EXTREMELY Exciting News to Share!

Hello Friends! 

We have some exciting news to share with you all!

As you may recall, in September the Missionary Training Center hosted a Field Fair. During this three-day event, representatives came from ten of the many countries in which New Tribes Mission works among which was Papua New Guinea. The students were given the opportunity to have the various representatives over for meal to talk further and answer specific questions. We automatically signed up for the Papua New Guinea representatives and, on a whim, decided to sign up for the Asia Pacific reps as well. Little did we know that this "whim" was God's faithful leading in our lives! After learning more about Asia Pacific and Papua New Guinea and having our questions answered, we strongly feel the Lord changing our direction and redirecting us to Asia Pacific! Below we have highlighted just some reasons we feel the Lord is leading us to Asia Pacific:

• First, a little bit about Asia Pacific. It is in the same region of the world as Papua New Guinea. If you've seen the NTM video "Awayo: Fear to Faith" that was a tribe in the Asia Pacific area. Also, because we desire to translate the Bible in its entirety, it was recommended to us that Asia Pacific may be a better fit. An entire Bible translation would seem most needed in Asia Pacific as many tribes are not influenced by the national language whereas, in Papua New Guinea, tribes do have access to the Pidgin Bible and are fluent enough in Melanesian Pidgin to read and understand the message. 

• We would love the opportunity to work alongside nationals as coworkers! In Asia Pacific, the highest nationality represented by NTM missionaries is the United States but the second highest represented are nationals themselves. Thus, we have a high probability in having national coworkers! We recognize that there will be issues to work through on a multi-cultural team but there will be issues regardless of the nationality and we feel that the benefits far out way any "costs" that may arise. Plus, what an example of Christ's church working together on a multi-cultural team that will be in the tribe!

• In New Tribes, we are not only required to learn the tribal language and culture before we can teach and translate, but the national language and culture as well and this process is referred to as e2. E2 encompasses the time from when you first step off the plane until you enter a tribe. For the e2 program in Papua New Guinea, the missionaries stay on one of the bases and go out to see the people in order to learn the language and culture. While living on a base has its pros and cons, we feel that it's very isolated and cuts you off from the national people. Because Melanesian Pidgin is simply a trade language, it takes an estimated 6months - 1yr to pass e2. In contrast there is no base in Asia Pacific so we will be living right in a neighborhood. This means that every time we walk out our door, we will be face to face with the national culture! The estimated time to complete e2 in Asia Pacific is 1.5yrs - 2yrs but we feel the extra time is well worth it as we can build real relationships with our neighbors during that time! 

• Another reason for the change in country is based upon you, our ministry partners! A round-trip ticket to Asia Pacific is only about $1,000 while for Papua New Guinea it's about triple that cost. Granted, it will probably be more depending on where exactly in the country we end up and whether you have to take a boat, helicopter or another plane to get there, but the base cost is so much lower. It is our hope that you may be able to come visit us while we are in Asia Pacific and this would make it so much more feasible! We really want you to feel a part of this ministry because it's truly our ministry - the Body of Christ working together! What better way for you to feel directly connected to what the Lord is doing than by actually coming and seeing for yourselves. 

• (Written by Caitlin) Another factor is the safety for women. In Papua New Guinea, women cannot go anywhere by themselves - there must always be a man with them. Stories of women being accosted in Papua New Guinea, sadly, are very common. Therefore, my ministry to ladies would be very limited. However, in Asia Pacific, there is no specific security concern for women. Just the basic cautions you would exercise here in the States like not walking around Chicago by yourself in the middle of the night. This means that I would have a greater opportunity to impact the lives of other ladies around me. 

• We wanted to include a short bit about the security in Asia Pacific as we realize that may be a concern for you. While there is indeed a high concentration of Muslims in that region of the world, the NTM contingency department has said that the risk of radical Islam is relatively low. However, that being said, for security reasons, we cannot share specifics publicly on the internet. Therefore, we are using the general term of the "Asia Pacific" region. If you would like to know where in Asia Pacific we are headed, just email us at cameron_neace@ntm.org.

We are so excited to have received the support of this change in direction from our two sending churches! We hope and pray that you will also support us in this redirection as well. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Your fellow laborers in Christ,

Cameron and Caitlin

cameron_neace@ntm.org 
caitlin_neace@ntm.org

End of Semester Classes

As the semester came to a close, we fell a bit behind in writing our class summaries and apologize for the lack of communication. We're now going to blitz through the last five classes of the semester all in one shot so hang on for a whirl-wind overview!

Romans 12 - 14  

This was a phenomenal class! While it was only a week long, it was certainly one of our favorites and impactful this semester. These chapters of Romans really spoke into living out the Christian life. We discussed topics such as worship, exercising spiritual gifts, generosity, preferring one another (weak and strong believers), submission to the government, loving the unlovable, judging other believers, and living in the light of the Gospel. Honestly, Cameron and I both wished this class extended through the entire semester because of how much we were learning!

Semantics and Translation

This two-week class was about the translation process. We learned how to break down the form of passages in order to get to the meaning and then taking the meaning and rewriting the form in such a way that the target audience would understand. Sound complicated and time-consuming? It is. We practiced this process ourselves with Mark 2:1 - 12. Since no one in our class knows a tribal language and culture, we got to pick a narrow subculture found here in America. Therefore, our "target audience" was unchurched teens in a low economic level. Little did we realize how involved a process it was until we spent hours just trying to translate the first twelves verse of Mark 2 with a team of six! In a tribe, the translation team will just be the translator and the consultant who comes in to check the accuracy of the translation. There may be other team members who will occasionally help, but it will never be every member of the team. The only reason this practice team had six members, was to give us all some experience applying the principles. It was definitely rewarding at the end when we polished off our final draft! We can't wait one day translate the entire Bible for a people who have never read God's Word!

Christian Life

Just one week of Christian Life but what a great week it was! The tagline of this class was "Trials, Hardships, and Suffering - Instruments of Transformation" and that pretty much sums it up! Given the topic, it was a sober class but certainly an great one. We began by discussing how God never redefines evil because evil is evil and the importance of having a biblical worldview and a biblical hope. We talked about God's character and who He is as our loving and faithful Creator and Savior. Also the value in learning from one another, hope in doubt, and growing through trials rather than circumventing them by looking at examples found in the Old and New Testaments. Suffering is a part of life in this fallen world. Praise the Lord that He is good and He can bring joy and hope out of the most horrible of circumstances.

Evangelism Through Developing Church

During the last three weeks of the semester, we had this class and "Families and Education." The purpose of this class was to discuss the period in the Church Planting process when you go from evangelism, teaching through the Bible foundationally, there are believers, and a church is born. There were many different aspects that were discussed and considerations that must be made when it comes to when to introduce various Biblical truths and practices such as baptism and the Lord's supper. We eagerly await and pray that God may bless us and give us the privilege to one day see nationals come to know the Lord and become our brothers and sisters in Christ!

Families and Education

This was the other class we had during the last three weeks of the semester. Pretty self-explanatory, this class focused on exactly what it is entitled, families and education. We discussed various options when it comes to educating children. These include homeschooling, boarding schools, national schools, distance learning and others. We also were introduced to several homeschooling curriculum that are popular with New Tribes' families. There were panels featuring different couples on staff here at the Missionary Training Center where we heard about why families chose the educational options they did, what it was like to bring their children through several transitions (to the tribe, to the States, entering college and so on), and the realities of being a homeschooling mom and a church planter at the same time.

With that...

Friday was the last day of class of our THIRD semester! Classes start up again on January 18th and we are so excited to start our FOURTH semester here at the MTC! To wrap up this rather lengthy update, we wanted to share this quote from class: "We aren't just on the front lines but we are deep behind enemy lines." What a great perspective and a reminder of the reality of the world in which we live.

United in Christ

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458

We'll Be Home for Christmas

Just wanted to take a minute to share with you all our plans for the winter break from December 18th until January 18th - a whole month!

The title tells the truth as we've decided to spend Christmas break at our home this year! This will enable Cameron to increase and maximize his hours at Taco Bell over the break as he'll be able to work during the week rather than just the weekend.

While we're staying in Roach for the majority of the break, we will still be doing some traveling. The weekend of December 19th, we'll shoot up to Union, Missouri to see both of our sending churches in that area as we haven't been able to do that all semester. Then from the 25th - 30th, we will be traveling down to Fort Polk, Louisiana with Cameron's family. On December 31st - January 1st, we will then be taking a much needed getaway as just the two of us! This will be our first time going somewhere where the destination wasn't family. We'll be going down to Branson, Missouri and seeing the Dixie Stampede dinner show thanks to a gift from family! We are so excited to spend some time away just the two of us and what a fun way to kick off the year!

We're packing in quite a bit in just a month's break! Please pray that:

• Our many hours on the road will be safe
• The two days in Union, though brief, will be well spent and that we'll be able to reconnect with our churches, friends and ministry partners
• We will have a great time with family making new memories
• The break will be restful and that we'll be refreshed and re-energized when classes start up again.
• That we will make the most of every opportunity to represent Christ well to everyone with whom we speak

Thank you all for praying!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

God's Invisible Fingerprints

There are times in life when you just know that God is sovereign. Yes, we all know that He's God and He's in control but sometimes He enters so undeniably into your life and you see for yourself just how mightily He works. He leads you through doors without you really being aware of it until the reason why is staring you right in the face. It is in that moment, that you are just overwhelmed by the apparent paradox of how God can be both so big and sovereign and yet also be intimately involved in people's lives. And not just "people's" lives but yours.

I've had such an encounter this semester while working at Taco Bell. You see, God used a felt need in our lives through finances to move me into a situation where I could meet the spiritual need in the lives of others. If it wasn't for the fact that our financial projections indicated that I needed to get a weekend job in order for us to finish the training next December, then I would have never looked for a weekend job. There would have been no need.

At first, I thought God had provided Taco Bell only to provide for us financially. How small my view is at times! It didn't take many shifts until I realized that His provision in a job was for so much more than just finances for us. You see, God has led me to Taco Bell, to that environment, to rub shoulders and work alongside people I would have otherwise never met. I have the opportunity to spend hours each weekend encouraging my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to continue growing in Him. God is using me as a light and a friend to those who do not have the confidence and security in life that can only be found in Him. And, you know what, God is using me as an example that believers are not perfect people. Sometimes I mess up, get frustrated, and impatient, but no one has to be perfect to come to God. The Lord is using me to impact my new friends because He loves them! And it took us needing finances for Him to move me into their lives.

I am now co-leading a biweekly Bible study with another man from work on Sundays and Tuesdays at Taco Bell. We are working through the book of John and just talking about it - very informal and unstructured. Just reading the passage and talking about what it says and answering questions. After this semester, I will be stepping out of the jail ministry in order to devote time to this Bible study and the relationships I have formed at Taco Bell. I feel as if I have grown more through just one semester of Taco Bell then I have in three at the jail. While that's not necessarily accurate as jail aided in the refinement of my teaching, I just want to emphasize what an impact God has had on me through Taco Bell! While jail is very formal with me just going in and teaching and then having to leave without really getting to know the inmates, Taco Bell is real ministry, in real life, with real people! I cannot convey how encouraging my time working there over the last few months has been. I am learning how to apply the tools we've learned in class for a cross-culture setting here in America. Tools such as how to ask questions, talk on world-view level, and just be real with people.

I could tell story after story about how God is growing me and using me at Taco Bell but I hope this short summary post is encouraging to all of you! What started out as a curve ball for us in me getting a job, God has turned into the focal point of ministry this semester! God is clearly at work! Please be praying for me and the other believers there and those who do not know Him.

United in Christ,

Cameron and Caitlin

Prayer Points

Six weeks from today we will have already completed our third semester here at the Missionary Training Center! It feels like we only started class again a few weeks ago and we are almost done. With the end of the semester approaching, we have some prayer requests that we would like to bring before you. We covet your prayers and it means so much to us to know that the Body of Christ is lifting us up before the Father.

* Health - Cameron and I have both been battling allergies, head colds and, most recently, bronchitis. The weather has changed significantly and winter is making its entrance. Please pray that we would stay healthy so that we wouldn't have to miss classes.

* Marriage - Please pray for our marriage. That we would continue to grow in our love and appreciation for each other. That we would encourage each other in the Lord as we grow closer to Him and closer to each other.

* Focus - As we all know, life is very busy and distracting at times and ours is no exception. Please pray for us to keep the main thing the main thing and not get bogged down by what doesn't really matter.

* Time-management - Pray that we would be good stewards of our time and balance it well with classes, homework, ministry, Bible studies, work, and church along with our time spent in the Word, prayer, and together. Sometimes our "to-do" list is quite lengthy and it's a little overwhelming maintaining everything.

* Thanksgiving Travels - We'll be flying up to Connecticut on Saturday for Thanksgiving break! Please pray for safe travels and a wonderful time with my family!

If there is anything we can be praying for you about, please let us know by emailing us (cameron_neace@ntm.org). Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

If you are interested in partnering with us financially, please check out the Support tab at the top of the page and don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store Created Concoctions for handmade items for you and your loved ones.
 

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

What a colorful bunch we are! We finished up our three weeks of Curriculum Development class today. This class was the second part of Teaching Considerations and focused on the practical considerations, procedural tools, and challenges of producing contextualized Foundational Bible Teaching lessons in a cross-cultural church planting ministry. While our previous class, Teaching Considerations, focused on the context, this class focused on the content. Mixed in with lectures, was the hands-on project of creating a lesson for the tribe we "visited" in Papua New Guinea which we wrote about in "A Visit to Papua New Guinea" back in September.

Not only did we have to teach our lesson but, in the development process, we had to be sure to include acknowledgement of barriers and bridges within the tribe's overarching cultural themes that would aid in understanding, include high-level questions, and help the listeners enter into the story by tying in practical aspects of their culture. It was a challenge to develop a lesson that reached the worldview level but we really enjoyed working on this with our team!

Because the lesson we chose to teach was about Noah and the Flood, our team decided that we should each wear a color of the rainbow. When our team member got to the part about God sending the rainbow as a sign of His promise to never again send a global flood, we all got up and stood in a line making everyone laugh! We had considered doing the can-can but didn't want to risk injury so we decided against it. Unfortunately, it wasn't until that morning that Cameron had the ingenious idea to pass out Skittles during our lesson which probably would have earned us an automatic "A" because who doesn't like free candy?! However, with only an hour until we presented, there wasn't enough time to run to the store but it's the thought that counts!

The ironic part is that, while we presented our lesson on Tuesday, for the the debrief of the whole class today we were once again all wearing the colors of the rainbow! Except me as I was wearing white and black but my team said I was the clouds. That's a sign of a good team when you coordinate within the same week and didn't even plan it the second time!

This coming week we start Christian Life which should be awesome!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458

Steel Rod + Cameron's Head = A Tetanus Shot

Sometimes accidents just happen and, a few weeks ago, I had a run in with such an incident. I was on work detail and we were digging holes for a fence to surround a rock wall. What you have to know about Missouri ground is that it's a compilation of rocks and clay mixed with just a hint of some sort of foreign substance that other States call "dirt". We were using post-diggers, shovels and 45lb steel rods to break up the dirt and make the holes for the fence posts.

Well, about three hours into the work, I jumped into the hole to dislodge some rocks with my hands and remove them. The next thing I knew I felt a sharp pang hit the back of my head and I jumped back reflexively. Stunned slightly and unsure of what just happened, I shook my head to clear away the throbbing feeling still stinging the back of my head. I was about to go back to moving the rocks when one of my teammates alarmingly said I was bleeding. I moved my hand to the back of my head and felt wetness. I brought it to the front of my face and was shocked to see it covered in blood.

My work detail leader and I quickly jumped into the truck and drove over to the main building across the lake to get some help. He radioed a fellow leader and asked him to come and bring the med kit and they also called the on-campus medic who, prior to enrolling in the training, was a paramedic. At this point, my head is just covered in blood because, as we all know, the head loves to bleed and has trouble clotting. Everyone cleaned me up, washed off most of the blood and got the wound to stop bleeding. Because the gouge was so deep, and it had been more than five years since my last tetanus, we made a trip to the health department to get a shot.


Of course, it was 4:30pm by this time because things usually happen on the weekend or after hours. Thankfully it was a Tuesday but we were cutting it close on time. We found out that, typically, the health department stops giving injections by 3pm unless they have a licensed personnel who can administer the shot. Thankfully, they did and I was able to get a tetanus! Good thing, too because I had thought my last tetanus was just before high school in 2006 but really it was in 1996 - almost two decades ago and way past the ten-year mark.

When I got home, I took a shower to really wash off the blood but that caused the wound to open again and start bleeding. After holding a paper towel to my head for over ten minutes and it still bleeding, Caitlin devised this makeshift bandage also known as a headband to wrap under my chin and hold the paper towel in place. It worked and I was able to comfortably eat the Macaroni and Cheese Caitlin made which is true comfort food.

It was an exciting day on work detail and quite memorable to say the least! Later, I learned what had fallen and hit me in the back of the head. One of those 45lb steel rods was accidentally knocked over and collided with my head. I can now literally say that I've spent both my sweat and blood while working on the Missionary Training Center grounds. However, let it be known that there were no tears! Honestly, it hardly hurt at all and startled me more than anything. But it makes for a good story! Plus, I got out of the way one of the many vaccines we'll need before going overseas and the best part about it was that it was FREE! Sometimes the Lord provides through suffering.

Thank you for your many prayers and support!

United in Christ,

Cameron and Caitlin

If you are interested in partnering with us financially, please check out the Support tab at the top of the page and don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store Created Concoctions for handmade items for you and your loved ones.

Digging and Drawing - A Fun Work Detail Update

We realized that we haven't written about our work details since September...of last year! So this is long overdue. For those who may not remember what work detail is, it's a program to keep the cost of tuition as low as possible. Rather than having to hire out people to mow the lawns, clean the buildings, work in the secretary office, and so on, these various jobs are divided among the student body and we put in 7.5hrs a week to keep the campus functioning and looking good.

For the first two semesters, Cameron was a part of the Carpentry Team and I was placed as a secretary for the Ministry Practicum. (Just a reminder that "Ministry Practicum" in a department here at the Missionary Training Center which oversees the various ministries in which students are involved.) This semester, while I am still a part of Ministry Practicum, Cameron has moved over to Grounds Crew.

Cameron has had several adventures on Grounds. He's moved rocks inside the tunnels of the drainage system, mowed lawns, moved rocks, mowed lawns, moved rocks, and mowed lawns. Yes, most of his afternoons consist of either moving rocks and mowing lawns but there has been some pretty fun times in between including digging BIG holes with a backhoe! He was soooo excited to get to try his hand in operating this piece of machinery and, thankfully, had his phone on him so he could document!

Yet it's not always fun and digging with big toys. One day he had to remove a drainage cover and what greeted him but dozens upon dozens of camel crickets! These are truly nasty insects. I tried editing the picture so you can see them climbing up the sides of the hold toward Cameron. Because you can't fully appreciate just how creepy they are in our photo, we've including this close-up thanks to some brave soul who posted in on the internet. Ewww.

Meanwhile, my work detail in the Ministry Practicum has no giant crickets involved! So far this semester, the primary focus of my office has been gearing up for the new students to choose their community outreach teams. This would include setting up two mornings for the various teams to share about their ministry and needs in front of the new class. The presentations spanned over the mornings of Friday and Monday so, on Sunday, Cameron and I went into the chapel and decided we would decorate the white board! We listed all the ministries and added illustrations to make them interesting. I proudly did the stick figures for the youth group and the lighthouse while Cameron did all the rest which is why it turned out so awesome! This means that we literally spent an hour drawing and coloring! Work, work, work. I assure you that I actually do work in the office but this was definitely a highlight to my work detail!

We hope you enjoyed reading about our tales of digging and drawing! Thank you for your prayers!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458

Teaching Considerations

Today we finished up our Teaching Considerations class which focused on the importance of understanding the tribal context in which we will be ministering in one day. Often times, we may be tempted to pour all our efforts into the content and neglect the context yet both are equally important when teaching God's Word! We do not want to do anything that would cause an unnecessary barrier for a tribal group to hear God's message and, considering the context, can help us to avoid creating such stumbling blocks. For instance, if a tribal group is used to men sitting on one side and women on the other, forcing them to mix may cause uneasiness and distractions. Or teaching in the morning when they are accustomed to having meetings in the evening or vice versa. Or beginning the teaching during their harvest time (if they are an agricultural society) which would be their busiest time of the year so their minds will be on their gardens rather than on the message. There are countless other considerations that we must take into account but these are just a few to give you an idea of the various topics we were discussing in class.

We talked about a variety of topics including such contextualization which is changing the form of the message so that it is understandable to the people but not tampering with the truth. Also enculturation or how knowledge is passed on to others. Along with various stratification in societies like caste, clan, age, class, and others. There were other related topics but these were some of the highlights. For the final exam, we watched a segment from a video documentary that highlighted a tribe along the Amazon in South America and had to identify cultural contexts and the corresponding teaching consideration. For example, that particular tribe believed they were descended from monkeys. Thus, monkeys are an important part of their lives, are kept as pets, and are with them throughout their daily activities. Therefore, it would be a teaching consideration to recognize that there will most likely be monkeys present during the Bible teaching which has the potential of causing quite a distraction!

Today we also started the follow-up class to Teaching Considerations called Curriculum Development which focuses on the content. During this class we will even have the opportunity to create a lesson that takes into account both the context and the content for the same tribe we "visited" in Papua New Guinea which we wrote about in "A Visit to Papua New Guinea." That should be a really neat experience.

As a final thought, we want to leave you with this statement from one of our teachers today, "Nothing is worse than teaching a life-giving lesson in a lifeless way." Something to ponder.

Thank you all for your support and prayers!

Caitlin and Cameron

If you are interested in partnering with us financially, please check out the Support tab at the top of the page and don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store Created Concoctions for handmade items for you and your loved ones.

Up, Up, and AWAY!

A week ago yesterday, Cameron and I had the opportunity to take a free ride up in a helicopter courtesy of New Tribes Mission Aviation! It was the first time either one of us had ever ridden in one and we had a blast!

During our ten minute ride, we had an aerial view of the MTC campus, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, and Camdenton itself!




We were so thankful and overjoyed that we got to do this together! What a wonderful memory! Just think, in just a few short years, this may be our primary means of transportation in and out of a tribe!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458

What do you think you're doing?

This was the sobering question that entered the mind of our keynote speaker as he was going over to the Philippines for the first time as a tribal missionary many years ago. As the reality of what they were attempting to do hit, he had turned to his wife and desperately asked what they were thinking! What was he doing?! Yet, in that overwhelming moment, in their hotel room later, he could sense God saying to him, "What are you doing?" It was then that he realized that he needed to have confidence in what God is doing and to trust Him as he realized what exactly he was committed to in this seemingly impossible task. He referred to this as a watershed moment for him and the point of no return. He then proceeded to address things we needed to know and what we needed to become in order to be effective cross-culture church planters.

Thus was our kick off to Field Fair! From Wednesday through today, we heard from leaders and representatives in nearly all the countries in which New Tribes operates. There were tables set up, two afternoons for questions, and even a coffee hour Wednesday night to get to know the different people who had come in for this event. The following countries that were represented this week were:

New Tribes Mission Aviation
Africa (east)
Africa (west)
Brazil (east)
Brazil (west)
Colombia
Paraguay
Mexico
Philippines
Asia Pacific
Papua New Guinea

Please be praying for us! There are no shortage of needs but only two of us! It can sometimes feel a little overwhelming when these needs and opportunities are presented. We want to be open to wherever the Lord is leading as we seek His guidance. Yes, we have our plans but we don't want to hold onto our plans so tightly that we become blind to where God may be trying to direct us.

Thank you for your prayers!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

If you are interested in partnering with us financially, please check out the Support tab at the top of the page and don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store Created Concoctions for handmade items for you and your loved ones.

A Visit to Papua New Guinea!

Cameron and I got to visit a village in Papua New Guinea this morning!!! No, really, we did!

Okay, in reality we never left Roach, Missouri but it sure felt like we went half-way around the world!

As we wrote in our last update in August, we're now in the middle of our Culture Language Acquisition Practicum.We can't share too many details in our newsletter in case future students read this as it could hinder their experience and the effectiveness of this class.







In a nutshell, the staff have created a village based on a real tribe in Papua New Guinea. Obviously, it's not completely realistic but they do an excellent job of simulating real situations and scenarios!




It is during the Culture Language Acquisition Practicum that we have the opportunity to tie together and apply many of the principles and skills we've been taught in class over the last year. It's been a pretty fun class while it's also challenging at times!

This is our only class right now and it will  be that way until its conclusion in the middle of October.

While we can't write too many details, we can share some pictures that we hope you enjoy!

Remember, these "indigenous people" are really some of our teachers! They do an awesome job and really stay in character even when we make some hilarious blunders. Seriously, this is an awesome interactive simulation!
 

Thank you all for your support and prayers!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458

Updated Support Levels

 As promised in our "Summer Plans, Prayers and Goals" post, we wanted to give you an update on our support levels.

In December we wrote a post about our financial support. In that posting we included our desire to raise $1,700 monthly to cover tuition, living expenses, and savings. At that time, we were at 29% of our budget.

In May, we wrote a second post in which we shared that we were at 33% of our budget.

 

We are so excited to share with you that, as of August, we  have now reached 41% of our budget in pledged monthly support! 

 

Thank you to everyone who has chosen to partner with us! Whether you have joined as prayer warriors or financial supporters or both THANK YOU! We realize that you are giving sacrificially of your time and resources and we are so thankful for you! We are thankful to have so many in the Body of Christ invest in our ministry to one day see an unreached tribe come to know our Lord!

While our summer did not turn out exactly as we had planned, it did unfold according to God's plans. Due to a variety of factors including our constricted work schedules and just the business of life in the summer, we were unable to reach our goal of having four 30minute appointments a week. However, the appoints we did have were some of the most energizing, encouraging and wonderful times of our summer! We were so thankful to have the opportunity to reconnect with some of Caitlin's dear friends and hear what the Lord has been doing in their lives.

We realize that the Lord provides through a variety of means including, sometimes, giving us the opportunity to work. Because of some unanticipated costs over the summer, I felt it would be wise for me to find a job and the Lord was gracious in His provision of one at a Taco Bell just 15min away! I was hired on August 13th and work Fridays after classes, Saturdays, and Sundays after church primarily in the drive-thru which I really enjoy. With this schedule, we don't think it will encroach detrimentally on the training but I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray that I would be diligent in my time-management.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement, prayers and support! You all mean so much to us!

United in Christ,

Cameron and Caitlin

If you are interested in partnering with us financially, please check out the Support tab at the top of the page and don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store Created Concoctions for handmade items for you and your loved ones. We've added tons of Scrabble Magnets, several wood burned signs, and have released a new burlap line!

First Two Weeks Complete!

We've completed the first two weeks of classes this semester and are now beginning our third! We're off to a great roaring start! To the left is our traditional "first day of classes" picture.

Classes began with Culture Language Acquisition Practicum with a focus on various kinship systems. We've learned new symbols,  practiced charting out a few family trees and learning to recognize the five systems we studied: Eskimo, Hawaiian, Iroquois, Crow, and Omaha. Why will it be important to learn how the kinship system operates in the tribe we will one day minister to? First, it helps us understand them and how they relate to each other. Secondly, it will assist us in learning how to relate to them. Thirdly, when it's time to share biblical truths such as the roles of husbands to wives, parents to children, etc. Also, when trying to communicate God's position to us such as how He is our Father, Christ is the Son, and we are His children we will know how best to do so and what cultural barriers may exist in communicating such truths. Fourthly, it shows them that we do have a genuine interest in them and their family. You think back to the old days when there would be a Grandma next to you on the train. What would she do? Show you pictures of her thirty-seven grandchildren! Family is important to societies even though the structures may look vastly different.

We'll share more about the actual practicum soon and include pictures once we've taken some!

We also had two weeks of Pre-Evangelism class where we discussed how integral the first few years are in the tribe even if we can't speak the language. To give a very basic and brief summary, the class focused on being kind to both the people we're ministering to as well as our teammates and families as we are the representation of Jesus even before we can tell them His name

Cameron and I had the opportunity to dress up one week ago on Saturday, as we went up to Union to witness the wedding ceremony of his sister. We were both asked to be in the wedding party so this was my second time walking down the aisle to him and in the same church!

Please pray for Meghan and Wyatt as they embark on their journey together as husband and wife. Wyatt is enlisted in the Army so pray that the Lord would become the foundation of their home as, much like us, "home" will be ever-changing for them. Pray that they would come to trust Him with their lives and look to Him as their source of stability and security.

The wedding ceremony was at First Baptist Church of Villa Ridge and we were absolutely THRILLED when we saw the Papua New Guinea flag! They had recently redecorated their sanctuary with flags representing the various countries in which their missionaries served and they ordered the Papua New Guinea flag for us!

Just in case that's not exciting enough, a youth leader from First Baptist Church of Union sent us this picture last night of prayer stone reminders for the students!

And there's even more! Just before classes started, the small group we shared with from Calvary Chapel Melbourne, sent us an encouraging email, too! The Body of Christ at work building each other up! We feel so blessed by these church families!

Thank you all for your prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458

A Look at Past and Upcoming Classes

Classes start on Monday! With that, we thought it would be a good time to review what we've taken so far in our first year at the New Tribes Mission Missionary Training Center and what is coming up this semester.

Our first semester classes in fall 2014 included:

Culture / Language Acquisition
Ministry Practicum
Learning Styles
Worldview
Love and Respect
Biblical Parenting
Biblical Framework
Moral Integrity
Foundational Bible Teaching
Stewardship
Teamwork
Form and Meaning

Our second semester classes this past spring included:

Communication Skills
Culture Intro
Animism
Phonetics
Romans 5 - 8
Culture / Language Theory and Methodology
New Testament Church Principles
Honor and Shame
Grammar
Literacy Teaching
Field Health
Ministry Partnership Development

What's on the docket for our third semester beginning on Monday? We will be taking:

Christian Life
Pre-Evangelism
Community Care
Romans 12 - 14
Families and Education
Teaching Considerations
Curriculum Development
Semantics and Translation
Culture / Language Acquisition Tools
Culture / Language Acquisition Practicum
Evangelism Through Developing Church

We're looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us this fall as we train to serve Him overseas in Papua New Guinea!

United in Christ,

Cameron and Caitlin

If you are interested in partnering with us financially, please check out the Support tab at the top of the page and don't forget to take a look at our Etsy store Created Concoctions for handmade items for you and your loved ones.

Summer Shenanigans

What all did Cameron and I do this summer? As you know, we spent the summer in Florida with my parents who so graciously invited us stay with them all summer for free! We saw the Lord's provision by providing us with a place to live and summer jobs for both of us. Sometimes when you ask the Lord to provide He gives you a job and we are so thankful for that open door! My position at the OB-GYN was offered to me again and Cameron was given the opportunity to work with an electrician from church. An experience which has led to a pivotal decision that we wrote about in an earlier blog post A Spark of Interest - pun intended! We were so thankful for these opportunities of employment!

The Lord not only blessed us with a place to live and jobs but also by giving us the opportunity to meet with several friends to share about our desire to serve Him overseas in Papua New Guinea. We even had a privilege of sharing at the home group of my former campus pastor. That was such an awesome and encouraging evening and we seriously cannot wait to see them all again! We love getting together with people and feel so encouraged and energized afterward!

There were also many days of random fun! Below we have included just some of the highlights of this summer in pictorial form!

Mascot Games with friends from Bible School!

Learned the fine art of eating with chopsticks.....

Chick-fil-a's Cow Appreciation Day!

Conquering the world in Risk

Free t-shirts from Smoothie King!

Birthday roses for Caitlin's 24th!

Disney World for the day!

Hanging out with old and new friends!

This was just a joke but really funny!

Cameron needed an emergency root canal followed by a crown (of royalty, as he likes to say)

Caitlin at the TMJ specialist

Beautiful anniversary flowers from a sweet husband!

Fancy date for our ONE YEAR wedding anniversary!

At New Smyrna Beach!

Canoeing at Wekiva Springs

After the downpour while canoeing!

We hope this gave you a snapshot visual of our summer! We have greatly enjoyed our time in the Sunshine State despite the surface-of-the-sun temperatures. We made some wonderful new memories with my family and our friends here, both old and new! This will probably be the last update we write before we return home as, a week from Saturday, we begin the trek back up to Missouri. As always, thank you for your encouragement, support and prayers!

United in Christ,

Caitlin and Cameron

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us through regular monthly support or a special gift, as we prepare and train to go and share the Gospel with those who have never heard. When designating which missionary you are supporting, indicate: Cameron Neace Account #900458