What's New...
JFS 2018 Update
Looking Back and Moving Forward
Dear friends and family,
Today’s update is not only to give you an idea of what’s currently going on with JFS, but what’s been happening in the past few months and what we anticipate in the near future.
Jan / Feb
In early January I, Steve, returned to Asia for a brief visit, providing some specialized teaching at the factory and working with another group that’s training those going out. During that time I had little more than a week to finish preparations to enter Iraq with our son-in-law, TJ. Though the visit was brief it certainly wasn't without it's challenges. We flew into southern Turkey, drove along the Syrian border, waited 5-6 hours to cross the border into Iraq and arrived at the ministry compound we were visiting at about 2am. We brought a rainstorm of biblical proportions right in with us!
We were able to deliver 200 lbs. of freeze dried food packets in 4 large duffel bags and a CCTV camera security system for the compound. Many thanks to all those who donated including the SRM youth group.
We met and spent time with the Yezidi boys & young men and heard many stories of their experiences when ISIS attacked their village. No one should ever witness the atrocities they’ve seen, especially those so young Praise the Lord they have been hearing Gods word thru the ministry we were visiting and a few shared privately of their salvations!
Recently this ministry built a safe house for Yezidi girls who have been able to escape ISIS. ISIS fighters rape these girls when they’re captured and then either force them to marry them or they’re sold from one man to another. The first rescued girl arrived at the compound during our visit. Her family was coming to visit this girl and her new baby but her worries were multiplied by the fact that she knew her family wanted to kill the child because the father was a Muslim. Normally the family would kill the girl as well (because she has been with a Muslim) but the local Yezidi religious leader made a new law prohibiting families from killing daughters who escape from ISIS. Due to such trials for those rescued, the camera security system was installed immediately.
As you may recall, our original intent in visiting this ministry was to assess the possibility of setting up a wood factory and training center for Yezidi boys. Due to the focus of the ministry changing to helping young women and girls, along with some perceived integrity issues, we will not be joining forces with this organization, but we were fortunate to learn so much while we were there. The realization of the availability of tools and materials for a woodworking factory was an eye opener. Corruption is rampant and banks are making money a huge issue for ministries operating in the region. More importantly, we recognized the tremendous need for Christ in a land ridden with utter chaos. Won’t you join us as we continue to pray about another opportunity to partner with a ministry in Iraq early in 2019. We’ll see how the Lord leads, but the International airport in Erbil, northern Iraq, is open again simplifying the matter of getting in and out of Iraq in a faster and safer manner.
The land in this area is incredibly rich in Biblical history as well. Essentially we were in the region of Ninevah (Mosul). We hiked up a mountain to visit the remains of a 1600 yr old christian village that was attacked by Saddam Hussein. The villagers were forced to flee and settle in what is now Seje, the village that we stayed in. We also drove to AlQosh which is a Christian town located a few miles outside Mosul and visited an old church which until recently held the bones of Nahum. His bones were secretly moved to a more secure spot when they thought ISIS was going to attack. We also visited a 1400 year old monastery comprised of hundreds of caves that monks lived in for centuries until the recent upheaval.
Exiting Iraq turned out to be little more challenging than either TJ or myself would have preferred. At the border we were forced to stand outside of a Turkish police station at 3am in below freezing temp, front doors locked, while our passports were in the possession of a man who obviously hated Americans. We needed him to stamp our passports so we could enter Turkey. Eventually our passports were returned by a worker leaving the station after about an hour. Then once we got to the airport they scanned our bags and pulled me to the side. we had a couple bags of freeze dried food which looked suspicious to them and also some pieces of broken pottery we were given in Iraq. They proceeded to surround us with men carrying AK47s and the interrogation process began. They called in a military interpreter and then some guys from their "KGB" division arrived. Everyone began taking pics of our passports and visas. The KGB guys then walked away with our passports. They told us these things were illegal and not permitted in Turkey. After about 30-45 mins, they returned our passports. Upon takeoff, it is ironic to me how much the airport looked like a prison. We realize now just how blessed we are to have gotten out of those situations. We give all the credit to our almighty God and the faithful prayers of many!
Mar / Apr
After returning from Iraq and Austria we left for Iowa, planning to go onto Daytona for the annual bike rally. We drove to Kingman, AZ on our first day when suddenly Denise & I were simultaneously bed ridden with a flu virus. We remained in our hotel room for the next 8 days until I was feeling somewhat able to drive. How sudden ones plans can change! We made the decision to return home and recover, unwilling to risk infecting anyone else. A visit to the ER and the following day to the doctors office revealed pneumonia for us both. The following 2 weeks were spent resting and recuperating, perhaps God's way of saying, “time to take a break.” As a result of the severe coughing episodes associated with this strain of flu, Denise's herniated disk condition caused her excruciating pain. She began seeking a long term medical solution and physical therapy for pain relief and I ventured on to Iowa for ministry. Unfortunately it was too late to attend the Daytona bike rally.
After returning home a couple of weeks later, I took the opportunity to connect with some churches and set some dates for a future local mission training program, “EMBRACE your calling,” as well as taking care of some “honey do's” before leaving for Asia.
Present
Before I left Denise was diligently preparing to speak at a women's retreat in the first part of May. She was happy to say that she believes the Lord used the retreat weekend to speak to many hearts through her and 5 other speakers. She was also approved for an MRI to determine exactly what's going on with her back and we're praying this will lead to a plan eliminating her pain for the long term.
I am currently in Asia renewing my visa. It is an extremely complicated process this year. The students just returned from their mission trip to Bangladesh. It is a blessing to hear from them how this was such a faith building and life changing experience. I’m spending the next few weeks teaching some final classes at the factory and then saying goodbye to the current class as they graduate on June 1st. We welcome class #5 on June 4th, wow, how time flies!
We are adding a new element to the training at the factory. This year we will have 2-3 student sent by a church to be trained specifically as missionaries. They will receive the same training that we typically do for pastors and leaders, but there will be an added emphasis on church planting and missions. Then they will spend a second year working with missionaries that are currently in the field and those that we have relationships with. They will have on the job training, so to speak, with active missionaries so they can learn exactly what they do and experience how they live. When their second year of training is completed our plan is to assist the church in helping establish those missionaries in a Middle Eastern nation according to how God has equipped and called them to serve.
Future
I will return to America mid-June and will begin a 2 week local mission training program culminating in a local community outreach. Denise and I will also be preparing for a rather intensive travel schedule including approx 10,000 miles of driving over the next 4 month. It will be a combination of visiting various ministries, churches, product sales and ministry promotion.
The following is a brief outline of the upcoming travel plans;
Our daughter Jen and her husband Brad will drive to our home in Auburn to drop off their 4 children and car in the beginning of July. They will return to Oregon and leave for India with a short term mission team. Denise and I will drive both our truck and their vehicle to Iowa with the grandchildren, where bike ministry and discipleship training will continue with Indianola Freedom Fellowship Church (IFFC), along with caring for the 4 grandkids. When Jen returns to the US she will fly to Iowa and spend a couple days resting before she, Denise and the kids drive back to Oregon at the end of July. I will leave for the Sturgis bike rally in South Dakota at that same time to sell the RockOn Motorcycles. After the rally I will continue on to Utah to spend a few days promoting and selling RockOn bikes at Bonneville Salt Flats during speed week. Then, on to Canon Beach, Oregon to attend a Christian Conference with the entire family. From there Denise and I will drive back to
Auburn, where Denise will remain to visit with some friends from China. I’ll continue on, visiting various ministries and churches along the way as I head back to Iowa. From there I’ll try to fit in some time to go to Daytona and Myrtle Beach to make connections with local churches for next years bike rally's in March and May. Denise will fly to Iowa in Sept. and reunite with me to continuing ministry in Iowa until the end of October. Then we’ll drive back to Auburn again with a stop scheduled in Santa Fe to visit family. Rough calculations are that we will be covering more than 10,000 miles of windshield time between July and October. By then I’ll need to return to Asia, heading home before the Holidays begin. The remainder of the year will be spent doing ministry in our hometown region and perhaps Oregon. Whew! Maybe I’m writing this down for my own benefit Incase I forget where I’m going!
Please pray as we have a very ambitious schedule ahead of us! Travel expenses alone are estimated to be between $8K-$10, which includes gas, food and lodging. We are also praying that the Lord will provide an increase in our monthly support as the reality of increased living expenses has happened since moving back from Asia. We’re praying for an additional $1000 in monthly support to offset our current expenses. As we continue to promote the sales of products from the factory, our goal is to pay as much from the factory account as possible, but when funds are not available JFS needs to make up the difference until we can replenish account from product sales. Our annual factory building lease and product safety certification fees have just been paid but to give everyone an example, the cost of setting up at Sturgis is approx $2400, which includes space rental, insurance and sellers permits. Last year JFS brought in $11,000+ in sales over a period of 9 days so the work is definitely worth it. We are striving to have the factory sustain itself through the sale of products but we still have some work to do.
We pray you may consider making a one time gift or committing to a monthly donation? I remember at one point early on in our ministry we were lamenting over asking others for financial help and the Lord impressed upon Denise that we weren’t asking for ourselves, we were asking for Him.
We would like to thank everyone for your faithfulness in walking with us as we continue this journey.
Please pray with us that as we continue doing ministry throughout the States this summer into fall that we have the energy, health and finances to accomplish God’s purposes. Thank you
Serving togerher with you in Christ,
Steve & Denise
To Donate Online, CLICK HERE (http://www.justfootsoldiers.com/donate.html)
To make a donation by check, please make payable to “Just Foot Soldiers”
Mail to: Just Foot Soldiers, 2374 Bean Road, Auburn, CA 95603
Looking Back and Moving Forward
Dear friends and family,
Today’s update is not only to give you an idea of what’s currently going on with JFS, but what’s been happening in the past few months and what we anticipate in the near future.
Jan / Feb
In early January I, Steve, returned to Asia for a brief visit, providing some specialized teaching at the factory and working with another group that’s training those going out. During that time I had little more than a week to finish preparations to enter Iraq with our son-in-law, TJ. Though the visit was brief it certainly wasn't without it's challenges. We flew into southern Turkey, drove along the Syrian border, waited 5-6 hours to cross the border into Iraq and arrived at the ministry compound we were visiting at about 2am. We brought a rainstorm of biblical proportions right in with us!
We were able to deliver 200 lbs. of freeze dried food packets in 4 large duffel bags and a CCTV camera security system for the compound. Many thanks to all those who donated including the SRM youth group.
We met and spent time with the Yezidi boys & young men and heard many stories of their experiences when ISIS attacked their village. No one should ever witness the atrocities they’ve seen, especially those so young Praise the Lord they have been hearing Gods word thru the ministry we were visiting and a few shared privately of their salvations!
Recently this ministry built a safe house for Yezidi girls who have been able to escape ISIS. ISIS fighters rape these girls when they’re captured and then either force them to marry them or they’re sold from one man to another. The first rescued girl arrived at the compound during our visit. Her family was coming to visit this girl and her new baby but her worries were multiplied by the fact that she knew her family wanted to kill the child because the father was a Muslim. Normally the family would kill the girl as well (because she has been with a Muslim) but the local Yezidi religious leader made a new law prohibiting families from killing daughters who escape from ISIS. Due to such trials for those rescued, the camera security system was installed immediately.
As you may recall, our original intent in visiting this ministry was to assess the possibility of setting up a wood factory and training center for Yezidi boys. Due to the focus of the ministry changing to helping young women and girls, along with some perceived integrity issues, we will not be joining forces with this organization, but we were fortunate to learn so much while we were there. The realization of the availability of tools and materials for a woodworking factory was an eye opener. Corruption is rampant and banks are making money a huge issue for ministries operating in the region. More importantly, we recognized the tremendous need for Christ in a land ridden with utter chaos. Won’t you join us as we continue to pray about another opportunity to partner with a ministry in Iraq early in 2019. We’ll see how the Lord leads, but the International airport in Erbil, northern Iraq, is open again simplifying the matter of getting in and out of Iraq in a faster and safer manner.
The land in this area is incredibly rich in Biblical history as well. Essentially we were in the region of Ninevah (Mosul). We hiked up a mountain to visit the remains of a 1600 yr old christian village that was attacked by Saddam Hussein. The villagers were forced to flee and settle in what is now Seje, the village that we stayed in. We also drove to AlQosh which is a Christian town located a few miles outside Mosul and visited an old church which until recently held the bones of Nahum. His bones were secretly moved to a more secure spot when they thought ISIS was going to attack. We also visited a 1400 year old monastery comprised of hundreds of caves that monks lived in for centuries until the recent upheaval.
Exiting Iraq turned out to be little more challenging than either TJ or myself would have preferred. At the border we were forced to stand outside of a Turkish police station at 3am in below freezing temp, front doors locked, while our passports were in the possession of a man who obviously hated Americans. We needed him to stamp our passports so we could enter Turkey. Eventually our passports were returned by a worker leaving the station after about an hour. Then once we got to the airport they scanned our bags and pulled me to the side. we had a couple bags of freeze dried food which looked suspicious to them and also some pieces of broken pottery we were given in Iraq. They proceeded to surround us with men carrying AK47s and the interrogation process began. They called in a military interpreter and then some guys from their "KGB" division arrived. Everyone began taking pics of our passports and visas. The KGB guys then walked away with our passports. They told us these things were illegal and not permitted in Turkey. After about 30-45 mins, they returned our passports. Upon takeoff, it is ironic to me how much the airport looked like a prison. We realize now just how blessed we are to have gotten out of those situations. We give all the credit to our almighty God and the faithful prayers of many!
Mar / Apr
After returning from Iraq and Austria we left for Iowa, planning to go onto Daytona for the annual bike rally. We drove to Kingman, AZ on our first day when suddenly Denise & I were simultaneously bed ridden with a flu virus. We remained in our hotel room for the next 8 days until I was feeling somewhat able to drive. How sudden ones plans can change! We made the decision to return home and recover, unwilling to risk infecting anyone else. A visit to the ER and the following day to the doctors office revealed pneumonia for us both. The following 2 weeks were spent resting and recuperating, perhaps God's way of saying, “time to take a break.” As a result of the severe coughing episodes associated with this strain of flu, Denise's herniated disk condition caused her excruciating pain. She began seeking a long term medical solution and physical therapy for pain relief and I ventured on to Iowa for ministry. Unfortunately it was too late to attend the Daytona bike rally.
After returning home a couple of weeks later, I took the opportunity to connect with some churches and set some dates for a future local mission training program, “EMBRACE your calling,” as well as taking care of some “honey do's” before leaving for Asia.
Present
Before I left Denise was diligently preparing to speak at a women's retreat in the first part of May. She was happy to say that she believes the Lord used the retreat weekend to speak to many hearts through her and 5 other speakers. She was also approved for an MRI to determine exactly what's going on with her back and we're praying this will lead to a plan eliminating her pain for the long term.
I am currently in Asia renewing my visa. It is an extremely complicated process this year. The students just returned from their mission trip to Bangladesh. It is a blessing to hear from them how this was such a faith building and life changing experience. I’m spending the next few weeks teaching some final classes at the factory and then saying goodbye to the current class as they graduate on June 1st. We welcome class #5 on June 4th, wow, how time flies!
We are adding a new element to the training at the factory. This year we will have 2-3 student sent by a church to be trained specifically as missionaries. They will receive the same training that we typically do for pastors and leaders, but there will be an added emphasis on church planting and missions. Then they will spend a second year working with missionaries that are currently in the field and those that we have relationships with. They will have on the job training, so to speak, with active missionaries so they can learn exactly what they do and experience how they live. When their second year of training is completed our plan is to assist the church in helping establish those missionaries in a Middle Eastern nation according to how God has equipped and called them to serve.
Future
I will return to America mid-June and will begin a 2 week local mission training program culminating in a local community outreach. Denise and I will also be preparing for a rather intensive travel schedule including approx 10,000 miles of driving over the next 4 month. It will be a combination of visiting various ministries, churches, product sales and ministry promotion.
The following is a brief outline of the upcoming travel plans;
Our daughter Jen and her husband Brad will drive to our home in Auburn to drop off their 4 children and car in the beginning of July. They will return to Oregon and leave for India with a short term mission team. Denise and I will drive both our truck and their vehicle to Iowa with the grandchildren, where bike ministry and discipleship training will continue with Indianola Freedom Fellowship Church (IFFC), along with caring for the 4 grandkids. When Jen returns to the US she will fly to Iowa and spend a couple days resting before she, Denise and the kids drive back to Oregon at the end of July. I will leave for the Sturgis bike rally in South Dakota at that same time to sell the RockOn Motorcycles. After the rally I will continue on to Utah to spend a few days promoting and selling RockOn bikes at Bonneville Salt Flats during speed week. Then, on to Canon Beach, Oregon to attend a Christian Conference with the entire family. From there Denise and I will drive back to
Auburn, where Denise will remain to visit with some friends from China. I’ll continue on, visiting various ministries and churches along the way as I head back to Iowa. From there I’ll try to fit in some time to go to Daytona and Myrtle Beach to make connections with local churches for next years bike rally's in March and May. Denise will fly to Iowa in Sept. and reunite with me to continuing ministry in Iowa until the end of October. Then we’ll drive back to Auburn again with a stop scheduled in Santa Fe to visit family. Rough calculations are that we will be covering more than 10,000 miles of windshield time between July and October. By then I’ll need to return to Asia, heading home before the Holidays begin. The remainder of the year will be spent doing ministry in our hometown region and perhaps Oregon. Whew! Maybe I’m writing this down for my own benefit Incase I forget where I’m going!
Please pray as we have a very ambitious schedule ahead of us! Travel expenses alone are estimated to be between $8K-$10, which includes gas, food and lodging. We are also praying that the Lord will provide an increase in our monthly support as the reality of increased living expenses has happened since moving back from Asia. We’re praying for an additional $1000 in monthly support to offset our current expenses. As we continue to promote the sales of products from the factory, our goal is to pay as much from the factory account as possible, but when funds are not available JFS needs to make up the difference until we can replenish account from product sales. Our annual factory building lease and product safety certification fees have just been paid but to give everyone an example, the cost of setting up at Sturgis is approx $2400, which includes space rental, insurance and sellers permits. Last year JFS brought in $11,000+ in sales over a period of 9 days so the work is definitely worth it. We are striving to have the factory sustain itself through the sale of products but we still have some work to do.
We pray you may consider making a one time gift or committing to a monthly donation? I remember at one point early on in our ministry we were lamenting over asking others for financial help and the Lord impressed upon Denise that we weren’t asking for ourselves, we were asking for Him.
We would like to thank everyone for your faithfulness in walking with us as we continue this journey.
Please pray with us that as we continue doing ministry throughout the States this summer into fall that we have the energy, health and finances to accomplish God’s purposes. Thank you
Serving togerher with you in Christ,
Steve & Denise
To Donate Online, CLICK HERE (http://www.justfootsoldiers.com/donate.html)
To make a donation by check, please make payable to “Just Foot Soldiers”
Mail to: Just Foot Soldiers, 2374 Bean Road, Auburn, CA 95603
