exciting to see the number of additional Cru staff who are transitioning to NYC like we are. The NYC Cru team could double in size in the next couple of years! God is definitely doing something new in NYC. Please be praying for the NYC team, including us. We are thankful for your prayers for us and our ministry.
Yours in Christ,
Steve & Robin
