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

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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