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Preparing for Takeoff

Autumn 2011
Dear Friends,
Its an odd feeling, that mix of joy and panic you get when a pastor asks you to give a presentation approximately three hymns from the moment. Wow! A presentation, just for walking through the door, you think. Thanks, God! And then, as the pianist keys up for What a Friend, it hits you: God, what do I say? How long should I talk? Ten minutes? Five? How do I look? Which stories should they hear? Why did I wear such un-missionary-esque shoes? Im going to get up there and forget everything I know about Gospel for Asia!

Bethany DuVal
4571 Trenton-Oxford Rd. Hamilton, OH 45011 (513) 519-4540 bethanygduval@gmail.com www.gfa.org/ht/bedu

In my last newsletter I asked you to pray for church meetings, so this fall was full of them. They ranged from five minutes to a full hour. Some were planned months in advanced; others, well, taught me to think on my feet and pray quickly. At each one, I met great brothers and sisters in Christ, and was excited to see some of them truly catch the vision for what Gods doing in Asia through national missionaries. And, by His grace, Ive yet to go blank at the podium.

Here and There


In October, I headed up to northern Indiana to connect with old college friends and their churches. I knew going in that they couldnt support me as congregations, but I did receive individual gifts and many new members for my prayer team! During the week, I stayed with my sister Melody in Goshen, and got to share with two small groups from her church, too. At home, my pastor connected me with a long list of pastors within our Southern Baptist association. Seven of them invited me to speak, and several look likely to produce congregational or individual financial support. Please pray, as I continue to build relationships with these churches, that God will develop their passion for the billions of lost people in Asia, and give a clear calling to join me in reaching them. This holiday season is especially critical as churches set their budgets for next year. Pray that God will keep me on their minds!

My freshman year roommate, Amanda, invited me to speak at her church as my first stop in Indiana.

Support Raised

35%

$763 out of $2130 per month.

Pledge online at gfa.org/ht/bedu or send in the form attached to my prayer card. Together, we can reach Asia!

On the Field
As Christmas gets closer, GFAs home office is full of activity in getting the word out about our Christmas catalog and processing the resulting donations. Every year, our supporters buy gifts to lift families out of poverty (chickens, weaving looms, rickshaws) and assist missionaries in their ministry (bicycles, generators, Bibles). These gifts open peoples eyes to Christs love and soften their hearts toward Him: The people of Devaks village were strongly dedicated to their traditional religion and scorned Christianity as a cultural contaminant. The son of two devout followers of the villages religion, Devak was no exception. Still, he struggled with day-to-day life. His parents are sickly, and he earned a meager salary as a rickshaw driver. To make matters worse, like most rickshaw drivers, Devak rented his rickshawand had to pay for repairs. But one day, Devak met Pastor Dhumal and heard the Gospel for the first time. As Devak continued to study the Word, he was invited to attend a Bible camp. There, he chose to follow Christ, but his father was furious when he found out. He discouraged his son from attending church and adamantly opposed Pastor Dhumals visits to their home. Through this hard time, Devak stood firm, finding encouragement from his pastor and the local GFA-supported Bible college students. As he grew in Christ, his character improvedand his parents noticed. His obedience brought peace to their home and softened their hearts toward Christ. God had more in store, though. As part of GFAs Christmas Gift Catalog, Devak received his own rickshaw. When the villagers saw the new rickshaw and recognized the genuine love these other believers had for Devaks family, many of them changed their attitudes toward the Gospel, too! Now that he doesnt pay rent to work, Devak can provide for his family. And whenever anyone in the village gets sick, Devak takes them to the hospital. Best of all, because of the tangible kindness shown them, and the visible change in their son, Devaks parents have changed their minds about Pastor Dhumal. They now welcome him into their house and listen as he shares the Gospel with them. This year, God will write thousands more stories like Devaks. Please join me in prayer that God will change hearts through every rabbit, sewing machine, and fishing net our missionaries give away.

Thank you for joining me in this work. God is doing great things through your prayers, and I thank Him for each one of you! God bless,

Bethany

Bethany DuVal | 4571 Trenton-Oxford Rd. | Hamilton, OH 45011 | (513) 519-4540 | bethanygduval@gmail.com

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