Walking by Faith

Hello, friends and family! As I write this, I’m looking out the windows at the trees beginning to change...golden hues of yellow and orange sprinkled among the green, and a beautiful, vibrant red sugar maple just in front of our house. The idea of seasons was one of the things we were most looking forward to with our move to South Carolina, and it continues to adopt a greater meaning in our lives as we progress in our journey with God. Over the past three months, we have been privileged to focus full-time on assembling our ministry team. During this time, we have had over 30 families join our financial support team, and many more commit to our prayer team, providing a firm foundation for our ministry! Thank you, God!

Before we are able to draw a ministry salary though, we will need many more partners to come on board. So, much like the leaves outside indicate a change, we too are entering into a new season. As we continue to build up our team, I will also need to work an additional job to provide for our family. As soon as we have enough financial support partners on board, we can begin drawing a salary from our support account, and can once again focus full-time on building the rest of our team.


God is using this time to assemble the people He wants on His team


Every day, we draw one day closer to God’s calling! We have been blessed with a number of wonderful partners—many of whom are reading this—both as part of our prayer team and our financial support team. Each one of you is invaluable. I truly cannot over-emphasize that point. Beyond financial gifts and prayers, each one of you has encouraged Tina and me as we walk forward in faith, and you have confirmed and solidified the calling God has given us.

As anxious as we are to get back to Tanzania, I know God is using this time to assemble the people He wants on His team and to bless and encourage people according to His plan. He is using this time to prepare us for the ministry before us. One thing I have learned—and have seen born out time and again—is that God’s plan is always better than my plan!


“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.” –Psalm 27:14
 

Family Update

For those who haven’t heard, Tina has begun homeschooling both our kids! With all the changes in the public school system lately (and more still coming down the line), we both wanted to be more informed about and involved with what our kids were being taught. We selected a Christian curriculum that presents all the different subjects from a Biblical framework and worldview and uses Scripture for examples. The kids are loving learning about God and His world! 

The Amazing Grace of Redeemed Lives

So much is happening in Tanzania right now! Every couple months, groups of Americans fly to the other side of the world to partner with Tanzanians in a common mission—to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Just this past June, one such expedition traveled to Maisome Island on Lake Victoria (the world's second largest freshwater lake).

While there, our team's Church Planting Coordinator, Lana King, met a woman named Christina who is married to an alcoholic man who had "attached himself to another woman." Christina told Lana this other woman was the village prostitute and witch, a woman named Sophia. Sophia had placed a spell on Christina and her home, and because of this, the villagers had intended to burn down her home, drag Christina out and burn her alive. Thank God this plan was thwarted by the Village Chairman.

Christina, already a believer of Jesus Christ, asked Lana and her translator to share the gospel with her friend, one of her husband's other wives. Christina participated in presenting the gospel, and her friend accepted Christ.

The following day, Lana and her translator met Christina's husband. After sharing how Jesus had died to pay the price for his sins, this man accepted Christ as his personal savior as well, and promised to come to that day's Bible study meeting at the new church, under a tree. When the time came, Christina, her husband and Sophia were all in attendance at the Bible study. Lana learned that Sophia had given her life to Christ a few days previously, and had attended the afternoon Bible study each day. The final day of the expedition, all three were present and participated in worship and Bible study together.

Lana asks, "Please pray for these, and all those who accepted Jesus as their Savior, that God will continue to draw them to Himself and work in and through them to reach the village of Majengo for Christ." 
  

Join Our Facebook Prayer Group!

We are so grateful for each of our prayer warriors and supporters, and are committed to praying for our team daily. We would love to stay current with your needs and make sure we are praying for you all in the most appropriate and timely way. We’ve recently created a Facebook group specifically so we can share needs, encouragement, results and praises in a real-time, confidential community. This will also be the best way for you to stay current with our family's and ministry's needs.

Just search for “Go Therefore...” on Facebook (or click here) and click “Join Group”. As a closed group, it is viewable and accessible only by members, so we can personally connect and continually maintain open communication and prayer with you! Please feel free to encourage and pray for others in the group as well—we are all part of a team that God is bringing together to reach His lost children, bless one another and glorify Himself!

Prayer Requests

• For God to continue using the Partner-building time to prepare us for ministry in Africa
• Continued improvement in Tina’s ongoing PTSD and digestive issues (she will post a current update here in the next few days).
• Unity as the e3 Tanzania team meets in November to discuss the ministry vision for 2016




Thank you all!

The Brown Family 


 
 
"Go Therefore..." Prayer Group 
 
Matt's Personal Facebook Page 
 
e3partners.org 



Our mailing address is:

Matt Brown, e3 Partners Ministry
1735 Memorial Drive Ext.
Greer, SC 29651

matt.brown@e3partners.org

Copyright © 2015 Matt Brown, e3 Partners Ministry, All rights reserved.