CANDIDATE ORIENTATION

Greetings on my second-to-last weekend in Canada before I leave for Chad, by the mercy and provision of God. Unless God has other plans, my next posting will be coming to you from Chad. Praise God that I have received my visa.

Last week and this upcoming week, I have been and will be in Hamilton for candidate orientation (CO) at the Worldwide Evangelization for Christ (WEC) Canadian office. Part of my training is walking up to my room on the third floor (large roof dormer window on left)  : > )

WEC-Canada Headquarters in Hamilton Ontario

I am so encouraged by what God is doing in calling young men and women to overseas missions. We have a class of 12. Excluding myself I believe there is only 3 who are over 25. There is one couple and all the rest are single. Most have already done some short term mission work and are now wanting to go long term. Four of us are called Trekkers which means we are going short term. Our CO is only two weeks long but the other 8 will be in candidate orientation and will remain in Hamilton for 4 months. What is tremendously exciting to me is that 8 out of the 12 candidates are men. The mission fields that these young men and women are seeking to serve in are difficult and unfriendly to Christians. God is still working to bring the lost to Himself through His people.
I sense no age barrier between myself and these young men and women because of our love for Jesus and our mission goals. However I cannot stay up until past midnight listening to music and talking and then be fresh in the morning. God bless those young people who belong to Jesus and are going forward to serve Him.

CO class with our teacher Heather

WEC is truly a faith mission. WEC does no marketing or advertising or appeals for funds. You will not receive a monthly news letter asking for donations. That is one reason why WEC is not so publicly known as other missions. Also WEC does not take a percentage from donations off the top for administrative fees. What is given to the missionary goes to the missionary. For over 100 years now, God has provided for WEC, now with nearly 2,000 missionaries and working in over 75 countries around the world.
WEC also counts prayer as vital to the work of missions. WEC does not count prayer as important in name only but prays. Three times a week the staff meets for morning prayer for 45 minutes. We have had the privilege of joining with them this week. There is a day of fasting once a month and a monthly public prayer meeting which is very well attended. Prayer and faith is counted as most important in the work of missions.

Prayer in the morning with the staff

I praise God that He has led me to serve with Worldwide Evangelization for Christ. I would encourage you to read the story of our founder C. T. Studd who put the practice of faith and prayer into practice having seen and experienced prayer and faith in action in his own life and when working with Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission.

I am looking forward to writing you from Chad.Thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord.

If you would like to receive a private weekly prayer email send me an email at <rtulip231@gmail.com>. For financial information see this blog entry <http://ron-east-west.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-holy-spirit-and-means.html>

HOME (FOR AWHILE)

Greetings from Welland, Ontario. I flew home July 25th. I am glad for my time working in Alberta but disappointed that I only worked about 40% of my days there because of rain, holidays and the occasional use of the equipment that I was driving.

Plans are to attend World Evangelization for Christ (WEC) orientation from August 18th to 29th in Hamilton and then to fly out to Chad on September 2nd arriving September 3rd and staying until December 22nd. I have not yet received my visa for Chad. The application is still at the Chadian embassy in Washington DC so please pray for its completion so my passport with the Chad visa stamp can be returned to me. Finances are coming in and I am thankful to God for His provision and continue to trust Him to provide what is still needed. [see July 5th entry on finances by clicking this link] I now have 30 prayer partners which receive a short weekly email with prayer requests. If you would like to be part of this team that is "holding the ropes" email me at rtulip231@gmail.com.

It is great to be with Gloria again and also to see Michelle and Kris and the grandkids. I am thankful for Rosedale Baptist Church and the worship and preaching of God's Word.

Four grandkids in Welland

I have also been doing some home renovations both planned and others unexpected but needed.

Replacing ant infested window frame (pictured is insulating foam not ant colonies)

And keeping an eye on the downtown bridge renovation project.

Sandblasting and painting downtown Welland bridge

Soon my time in Welland will be over. Thank you for your many prayers and encouragements. If this is your first time receiving this blog you can view other postings by clicking on the sidebar to the right or viewing the archives at the bottom right of the page.

Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me". God has given us the assurance in His Son and in His Word that history is unfolding as He has ordained it. Those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him as Lord have a great eternal future ahead of them. Let us press on to that end.