Something Different

by Steve Chamblee

Greetings from Vail, AZ!   I hope that this update finds you fully satisfied in Jesus!  Here is a testimony from our church:

Charles stood before the congregation of Grace Fellowship one Sunday just a few weeks ago, nervous because of his tremendous fear of public speaking, so I read his testimony.  This highly intellectual eighteen year old young man shared of his battle with depression and his daily fight with suicidal thoughts.  His parents and sister had come to Grace Fellowship about a year ago and given their life to Christ and were baptized.  As he began to notice the change in them, even though he was a self-proclaimed agnostic, he decided to check this faith thing out.  He started slowly by coming early on Sundays and helping the set up crew set up chairs and then he would leave before the service.  As the weeks went on, he began to stick around outside the gym and listen to the service, eventually making it into the service to sit in the very back.   He shared in his testimony that it was the love of the people that caught his attention.  This was not the "snooty", "condemning", "judgmental" church crowd he had expected to encounter... these people were nice!  And there was something different about them.

He even reluctantly went with his father to our men's camp out in April.  He then began hanging out at the church office and helping out when he could.  All along, family and friends were praying!  Then one Monday morning Charles approached me at the church office and declared that he wanted to trust Christ as his savior.  We bowed together and Charles gave his life to Jesus!  What a thrill to see Jesus move people!  This agnostic, intellectual who thought the Christian faith was too simplistic and didn't answer enough questions was now stepping into the waters to testify of his faith in Jesus!   Charles' eternity has been changed.  He still fights the battles of the issues he had before his conversion, but he does so now with real hope!  Please pray for this precious new baby in Christ.  This is the legacy of the gospel which produces a life change and redemption through Christ!  What else is there to live for or to die for?

Thank you for your partnership in this ministry of life change.  Because of your prayers and support, there is a young man in Vail, AZ who will walk with Jesus in eternity!  And there are many more who need to hear the great news that there is a redeemer.   So, please don't stop praying for us in Vail, AZ.   The spiritual warfare is thick and seems to be increasing!  I can only speculate that it's because God is positioning the church in the West for the next Awakening!  Let it be!

Students Prepare to Serve in Mid/Long-Term Missions

On Sunday June 10th, four students were interviewed in a Go Team meeting at TSC. God has called these students to step out on faith and to be obedient to serve in Missions for a significant amount of time.  Each individual will be leaving in the coming year to work along side missionaries all over the world.  TSC is privileged to support these students as they begin the journey to go overseas and serve in a new context. Please pray for their preparation, time overseas, and that they will be used in a mighty way for the Kingdom of God. More about each student is below:

Stephen Murray
Where: East Africa
Length:  1 month (July-August)
Commissioning Prayer:  July 1st
Purpose:  Stephen will be serving along side Project 61 as a leader in the summer program and help lead several short-term teams to minister to the children in East Africa. Overall he hopes to reflect Christ and be a servant for the children and current workers on the field.




Holly Helton
Where: Haiti
Length: 6 months (June - December)
Purpose:  Holly will partner with World Orphans by ministering in orphanages through teaching English, community development, and evangelism.  She hopes to build relationships by immersing herself in the culture and spreading the good news of Christ to the people of Haiti. 





 Stephanie Vergara
Where:  11 Different Countries
Length:  1 Year
Commissioning Prayer: July 1st
Purpose:  Working with an organization called the World Race who is committed to serving alongside of missionaries in different countries. Ministries will include construction, leading VBS, teaching English and youth camps.  Stephanie hopes to love each person like God and bring them to a closer relationship with Him. 




Nathan Marrs
Where:  East Asia
Length:  2 years (Starting in August)
Commissioning Prayer: August 5th
Purpose:  Nathan will be teaching English on a college campus among an unreached people group.  He desires to build relationships with the students and teachers with the hopes of sharing the love of Christ with several and be a light in an area that has very little access to the gospel.

Reaching Out To The Starving

Although many positive efforts have been made in Haiti, many Haitians are experiencing difficulty due to a recent crop failure.  Currently men, women, and children in villages are experiencing starvation. These families are already living off of limited resources and any decrease in their food supply can bring devastating results.   Recently Dr. Vanderpool with MMDR made our church aware of this change.  Since families here have given to our GOCTW fund, TSC is grateful for an opportunity to share a gift of $1,000 to MMDR. The money will be used to help supply part of the rice and beans needed to feed 800 families this month.  Thank you for giving!  Many families who are experiencing starvation will be fed because of your contribution! Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti to overcome this difficult time but also that those working in Haiti would be a light to those in need of Christ. 

Finishing Strong

 By Branden

Wait for It

“Still the vision awaits it’s appointed time; it hastens to the end- it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3) Wow, have we seen the highs and lows of this verse. Have you ever set out for something big in your life? Maybe it was a personal goal, maybe it was a short term mission trip, maybe it was to help give so others could go. Many times in many men and women’s lives God has given visions. Almost five years ago when we filled out applications for going into full time missions we didn’t know what was in store for us. We committed our steps to the Lord and he continued opening doors. It came at it’s appointed time and it was true to us. At times it seemed like forever and landing on foreign soil would never come or at least not soon enough. Well, it came and it didn’t delay. The key we heard over and over, as God reminds us in his word, is to wait for it. We are thankful for all the people around us that have said yes to their visions and were patient and are seeing it come to fruition.

Optimistically Naïve?

Two years ago when we had to make a decision as we face a clear cross roads, we felt strongly that he was leading us here  develop the English Center. Our vision was to see a place that students had where they could further their English language, but were around people that could share what the true purpose of life was all about. As the walls went up we began thinking and praying how we could see this come to completion and how one day the local believers could be handed over the tools to use this facility as an outlet to meet students and give them some solid English courses in an environment where they don’t feel threatened. Oh, did it seem slow! And there were many days we said what are we doing here, but as a great friend of mine said, “I am just optimistically naive.” Maybe it wasn’t so much of that as we knew God wouldn’t have opened all the doors in the beginning and raised up supporters only to abandon us and embarrass by failure.

On the Horizons

So now how do we use these contacts? Well, this Thursday thirteen college students from the midsouth will be arriving here for the summer to continue with class and evangelism with these students. On Sunday, May 20th we have a team of four from Michigan that will come for two weeks and teach English four days at the center; then Friday and Saturday each week we will take 30 students to Lake Isakkol. (It is the second highest largest lake in the world and only a couple of hours away.) During that time each person on our team is responsible to find time to share the

Gospel and give the students they invited a chance to respond. Please pray for this time!

What’s next?

As we look forward to our last three weeks here we just want to thank you again for all your prayers and support to make these stories happen! We also want to say we still need your support as we travel home. Annie will be looking for a nursing position and Branden is meeting with our leaders about how we both can continue working with Crusade and reaching college students. We look forward to catching up with you this summer and share about where we feel God is calling us next and how you can be a part of it! We love you greatly and can’t wait to see you! Let the next vision begin!