January 2020 Update

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Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up;God is our salvation.Psalm 68:19

Friends, It’s been a while since we’ve written. We apologize for the silence! Our December and January looked much different than what we expected them to be. We experienced great loss and unexpected blessings and we are amazed at God’s wise and kind providence through it all. We hope each of you were comforted by the hope of Immanuel in your Christmas and New Year celebrations. Here's the journey God took us on:

• STUDENT CHRISTMAS PARTY •

In December, we happily hosted a Christmas party for students in nearby universities (connected with FOCUS). We had a fantastic turnout–around 30 students (!) from all over the world, Christians and unbelievers. We played games, ate pizza and cookies, sang carols celebrating the birth of Jesus, and listened to a student-led gospel presentation. During the party, we were freshly amazed at how opportunities abound here to reach students from all over with the gospel.

• GOING HOME •

In the kindness of God and massive generosity of some friends, we were given airplane tickets to go home for Christmas. We arrived December 21 to surprise both of our families. Some of our highlights: 

• Eating Chick-fil-a :)

• Seeing Christmas decorations on full display 

• Visiting both of our home churches

• Celebrating Christmas Eve with Todd’s mom, grandparents, and sibling's families, and celebrating Christmas Day with Brittany’s family

• Reconnecting with friends

• UNEXPECTED LOSS •

Two days after Christmas, we were enjoying a quiet morning at Brittany’s parents house, when we received heart-breaking news that Todd’s dad had unexpectedly died that morning from pneumonia that had developed from the flu. We immediately drove back to Evansville to grieve with Todd’s family and help with funeral preparations, thanking the Lord that He providentially had us in the States when it happened. We are so sad to have lost such a lively, warm, affectionate man. 

• GOD BLESS THE UK •

The day after the funeral, we both came down with the flu, which kept us out for a number of days. We finally packed our bags and left the US on January 7, after spending a bit more time with family. 

On the way back, we got to spend a holiday in the UK. What a gift that trip was to us. Glorious winter, moss, rain, horses, roaring fires, warm pubs, bookshops, and peaceful walks in the English countryside together. We made so many sweet memories together–riding trains, exploring new places, finding old treasures, and reuniting with dear friends. We are so grateful for the generosity of friends that provided housing, transportation, and meals. We came back to Dubai weary with grief, but also refreshed.

• BACK TO THE WORK •

We’ve been back in Dubai for three weeks now and we're gradually getting back into the flow of things. Here are some marks of God's grace just in the past few weeks:

• We’ve noted we each have a deeper love for one another, since walking through grief together and getting time away with each other.

• We are so grateful to come back to a church and ministry we love! Our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ here take time to care for us tenderly and consistently in the wake of the loss of Todd’s dad.

• "Joy" and Ivan continue to grow in maturity as they connect with the church and increase in their knowledge of Scripture and the Lord.

• We had a memorable student retreat for the region Todd primarily serves in. We studied the book of Titus together and spent quality time building friendships with the students. 

• The power of the gospel continues to be displayed in new conversions and growth in grace. Our church just baptized two new believers who were saved late last year! One was an Indian guy with a Hindu background who gradually saw his need for a Savior through the weekly preaching at our church. The other was a South African girl who grew up in a Christian home, but it wasn’t until studying Philippians at the Fall FOCUS Conference that she realized she had never felt her personal need for a Savior. She repented of her sin and put her faith in Christ at the FOCUS retreat last October. We were so encouraged to hear their stories and to be reminded that God is powerfully working all around us.  

• We attended an encouraging Muslim-Christian dialogue hosted by the Christian students at NYU Abu Dhabi, between Dr. Peter Williams and Dr. Abdulla Galadari. After the event, we were able to have dinner conversations with Muslim and Christian students processing the material they heard. Todd was also able to connect with a number of new students from the university that he's starting new work on (an answer to prayer!).

• LOOKING AHEAD •

The next couple months are quite packed! Here are some ways we'd love for you to pray for these things: 

• Pray for Todd and his family as they walk through grief. Ask the Lord to bring comfort by revealing more of Himself to them.

• We both get to participate in Simeon Trust Workshops (Todd this weekend and Brittany next month) which train participants to teach/preach the Bible.

• FOCUS Spring Student Conference on March 20-21. This semester, the theme is “The Greatest News” and we’ll hear from an Arabic speaker. We’ve seen many conversions happen at these conferences, so please start praying that God would prepare hearts!

• Join us in asking God to give "Joy" increasing boldness and growth in godliness and love for Him. And pray for many new students to participate in the weekly Bible discussions at her university!

• Pray for Ivan, that he would continue to grow in his desire for and devotion to God. Also, pray for boldness as he seeks to share the gospel with his Catholic family since becoming a Christian recently.

• Pray for the student connections Todd made in Abu Dhabi to bear fruit.

• Pray that God would provide more monthly financial support for us.

• Answer to prayer: we were finally able to get a car! It is such a blessing to be able to give rides to students to and from events.  

• THANK YOU •

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for your financial support. We are aware–now more than ever–of how needed a network of support is as we seek to make Christ known here in the U.A.E. We are deeply grateful for each of you and the part you play in helping us be here. Know that we thank God for you regularly. And please tell us how we can be praying for you!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4