may update

THESE EMAILS ARE SENSITIVE FOR SECURITY REASONS. PLEASE DO NOT PUBLICLY SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION If you no longer wish to receive this email, feel free to unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of this email, but please do not mark as spam. Thanks! Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

O Christ, in thee my soul hath found,And found in thee alone,The peace, the joy I sought so long,The bliss till now unknown.Now none but Christ can satisfy,None other name for me!There's love, and life, and lasting joy,Lord Jesus, found in thee.

-  Emma Frances Shuttleworth Bevan  -

It's been more than two months since isolation measures have been in place here in Dubai. Gloves, masks, and a temperature check at the entrance of every store is becoming routine. Things are beginning to slowly open up, just as the summer heat is settling onto the U.A.E. But, in the quiet of quarantine life, God has been wonderfully active. Here are some highlights from the past month.

I V A N

You may remember Ivan, the Filipino convert that Todd's been discipling. Throughout the quarantine Todd's been checking in with him, seeing how he was doing, since he lives with extended family who aren't Christians. Recently, he told Todd that he was struggling with depression and was unsure what it looks like to walk with the Lord, so we offered to let him stay with us on the weekends. He's been with us two weekends now and it has provided such a sweet opportunity to share life with him. Though we just had the Majlis cushions in our living room to offer him, he commented, "This is the best sleep I've had in a LONG time!"We've played games, eaten good food, ridden bikes, studied Scripture, prayed, and just talked about life, love, truth, and what it means to be a Christian. These are times we thank God for. We've been reading Gentle and Lowly for afternoon teatime most days, and Ivan has been very affected (as we have as well!) by the heart of Jesus. 

M I C H E L L E

A new opportunity that quarantine has brought is my weekly conversations with Michelle, Joy's older sister and roommate. I had been asking God to open a door for me to get to know her better, since we weren't sure where she was at with the Lord. Soon, after some significant difficulties in her life discouraged her greatly, I got to care for her and I asked if she'd be willing to read Living the Cross Centered Life with me over Zoom. We are now almost finished with the book. Our conversations have been full of tender moments of confession, powerful new insights into the gospel, and a consistent stream of questions from Michelle. The other day, she said with a huge smile on her face, "I like this book. It has really helped me see how the gospel affects my life."

- Brittany 

A N   U N E X P E C T E D   A N S W E R

- Brittany

R E C A P / L O O K I N G   A H E A D

W I L L   Y O U   J O I N   U S ?

Because of the pandemic and the innevitable economic recession, we are focusing this summer on raising more monthly support. We'll be in the States from mid-June to the end of July, spending time with our families (especially Todd's since we weren't there to grieve with them after his nephew's death in April) and raising support. If you know of anyone who might be interested in supporting us, please let us know!

JOIN US IN PRAYER

- Pray for our neighbor Amal, that God would bless Brittany's friendship with her and give her opportunities to share the light and hope of Christ with her.- Pray for our brother, Ivan, for God to be a present help in times of weakness and for him grow in his desire to seek the heart of our Lord.- Pray for Michelle, Joy's sister, that God would bear much fruit in her life from the truths she's learned in Living the Cross Centered Life.- Pray for the Summer Bible Discussion that the FOCUS team has begun leading over Zoom every Wednesday afternoon on the subject of Jesus' death. Students from all across the UAE have been invited to attend. We had the first one last week and about 30 students joined the call!

- Pray for Baha, a Lebanese Muslim student who has been joining us for game nights and expressed interest in participating in the Summer Bible Discussion. - Pray for our time in the states, that we would depend on the Lord for strength and wisdom and that God would give us opportunities to share the gospel with Todd's unbelieving family members. 

We have spent much time in recent weeks praying for our brothers and sisters in the States, given the unrest this last month has brought. Here is what we are praying:

• That all believers would remember our shared identity in Jesus Christ "who is Himself [alone] our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility...that he might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility." (Ephesians 2:14–16, ESV)

• That the hope of the miraculous power of the this gospel of reconciliation would SPREAD during these uncertain days. We pray that as the world's idols are shaken, Christ's people would be bold proclaimers of hope, love, and truth. 

• That you would not lose focus during these difficult times, but instead you would "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and...run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV) 

• That you would "keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life," (Jude 21 ESV) abiding in His life-giving Word, depending on His life-giving Spirit, and seeking His life-giving presence.

“

All Christian toil flows from fellowship with a living Christ whose transcending, defining reality is: gentle and lowly. He astounds and sustains us with his endless kindness. Only as we walk ever deeper into this tender kindness can we live the Christian life as the New Testament calls us to. Only as we drink down the kindness of the heart of Christ will we leave in our wake, everywhere we go, the aroma of heaven, and die one day having startled the world with glimpses of a divine kindness too great to be boxed in by what we deserve.

”

- Dane C. Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly