Missions Newsletter August 2023

“I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18, ESV

I had the unique opportunity to serve orphaned children in the remote city of Iquitos, Peru in June. The young boys I had the pleasure to work with have come from broken, hurting, and trauma-filled childhoods, many of which previously homeless and abandoned. Before embarking on the trip, it was difficult to imagine being homeless and fending for myself at three and four years old, but after meeting the boys and hearing their stories’ I understand what they have gone through well.

Unlike many short-term mission trips that focus on supporting long-term missionaries, working with church plants, or sharing the gospel with locals, the trip I experienced was an effort to build and continue relationships with people that already know Christ and His gospel, perhaps better than I know it myself.

Multiple members of Redeemer and I travelled with Tyler and Allison Fuqua to visit a beautiful ministry in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon rain forest. Not Forgotten is a Christian orphanage in Iquitos guided by Redeemer’s very own Tyler and Allison and directed by a faithful Peruvian couple named Gene and Patty. As mentioned above, we worked with young, orphaned boys that the Lord showed me they are no longer orphans.

Speaking for myself and on behalf of the entire team, I had to remind myself that the boys we met, played soccer with, and worshipped with were orphans. From the moment I stepped foot on Not Forgotten property, it was never apparent to me that those boys were orphans. It never crossed my mind. As 2 Corinthians says above, our Lord is our father, and that is promised. From the parent-child family model of care that Tyler, Allison, Gene, and Patty have developed, to the deep-rooted connection with their local church, those children are cared for as sons, brothers, and family members. The Lord has done a mighty work to save the lives and souls of those boys in Peru and I praise God when I say they are no longer orphans.

Missions Newsletter June 2023

Natalie with teammates

From Natalie Budd, Redeemer member

Tajikistan is truly a wild, whacky, and wonderful place. The city of Dushanbe is stunning against its mountain backdrop, and yet Tajikistan is the poorest country in Central Asia. The Tajik people are beyond kind and gracious, and yet they are so lost. They are shackled by Islam in believing that they can earn their way to paradise. It was definitely a sobering experience to realize that almost all of the people we encountered were not heading towards eternity with Jesus.

Because of this truth, we prayer walked most of our days in the country. We prayed over various college campuses and parks. At first, I was frustrated by “only” praying, because I wanted to find English speakers and have Gospel conversations with them. However, the Lord revealed to me three truths that have stuck with me. The first was that God speaks Tajik! How amazing that He speaks to every individual on this earth in their native tongue! The second truth was that underestimating the power of prayer is essentially underestimating the power of God. We are talking to the King of Kings when we pray, and He can do far more than we ask or think! The third truth was that it is such a gift to intercede for others. Even when we could not talk to the people because of the language barrier, we could go to the throne room on their behalf! They might never know what we were doing but being God’s “secret agent” was a highlight for me.

We also had the opportunity to play sports with some locals and help at an English school which was my favorite part. I am still in contact with some of the students from the school and am praying that they come to know Jesus. Since coming back from Tajikistan, I have a new burden for lost people as I now have faces and names tied to the statistics we’ve all heard. I want to pray to our Father here in Birmingham with the same boldness we prayed with in Tajikistan. He is good everywhere!

Missions Newsletter May 2023

Sarah with teammates

From Sarah Gentry, Redeemer member

This past spring break, 50 of Redeemer’s college students and staff traveled to Cuba through an organization called Filter of Hope, which brings both clean drinking water and the gospel to people who have limited access to both of those things. I had the incredible opportunity to witness the Lord working in very tangible ways in Havana and the surrounding villages, and was blown away by the Lord working in our midst in very intense and personal ways. The oppression of the people there means that Cuba is an incredibly rich soil for the hope of the gospel to fall upon, and I have never seen the gospel more joyfully accepted and eagerly listened to. We saw countless salvations and even more seeds planted, and glory be to God for that!

Our teams walked into homes where joyful believers lived. We also walked into the homes of people who worshipped idols and whom we never saw grasp the grace, love, and freedom that is found in the power of the Lord. One of the most difficult parts of these trips is the tension the whole team feels between wanting to see all of the people we encounter come to know the Lord, and the discouragement and frustration we are met with when they don’t. There’s lots of unknowns and questions that follow that, and I personally struggled with that a lot on this trip. Leaving Cuba, the team and I just had to lean into the discomfort of not knowing, and lean into knowing that we are glorifying God simply by sharing the gospel, and that He is the ultimate Knower. To the idea of ‘planting seeds,’ I think Philippians 1:6 speaks well: “… being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on, to completion, until the day of Christ Jesus.” Our human lack of knowledge does not detract from the power of the Lord to work with or without us. We are simply called to share.

Missions Newsletter April 2023

From Dara Arbuthnot, Redeemer member

Part of the Redeemer Cyprus Team

During the last two weeks of March, 25 Redeemer members traveled to Northern Cyprus, in two groups to come alongside the Doub family in their long term ministry there. I was privileged to travel with the first group and as I write this the second group’s week is nearing its end. While I would love to share all the numerous aspects of the trip, from experiencing a new culture and the complexities of Northern Cyprus’ history and current political climate, to the excitement of growth at New Life Church both spiritually and physically as they have a new church building, I wouldn’t be able to do it justice in this quick summary.

Therefore, I’ll stick with what I know for sure and was a theme throughout all the interactions I had. God is faithful. What a truth that we can and should all cling to throughout all circumstances that arise in our lives. There is nothing that any one of us, His children, has or will go through that He has not already and He will be right there with us. When our plan doesn’t seem to be “working”, if we seek Him, He will be there to guide us.  This reminder was repeated to me as I heard stories from the Doubs about their journey over the past eight years in Northern Cyprus. And from my fellow team of travelers who I grew to know as we spent all our waking hours together making old spaces new at the church building and walking the same paths as Paul and Barnabas at the ancient ruins of Salamis. And from the members and attendees at New Life Church whose lives are so vastly different from what I can even wrap my mind around but yet similar all the same.

This has encouraged me greatly and I pray I won’t lose sight of it as I transition back to everyday life here in Birmingham. I pray the same for each of you as well.

Missions Newsletter March 2023

From Courtney Fish, Redeemer member

In early January, I traveled to Thirivulla, Kerala, in southern India with a team of speech-pathology graduate students from Samford University to serve at the Prathsheeka Early Development Center. This center is the first of its kind in southern India and serves children 6 and under with autism, microcephaly, Down Syndrome and developmentally delayed children. We spent time with the ministry leaders of Sathyam ministries which has a home for adults with disabilities, a church planting network, and schools for children in India.

When I look back on these 2 weeks in India, one of the things that stands out to me was the opportunity to spend time with believers in a different part of the world and in a very different culture. Our first Sunday there, we attended church and worshiped with and learned from believers who are a part of the small minority population of Christians in India. These believers often have to consider how their faith will impact them and their families and are facing the possibility of a non conversion law coming soon. It is so encouraging to see the believer’s faithful persistence and their heart for the gospel and serving those in need.

Another highlight of this trip was spending time and providing therapy to kids and families who are often isolated in society because of their disabilities. It gave me a heart to remember and care for people in our culture and those across the world who are not always welcomed or celebrated. The schools in India do not allow children to attend if they are unable to sit in their chair for extended periods of time which prevents many children with autism from gaining an education and interacting with peers. This trip allowed me to see a clearer picture of God’s heart for the nations and the way that the church is able to meet real needs that people are facing in these communities. I am so grateful for Redeemer’s support and prayers during my time in India.

Missions Newsletter February 2023

From Dwight Castle, Pastor of Missions

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace...And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Phillipians 1:3-7,9-11)

We are already a month into 2023- how has that happened?! How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions and all of the goals that you set for yourself this year? I imagine that, for many, the realities and challenges of the new year are already threatening those goals and desires. I know in my own life, I am wondering where the time has gone and how I have made so much less progress than I would have hoped at this point. Maybe you can relate. 

And yet, when I read these words of Paul to his friends and spiritual family in Philippi, I find myself recalibrated and encouraged. Paul could begin this new letter to them in many ways. He could start with a to-do list, or with words of inspiration or challenge. He could list for them all of the deep lessons that he is learning as he sits in a damp and dark prison cell. But instead, he starts out by encouraging his friends in the gospel and thanking God for them. He sees them as partners and co-laborers in his life and purpose and lets them know how thankful he is to walk it out with them. I can relate to this. I am thankful for each of you and your partnership in the Gospel. It too gives me joy as I pray for you and as I reflect that God has given us each other. Even now, I remember you and pray for you.

Paul prays a specific prayer for them, and one that I am praying for myself and for each of you. He prays that their love will abound more and more with knowledge and discernment, so that they can approve of the good things, live in a pure way, and be filled with the fruit of knowing Jesus. There are many things I hope for this year, many things I desire. Changes I wish to make, patterns I hope to set, goals I want to accomplish. I want to see God do big things in my heart, in our church, in our community, and across the world. But that can become overwhelming and I quickly find myself disappointed at the progress that seems partial and slow. So instead, I am going to follow Paul's example. I am going to pray that my (and your) love will abound with knowledge and discernment. That I will love more, and in wiser and better ways. That my heart of love will grow, and that my wisdom to apply that love will grow. Then, I will make right decisions, live purely, and have the fruit of walking with Christ. Join me in this simple prayer, and let's ask God to grow us more and more in this gospel work, in which we labor together.

Missions Newsletter December 2022

Recently, a team of our church members visited our long-time missionary partners in Cyprus. We were privileged to spend lots of time with the Doub family and several members of their church. It is very evident that the Lord is present and working in their midst. We were able to see and hear of many answered prayers within their small body and it truly blessed my heart. One of the greatest answered prayers was the purchase of a property that has a church gathering space and two buildings with several flats. It holds so much potential for growth and outreach and I know with certainty that the Lord’s kingdom will come on those grounds.

On the other hand, this visit opened my eyes to the realities and needs of the laborers in Cyprus. Church planting in a country that is not your first home brings many cultural, social, and emotional challenges for the Doubs. The number of obstacles that have been overcome to purchase the church property are very many. The time and endurance it has taken to build community and interest in the gospel is currently at nine years and counting. Building a team to carry the spiritual and physical weight of the church has come with joys but also with relational strife and many cultural differences to work through. They labor against spiritual warfare and the teaching and knowledge of the Islamic faith. They also have their own children to teach and shepherd.

Because of Jesus we have complete access to our Father, the only being with the power to answer our prayers. We must be on our knees for our brothers and sisters who labor for the gospel overseas. Let us pray fervently for unity in their marriage, family life, community and church family. Join us in prayer for the sustainment of new believers and boldness of their church to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. The Lord is faithful to do it!

Missions Newsletter November 2022

From Kate Dickson, Redeemer member

In a few short days, I will be joining a small team from our church family to visit one of our long-standing partners in Cyprus. We can’t wait to join with our fellow workers, even for a brief time, in making His name known to those in Cyprus. Redeemer’s partners in Cyprus have seen God move in beautiful, shocking, and unexpected ways recently. We are looking forward to celebrating these victories with them and coming alongside their team in the work they are doing. 
 
We have been preparing by reading several books and this passage from J.D. Greear’s Breaking the Islam Code stood out to me. “The good news is, we serve a God who delights in doing impossible things. He called light out of darkness and told dead men to get up out of their graves. That God has promised to help us in this journey. In fact, he promised that if we would follow him he would teach us to be effective 'fishers of men.'" I pray that this passage would be true of not just our trip to Cyprus, but of our lives. May we believe the good news of the gospel and trust in His promises. 
 
Church, I am thankful that we are senders and goers. Both are equally valuable in God’s choreography of accomplishing His great purpose of calling all His children from every tribe, tongue, and nation. We have been called to be passionately God-centered, whether that is going out for the sake of the Name or remain helping to send others in a manner worthy of God. Our going is evidence of our church family’s Christ-filled soul.

Missions Newsletter October 2022

John

My name is John. I’ve been at Redeemer for about four and a half years. I'm really fortunate to have the privilege of moving to North Africa in January as a long-term partner with Redeemer to share the good news with people there.

The last 11 years I’ve been working toward relocating to a place where people have no access to the most important information there is: information about the most important human who’s ever walked this earth – a man named Jesus who lived in the Middle East a little over 2,000 years ago and was murdered there in his thirties.

He was an exceptionally kind, wise, and powerful man who unexpectedly died without putting up a fight, at the hands of men He could have destroyed with ease, and it turned out – people learned from Him later (after He walked out of the tomb He was buried in and walked around and reunited with His friends) – that He died knowingly as a sacrifice for the people who killed Him on grounds of absurd allegations, and for some people who wouldn’t be born until centuries later.

This information changes everything – and yet it’s mysteriously not within humans’ power to grasp in any significant way without the merciful intervention of God supernaturally opening their eyes to its crucial truth and beauty.

Were it not for hearing this information years ago from people I thought were fools, I would still be living a futile life of external polish but internal misery and be walking down a path that would be guaranteed to end in utter destruction after the few days I have left on this earth came to pass.

The idea that a lot of people haven’t ever heard that information and don’t know that this Man is God, that He actually created them in collaboration with His Father, and that He currently rules and controls the entire universe, has haunted me for a long time; I’m just fortunate to have an opportunity to be a small part of hopefully a fair number of people learning this information soon.

I’m using this space to reiterate this information that probably everyone who reads this already knows, because I love this information, and need to be regularly reminded of it.

Missions Newsletter September 2022

Redeemer team, Dave and Eli far left

Several years ago I had an amazing opportunity to serve alongside my oldest daughter, Maddie, at Canaan Christian Community in Haiti, and I had been looking for an opportunity to do the same with my son Eli ever since. In early August, Eli and I had the privilege of being a part of the recent Redeemer short term mission trip to our ministry partner in Peru, Not Forgotten. Not Forgotten is an organization started by Redeemer members, Tyler and Allison Fuqua, which cares for orphaned boys in Iquitos, Peru through a family-home model.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect on this trip, having never been to South America and not knowing much Spanish. What I did know, however, was that my and Eli’s eyes would be opened to the work that God is doing to seek and save the lost in a small corner of the Amazon Jungle. While we were there, we partnered with the older boys from Not Forgotten to provide clean water to about 40 houses in a small village 4 hours up-river from Iquitos called “El Chino.” We also participated in a summer bible camp that the boys' church sponsored.

As I watched the faces of the 8 middle and high school aged boys on our team interact with the boys from Not Forgotten and the teenagers from the village, I was reminded of these truths: We all need Jesus, and we all want to be known and seen. That is what I am reflecting on the most after the trip. In the USA we have the luxury of distracting ourselves from our own need of a savior, but it doesn’t change who we are nor does it change our deepest longing. It was such a sweet gift to be reminded of the Lord’s relentless pursuit of his Children, and that he won’t ever leave us or forsake us, that he will be with us and guide us - even in the most remote parts of this earth … He’s doing the same thing in Peru.

Missions Newsletter August 2022

Faith and team mates

In May, I had the amazing opportunity to go on a medical mission trip serving refugees in Athens, Greece. The experience was incredible, heartbreaking, and beautiful– it was everything I wasn’t expecting and more. Going into the trip, I was very self-conscious of “saying the right thing” so that others may see the light of Christ in me (Matt 5:15-16), but the Lord was kind to remind me of His sovereignty.

As a nurse, I was looking forward to serving in the medical clinics and was very hesitant to do park ministry because I was so unfamiliar with it. Park ministry included walking around parks and talking with refugees and their families, listening to their stories, hearing about their faith, and eventually sharing the Gospel, and praying with them. On the last day of serving, my team of three, plus our translator, met a single mom from Iran. Earlier that morning, she found out that the Greek government had denied her asylum, which meant no more access to food stamps or allowance to care for her or her three children. She came to the park earlier than usual that day because she expressed she felt that she had no hope left. My team and I shared about the hope we have in Jesus and she told us that she could see that hope and joy on our faces and in our conversation. She told us that she believes God destined for us to meet and she knew she wanted the same hope in Christ, so she accepted Jesus in her heart that day! It wasn’t anything specific that my team said or did, but she could see the light of Christ in us and wanted in on the promise of Heaven. Praise God for His power and perfect timing!

Looking back on this trip, I learned that as long as I allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through me, it didn’t matter what I said or did because the Lord was clearly working everything out for His name and His glory. 

Missions Newsletter July 2022

Ally

Believers are commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of all nations, but how do we actually do so? The Lord is continually teaching me the answer to this question, and being part of a Disciple Making Group at Redeemer has been an incredible piece of my learning.

Joining alongside brothers and sisters who feel convicted and compelled to make disciples of Jesus here in Birmingham and among all nations has been joyful and it has taught me so much about laying aside selfish desires for the sake of the kingdom of God. I have more clearly seen the beauty of living life on mission and how much of a gift it is to live in Biblical community. God has gone before us to provide fruitful conversations, give new friendships with international students, deepen existing friendships, and He has reminded me through it all that we can do nothing apart from Him. I have been convicted time and time again that we who plant seeds and water them can do nothing without God providing the growth. Too often, I have put the weight of someone’s salvation on my own shoulders, but the Lord has gently reminded me that my efforts are futile apart from Him.

However, I think my favorite lesson has been learning to truly love prayer. Drawing near to our Father through prayer is such a gift, and praying corporately with other believers is humbling and beautiful and powerful. I have witnessed the members of my DMG fervently intercede for lost friends and we have been able to rejoice at answered prayers! God has taught me more than anything that He is a God who listens, who remembers our prayers, and who answers faithfully to glorify His name. Will you join us in praying that we would be faithful to plant and water seeds and that God would soften the hearts of our non-believing friends and bring them into His kingdom?

Missions Newsletter June 2022

Abigail, Redeemer members, and E3 team members in Greece

I had the incredible opportunity to go to Athens, Greece to join E3 Ministries on a medical mission trip thanks to Redeemer's support. I learned that Greece is a major hub for refugees because of its geographical location. Our trip’s focus was spending time with these refugees through providing medical care and participating in park ministry to then share the good news of Jesus Christ.

While providing medical care for their daily ailments, we heard many remarkable stories. I witnessed the power of testimony and the way in which Christ makes himself known to others. I was in awe of His work.

One story in particular that stood out was that of one of our Iranian translators. As a child, her mother wanted to take the family to Greece because of the danger and instability of the Iranian government. Her mother hired a smuggler to take her family to Greece; however the smuggler deceived the family, took their money and left them in Bulgaria in a refugee camp. They were devastated. A pastor, who spent time ministering to the refugees, invited them to church. Our translator explained to me that her family was so touched by the pastor’s kindness that they decided to attend. That night the mother of our translator was healed from an orthopedic injury in her arm. Her family witnessed her healing and heard the gospel and became believers. Although, that alone is a miracle in itself, I was truly touched by another detail of the story. I was amazed at God’s intricate activity in their lives. They thought all was lost being in Bulgaria, but that is exactly where God lead them for His purpose of salvation.

I saw this theme of God’s intricate activity in a lot of stories I heard. Although I do not know the plans of God, I am aware that He has a history of spreading his gospel in mysterious ways. He is the author of our stories and the author of the master plan. Is there anything better than knowing that the God of the Universe is orchestrating your intricate life through his hands? He is weaving an incredible story for His glory!

Missions Newsletter May 2022

I remember when my sister and her family first left for Africa 8 years ago. They had 2 children, and we had 3. At that time I decided to start saving and praying that we would one day be able to visit them there. After several different times planning to travel to see them and for different reasons having to cancel those plans, we were so grateful when we did get to visit them in March this year.

Traveling with our 5 children to Chogoria, Kenya and getting to experience day to day life with the Webber family, one of Redeemer's longterm global partners, was an adventure for sure, and one we are so grateful the Lord gave us the opportunity to do. One of my favorite things was watching our kids play with their cousins and experience what life is like for them growing up in a different culture. They went with them to parts of their homeschooling, played with other missionary and Kenyan friends, slept with mosquito nets, climbed trees to pick loquats, visited neighbors accepting and eating food they weren’t accustomed to, walked trails to waterfalls, hunted for chameleons (and unicorns) and just spent time with their cousins in their daily environment.

I personally loved getting to spend time with Lauren and Derek and experience what life is like for them daily. Filtering water or being without power and not being able to open the refrigerator are things I have heard her talk about, but actually experiencing those gives me a more clear understanding of what that is really like for them. However, more than anything, I loved seeing Lauren and Derek shepherding their children as they grow up in another culture, meet with neighbors who have needs, show hospitality to visitors in the community and those visiting from outside the community, lead and train hospital staff and team members and wrestle with how to do that in a culturally sensitive and effective way.

I think our time there is one that we are still processing and that the Lord will continue to use in the life of our family in ways we don’t even know yet. We are grateful he allowed us to visit them and for Redeemer’s support in doing that.

~ Jenn deVilleneuve

Missions Newsletter April 2022

Hello Redeemer Community Church family!!

This spring break I, along with about 40 Redeemer college students, traveled to Panama City, Panama with the intent to share the love of Jesus with the local people. Redeemer College Ministry partners with Filter of Hope - an organization whose mission is, “to change lives and create hope by providing clean drinking water and sharing the "Living Water" of Jesus Christ with families worldwide” - each year. For weeks, my peers and I had been praying for the hearts of those we would encounter, logistical issues, our own hearts and that we would see the Lord move in mighty ways. We had no idea what He would have in store for us.

This was my second time on a Redeemer/FOH trip and each experience was drastically different but equally beautiful. As much as I would not admit at the time, I traveled to Panama with pressure that I had the power to convince people to surrender their lives to Christ. Looking back now on what my mindset was going in, and what the Lord taught me in my time in Panama, I can see that He continued a work that He had already begun in my heart in the States. Over the past year, He has been teaching me to depend on the Spirit and to trust that His grace is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9).

A particular moment that the Lord used to engrave these truths on my heart started with walking up to a house and immediately feeling overwhelmed by the Spirit. We prayed as we walked that the Spirit would use us as vessels for the gospel. This ended up being the most wonderful day, not because we necessarily saw any of the people we talked to in the house come to know the Lord, but because we learned to trust in the will of our God. To conclude, we went with the expectation of bringing clean water and Living Water to these people, but instead, the Lord showed us His character through the diversity of His people and the power of His Spirit. He alone can save!

~ Sydney Tucker

Missions Newsletter March 2022

Sarah

Dear Redeemer,

I am honored to re-introduce myself. I’ve been part of Redeemer since the beginning. Redeemer first commissioned me in 2011 when I joined Engineering Ministries International (EMI) in East Africa. Since then I have been living overseas except for a few years when I returned to Birmingham and worked at an architecture firm. Currently I am the Infrastructure, Shelter, and Cash/Voucher Assistance Advisor for Medair—a Christian emergency relief organization—in South Sudan. My contract with Medair will end next month, and I will be returning to serve with EMI. This time I will manage their disaster response and disaster risk reduction program. They are allowing me to be based in Birmingham rather than the Colorado headquarters! This is an answer to prayer since I won’t need to start building community from scratch, which would be hard if I am traveling to respond to different disasters. 

Part of my transition back to EMI will include partnership development, a.k.a. support raising. Some non-profit organizations, like Medair, have a central fundraising system where staff like me don’t spend time to raise funds for my salary. EMI is not centrally funded for staff salaries, so I’ll start that process to join them full time. In the past, I have approached this in many ways. Please pray with me that I will be Spirit-led in this process whether reaching out to people directly, taking a George Muller approach, following Paul’s example of tent-making, or combining these.

When I return, I would love to answer any questions about my experiences, how I’ve seen God working in East Africa, disaster risk reduction and how this contributes to Kingdom work, etc. Please feel free to reach out to me at dunn.sarah.elizabeth@gmail.com! I have connections to other mission organizations and can be a resource. One of the hardest parts of returning is knowing what people are interested in talking about after I’ve been immersed in another context/culture. I’m praying faith and works (James 2:14-26) in equal measures for the Redeemer missions community!

Missions Newsletter February 2022

Kendra

Church family,

I am so honored and humbled to be one of Redeemer’s newest global midterm missions partners. I feel immensely blessed for this opportunity to share with you what God has been doing in my life.

I became a Christian two and a half years ago while attending Redeemer in a very broken season of my life. I grew up in the church but never experienced true satisfaction only found in a personal relationship with Christ and the freedom in repentance of sin.

God has used our church in a vital way to help me understand and take obedient steps toward His calling of going overseas to the unreached. In the last few years the Lord has led me into leadership and discipleship roles within the church’s college ministry, short-term mission trips to Panama and the Dominican Republic, and several disciple-making groups. I felt very unqualified to be in these positions but the Lord has shown me a lot of grace in what He can do in and through us when we are willing to step into hard things.

I graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in May with a degree in Health Care Management where I was able to spend a lot of time with international students. I had the privilege of being surrounded with a thriving missions focused community of believers from all different churches and walks of life. I have been support raising since June and am currently at a cross-cultural training in North Carolina. I am planning to move to Tajikistan for two years in March, where I will be working as a business team leader in a medical clinic and building relationships with Tajik women. When I arrive I will spend the first 6 months attending language school and absorbing the culture.

Please lift up that the Lord would-

1. Sustain me through finishing support.

2. Guide me through transition.

3. Prepare hearts to receive the Truth.

In Christ,

Kendra

Missions Newsletter January 2022

James and Kristen Minor

Redeemer family,

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! What a year it has been with all that happened in 2021. I hope that you are able to look forward to 2022 in anticipation as to what the Lord will do in our midst at Redeemer and around the world.

One of the big lessons that God has been teaching me personally over the last year is that of patience; our Father displays such patience towards us, His children, whom He lovingly walks with to sanctify for His glory. We read about the patient heart of God as the apostle Peter writes in his letter. 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God's heart is patient for all peoples to submit and follow our King.

As we live in a world and culture where it is easy to long for immediate results in all areas of our lives, including our spiritual growth, the Father has been reminding me that His kingdom and ways are upside down to this world. What we may consider as slowness in our eyes may actually be the Father's perfect timing towards purifying our hearts in holiness and rescuing the lost from the domain of darkness. Remember the promise that He is patient with you and that His heart is for all to come to repentance, both in Birmingham and to the ends of the earth.

I hope this encourages you as you look to the new year and seek to abide in Jesus, waiting on Him in all things.

Grateful,

James Minor

Missions Newsletter December 2021

Garden workday volunteers

As you reflect on and celebrate the Lord's goodness in your life this past year, here are a few of the many things we are thankful to the Lord for in the life of Redeemer. We would love to hear your stories of how the Lord has been faithful in 2021.

• Redeemer commissioned and sent out 4 new partners to work with unreached people groups (Ellie, Lauren, Callie, and the Ostbys)

• Redeemer members met and read the Bible weekly with non-believing friends from Taiwan, India, Iraq, Vietnam, China, and Saudi

• 100+ hours spent in corporate prayer

• 50 people dedicated 15 weeks of study to participate in our Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class

• 35 individuals committed to 10 weeks of participation in our Disciple Making Groups

• In spite of fewer opportunites with our local partners, 153 people served through local missions events

• In addition to our normal annual support, we gave an extra $90,000 to our global and local partners

Missions Newsletter - November 2021

Ramya at a gathering with local believers

The Persecuted Church

I recently spent some time in several villages across North Africa with a team of medical providers, long-term field workers, pastors and local churches. We were privileged to set up medical clinics in rural villages in hopes of opening doors to proclaim the good news. These villages consisted of Muslims, followers of Jesus, poverty-stricken families, and desperate communities in need of physical, mental, and spiritual needs. 

In addition to these medical clinics, we were also able to host a pastors’ conference for pastors across this country. Our team was able to encourage and train up believers in order to multiply [the] seed for sowing and increase the harvest. During the conference, we were able to hear countless stories of persecution and grief within each local church. As we wept with these local believers and field workers, we begged God to comfort them in the midst of their suffering just as He comforted Jesus while carrying the cross to His crucifixion.

At Redeemer, we pray and petition on behalf of our persecuted brothers and sisters, but sitting and worshipping with them left me completely humbled because I couldn’t believe what I saw. I can attest that the persecuted church is full of the most joyful believers I have ever met! The joy they had was incredible as they worshipped in song and in prayer, made jokes at meal times, and as they encouraged and prayed for our team and long-term field workers. I almost couldn’t believe it, but remembered, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

Join me in praying for not only our church in the United States, but also for our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church. Let’s ask the Lord to help us rejoice and be glad as we may face daily persecution for following Jesus, and for the Lord to increase His Kingdom through it all.