Twice each year at The Church at Brook Hills we send out a group of individuals and families that are dedicating up to 2 years of their life to serve in another context around the world.  Around Brook Hills, we call these folks Mid-Termers.  Each group we send out is unique and diverse in their own right, but the common vein running through each person is the desire to share the gospel and make disciples in areas where the gospel has never been shared.  This week in our services we will pray for and send out eleven Mid-Termers who have been preparing and training to go to East Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Ecuador, Botswana and Uganda.  We are blessed at Brook Hills to be able to introduce you to these Mid-Termers in hopes that you will join us this week to pray for the individuals and families who will spend their lives for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

Royce and Sandra Watkins both grew up in Texarkana, Texas.  They are business owners and currently have Cebert Pharmaceuticals but do not have to be involved in the day-to-day operations as they have very good people they trust to take care of it.  Their official title with Four Corners Ministries is Chief Operation’s Officer of Uganda.  In this role, they oversee the construction of Abaana’s Hope Children’s Village, the FCM staff, the Ugandan staff, the visiting mission teams, financial, legal and administrative aspects of being on the ground in Gulu, Uganda.  They feel certain that they will be in Gulu at least until Thanksgiving, 2013 but may continue into 2014 or they are willing to go where God may move them.  Regardless, they are planning to be missionaries for the rest of their lives and will leave the “where” up to God.  The Watkins family is in total support of this.

Royce and Sandra’s perfect Saturday would be spent with their family and friends sharing the good things God has blessed them with.  While Royce enjoys hobbies such as golf, tennis, hunting and fishing; Sandra would prefer to read a book.  They both particularly enjoy time spent with their grandsons.

Ways to Pray:

- For continuing delight and joy in the Lord’s work at Abaana’s Hope.

- For God’s direction in finding the orphans that He wants at Abaana’s Hope.

- For opportunities to disciple new Christ-followers in the village surrounding Abaana’s Hope.

- For us to be Christ-like in all our interactions with employees, orphans, friends and everyone we come in contact with.

Katelyn Barnhill grew up in Birmingham, AL and has been a member at The Church at Brook Hills for 19 years, since birth.  Currently she is studying elementary education.  While Katelyn was in High School she and her older brother served in Botswana for 6 weeks one summer.  This led to the desire to return and continue the work she started that summer.  Katelyn desires to serve this next semester because she is a student right now and this life stage allows her to go.  Katelyn leaves mid-January and will be gone for 5 months.  Her main goal is to study at the University of Botswana full time doing campus ministry with other students and starting a discipleship group with girls on campus.

She will also be serving with missionary partners working with children that are at risk or already orphaned by HIV/AIDS. This will give her the chance to serve alongside other missionaries and the local church there while she continues to pursue her degree.  Katelyn is looking forward to  seeing friends she met the last time she was in Botswana and strengthening those relationships.

A perfect Saturday for Katelyn would be a day where she spends time with her family and all of her friends eating some good southern food.

Ways to Pray:

- Pray for the Katelyn to stay disciplined to be in God’s Word everyday and not become overwhelmed with the day-to-day work, but stay focused on the work God has given her.

- Pray for the many different relationships Katelyn has in Botswana, that she will treat others with Christ-like love.

- Pray that the Lord would make Katelyn humble, give her boldness to share the gospel and for many Batswana to come to faith in Christ Jesus.

Kelsey Nichols grew up in Birmingham and recently graduated with her degree in Education from Mississippi State.  Kelsey and her family have been members at The Church at Brook Hills for 14 years.  As a young child, Kelsey felt God leading her to serve him cross-culturally when she heard a group of missionaries share hwo they were able to spread the gospel in other parts of the world.  Kelsey is the oldest of 9 children, 5 adopted from Ukraine, and God has used each of these adoption experiences to shape her heart for the world.  The combination of international adoption, several short-term mission trips and her family living and serving in Ecuador has impacted her to the point that now she desires to serve herself in a different context.  This process has been a time of growth, both personally and spiritually.  God has given her grace in this time as she moves forward with going to Ecuador.  She has mixed emotions of missing her family and friends but is excited about what He has in store for Ecuador and Alliance Academy where she will be teaching.  She will have a unique opportunity teaching students from all over the world, teaching them English and being able to share the gospel and disciple her students each day.

Kelsey enjoys live music, reading, volleyball, being outside and time with friends and family.

Ways to Pray:

- For the Lord’s grace and wisdom in the process of moving to Ecuador.

- For favor in sharing the gospel with her students, new friends inside and outside of Quito.

- Pray for God to strengthen me as I study His Word and to provide the resources to do the work he has called her to.

I realize the title of this post may be confusing…”Wasn’t Mother’s Day a few months ago”?  Yes, that is correct.  But a few weeks ago I had an exciting email waiting in my inbox that demands this title.  It was from a pastor in India.  This particular pastor hosts one of Brook Hills’ Compassion Child Survival Programs (CSP) at his church.  He oversees the Child Survival Program and is actively helping to release mothers and children in his community from poverty in Jesus’ name.

The Church at Brook Hills has the privilege of sponsoring eleven Child Survival Programs (CSP) in India and one in Ethiopia.  Through early intervention with women who are pregnant and mothers of infants, Compassion is helping to save the lives of mothers and babies who are living in poverty.  This is all done through the local church with the end goal of people hearing the gospel, disciples being made, and people finding hope in the face of poverty.

Apparently the mothers at this particular CSP had a big celebration at the church and received a gift to celebrate the day.  These mothers are incredible women.  They face many challenges living in poverty and trying to care for their children.  Most of them do not know Christ, but weekly are being exposed to the gospel in word and deed by the believers of that local church.  We have the opportunity to pray for their salvation and for God to glorify Himself in the lives of the mothers attending the program.

So I wanted to share the picture I received from our partners and to say “Thank You” on their behalf to the members of The Church at Brook Hills.  As we give and work towards God’s name being glorified in this small remote community in northern India, let us be mindful of the work God is accomplishing and give Him all glory and praise for it.

Happy Mother’s Day from India!