Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from Arizona from all the Hastings! Today marks 3 weeks that we have been here and to answer a question that so many have asked - yes, we are settling in well. In case you were unaware, we drove here from New Hampshire during the second half of June. It was a great time of seeing new places as well as visiting friends and supporters.
First, our family:
We (Bob, Robin, Bethany and Melody) are living in a rented furnished condominium here in Scottsdale. This worked out best for us to start our new lives here and so far has been great. The condo is small (900 sq.ft.) but has everything we need. Robin and the girls have been getting us settled and finding their way around Scottsdale. Our boxes of personal items (and Mel's piano) arrived from Guatemala so they will be going through those in the coming week. We're still waiting for a few things from New Hampshire to complete our move but they will be along shortly. The girls have babysat some already and have made a few friends as well. Bethany is enrolled at Pinnacle High School and she and Robin have visited there with some new friends. She'll start the 3rd week of August. Melody will return to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago as a sophomore just a few days later.
The weather is interesting...very hot. Every day has been over 100 degrees so far. Someone told me that it was 116 yesterday, and it only got down to the high 90's last night. There is, however, very low humidity and this makes the high temps much easier to bear. The seasonal rains/monsoons are supposed to start soon, we're looking forward to that.
Family prayer requests:
- praise the Lord that we are here!...and that most of our things are here...and that He has provided for us in so many ways
- please pray for Bethany as she prepares to attend a public high school. This will be a very different experience for her, please pray that she will be a light for Christ
- please pray for Mel as she prepares to head back to Moody Bible Institute to continue her studies in Music and Bible
- please pray for all of us as we settle into a new life in a new place
Ministry/Mission ONE:
As most of you know, Bob is serving as VP of Operations for Mission ONE. In his new role, he is responsible for overseeing all administrative areas for Mission ONE here in the US and also will be involved with relationships with Mission ONE's overseas partners. What a privilege it is to help and serve in this organization. Along with getting to know the staff here, Bob has had the opportunity to talk with a few partners already, specifically in Pakistan and Lebanon. We thought it would be a good idea to share about one partner organization each time we write to help you have a better idea of who Mission ONE works with.
Profile #1 - RPCP Pakistan (Reformed Presbyterian Church of Pakistan) Team Leader - Inayat Masih Bhatti.
This organization, led by Brother Bhatti, exists in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. (there are less than 1% Christians in Pakistan). Brother Bhatti is the leader and teacher of a group of about 45 pastors throughout Pakistan who serve in evangelism and church-planting ministries. Most of these men and their families live in poverty and under oppression due to Muslim attitudes toward Christians. In 2002, Brother Bhatti's wife, Martha, was killed in their home by Muslim extremists. Through this and many other hardships and trials, Brother Bhatti and this team persevere in God's work. He is a remarkeable man of 80 years who continues to live and serve in and by God's grace. Through supporters like you, Mission ONE provides continuous prayer and financial support to RPCP and 16 other partners like them. You can read more about RPCP and Mission ONE's partner relationships by visiting our website and clicking on the "partnership with nationals" tab. Please pray for Pakistan.
Ministry prayer requests:
- please pray for RPCP of Pakistan, Brother Bhatti (pronounced bah-tee), and the team of pastors that serve in Pakistan through this ministry. Please pray for their provision, their protection and for God to use them for His glory.
- please pray for Bob Schindler and Werner Mischke as they continue to lead Mission ONE, that God would give them wisdom and vision for the ministry
- please pray for God to use Mission ONE's newest training resource, The Beauty of Partnership, a Study Guide for those who want to learn more about building healthy, God-honoring cross cultural partnerships. Click here if you are interested in learning more.
- please pray for Bob as he serves at Mission ONE, that he would learn quickly and become an effective part of the Mission ONE team.
Thank you all for your interest in our family and the ministry that God has placed us in. We are blessed to have all of you in our lives.
For God's glory,
The Hastings Family
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)