Sharing Life

With The Thomson's

Fall 2009

       As I write this prayer letter I am involved full force in my new role developing ministry hosts for our mission trips, primarily in the northeast. I look for areas in which God is clearly at work and where the teams that come can step in and make a difference for Christ while growing in their faith. If you know of a ministry in the northeast that you would like me to check out please call. 

       I look for locations with a broad range of ministry opportunities where groups will bebreaking down spiritual strongholds. This may include prayer walks, teen sports evangelism, children's ministries, community outreach events, sharing faith and doing construction and service projects.

Locations I am currently setting up include:

Urban US: New York City Metro area, Providence, RI, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.

Rural US: Western PA, Upstate New York and New Hampshire.

Central America: Costa Rica

Family time at Wawayanda State Park

       Fall is cooler weather, apple picking, and soccer. We are cheering for 3 soccer teams this fall. Curtis is also playing guitar for youth group. Alyssa has started learning the flute. Please pray that they will stand firm in their faith as peer pressure increases in the teen years. Scott continues to work in construction and is a Christian skate club leader. Please pray that he seeks God's will in making career and college decisions. Janice is working with senior citizens in the community and would like to expand to the church setting. Pray that opportunities arise for her to witness to co-workers and her seniors. 

       For the first time since I have been with Adventures In Missions our support account is running low. If any of you would like to help us by investing in our ministry financially it would truly be a blessing. As always, we thank God for the team of people who surround our ministry in prayer and help fund it. 

Praise God for salvation decisions and safety while in Newark, NJ and God's open door to minister in the public secondary school in Costa Rica.

Rev. Bill Thomson, Ministry Development

billthomson@adventures.org

www.adventures.org

862-377-5582

Financial Support address:

Adventures In Missions

PO Box 534470

Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

Bill's 2009 mission trips:

Urban Ministry/Newark: As is often the case with urban ministry, we soon discovered that we were not bringing Jesus to Newark, but in fact He was already there. Jesus hangs out in places like Newark; we just get to announce it. Being out on the streets and in the parks with my son and his school friends striking up conversations and sharing our faith was a special blessing. It is also a blessing to spend time serving the poor meals and making them feel valued. Isaiah 58:10 If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday."

Belen, Costa Rica: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

What are some things you are counting on God to accomplish? Are you able to trust God "even if He doesn't" do as you expect Him to?

This passage and questions were part of our devotional for this summer, and entered our experience in Costa Rica. I asked about entering the public secondary school to minister to the students. The principal of the school said yes. She often feels that there is no hope because the kids show up to school as they please. Some students that show up do drugs or have sex during their 20 minute recess. We told the principal we can bring hope to this situation. 

       As a group we spent a long time in prayer, and the students prepared testimonies about how they faced the temptations of drugs and sex, and how God pulled them through. They also shared how choices they made in these areas opened doors for them to do things like go on this trip. 

       When we showed up at the school the day we were scheduled to, the principal would not let us in. Not fully understanding why, we chose to use this time to worship God through singing and prayer instead. Our group truly did trust God "even if He doesn't" do as we expect Him to. This picture is of that time of worship.

Following God's leading, we showed up at the school again, and miraculously, this time we were allowed in to share with the students.

    

  

Students even lined up along the outside of the classroom to hear what the Christians had to say.