May-June 2021

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- Looking Ahead -

This coming August marks the end of our initial two-year commitment to being a part of the FOCUS team. As we have sought the Lord and wise counsel from people in Dubai and in the States, it's become clear to us that it would be best for us to move back to the States for a season in order to build a stronger foundation for our marriage and family and to pursue further training for a lifetime of faithful ministry. It was a very hard decision to leave the team, community, and opportunities God has given us here, but we rejoice with great faith in the reality that God will continue His saving work in the UAE!As we transition back in August, our org agrees that we should take the first 3 months to serve and spend time with our supporting churches and take time to transition back. Todd will also start taking seminary classes and working part-time. Would you consider continuing your financial giving through the end of October to help us in this time of transition? Would you also consider giving towards Todd's seminary classes? If you'd like to add a one-time gift towards that, please contact us. All giving will automatically terminate at the end of October 2021.  If you have any questions about this decision, we would love to hear from you! Don't hesitate to email, call, or text us. We will be seeking to contact you all individually by email over the coming months. 

- May & June at a Glance -

We've made it a point to spend as much time as we can with church friends and students before we leave. This photo was from a dinner our friend, Neil (in the middle), hosted for us and other friends.

Brittany had all the single lady FOCUS volunteers over for a pizza party just before Zion was born. These ladies have been such an encouragement and support over these two years!

Exciting transitions happening! A student leader team we have been working with is joining forces with a couple budding student leaders on another campus. This photo is from a student pizza night at our team member's apartment.

We're so grateful we got to introduce Zion to Joy and Betty before Joy went home to Nigeria for the summer. 

Todd organized an end-of-year celebration at Wild Wadi Water Park for the student leaders we work alongside. It was a sweet time recounting God's faithfulness, honoring their diligence, and just ripping it up on the slides! 

Bob and Julie (Brittany's parents) were here two weeks for Zion's birth. They got to join us for our last team meeting with FOCUS and shared much wisdom on life, ministry, and family.

While Bob and Julie were here, Bob led a worship night with a number of area churches attending. This was the last event we attended before heading in to the hospital that night to have Zion. Needless to say, we will remember it!

Life with Zion is the best. We got dinner after church with friends who had their first baby a few months ago.

- A Closer LOOK -

If you've been following our newsletter for the past few months, you'll be familiar with Betty and DJ, two girls from Joy's campus who we've been spending a lot of time with.Sometime in May, we invited DJ and Joy over for dinner and games. We spontaneously decided to watch a movie at the end, DJ's choice. The movie focused on a woman who achieves the ability to access all of her brain power. At the end of the movie, DJ exclaimed, "I want to be her! I would do anything to know what she knows!"Todd took the opportunity to begin asking her more about why she wants to know everything, what it means that only God knows everything, and the glory that He is a good God. We were able to explain the gospel to her that night. Pray with us for God to bring fruit from these seeds!

Then a few weeks ago, as an answer to prayer, both of the girls decided to come visit our church! It was a new experience for them both, and we were so encouraged that they wanted to come. Pray for God to continue using Joy in their lives to draw them to Himself! 

- Spring Conference -

This May, FOCUS hosted our first student conference since Covid began. It was a very socially distanced one day event, but we immediately started to see much fruit in the form of encouragement and transformation from students who attended. 

The theme was "SENT: Every Tribe. Every Tongue. Every Nation." The sessions included singing, messages, a missionary biography, and an interview of a husband and wife who were apart of the student ministry and are now being sent out to India. The interview was a huge highlight of the conference for many of the students! We ended with a small group discussion time to apply the material they heard. 

The FOCUS volunteer staff and student leaders helped lead the small group discussions. In my (Todd) group's time, Brook (far left in the photo below), a new student, shared many personal questions, struggles, and perspectives he had on things. I was really encouraged to hear him open up. But what was even more encouraging was to see the other three students listen well to what he had to say, ask good questions, and speak gospel truths to him. 

Pray with us for Brook as he continues to meet with people from FOCUS. 

- Pray with Us - 

• Pray that we would exalt Christ and vigilantly look for opportunities for ministry during our last month in Dubai!

• Pray for God to bring Betty and DJ to a saving knowledge of Himself.

• Praise God "Joy" and her sister, Michelle,  found a healthy gospel centered church in Nigeria.

• Pray for a smooth transition of student leaders from Todd's oversight to other team members'.

• Praise God for our current student leaders (Joy, Jon, Ben, Favour, and Alia). Pray they continue to grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus, leading out of that.

• Pray for Matt and Kate Zylstra, a couple from Australia that is making preparations to join FOCUS this Fall. They may end up taking over some of the universities we have been involved in.