Martha (Michigan) & John (Georgia)-

ENCOURAGERS

Hello Ted,


Enjoy the following stories of encouragement from friends Martha & John-

First, Martha's note of encouragement-


A SMALL WORLD:

Martha and Tudi went to the same high school in Bay City, Michigan. A few years ago they both attended their high school reunion. It was a glorious reconnection and since that time she has received the WB weekly newsletter. Martha has a very unique ministry and background. Like my friend John, she is definitely an encourager.

"Dear Ted and Tudi, What an encouraging testimony you gave, Ted (see attached Super Bowl testimony). While I had known about some portions, I certainly benefitted from listening to your entire talk.


It encouraged me to be looking for opportunities to share my faith with the international students at Kettering, as the Lord opens doors and hearts.


Most recently, last Sunday I invited a grad student from Bangladesh to church. Because he is musically gifted and had played the piano in our reception room at a recent Soup and Sandwich lunch, I wondered if he had ever seen/heard an organ being played.


He had not. So I called our organist and he invited the student to come upstairs after the service. Which we did. After some initial explanations, I went back downstairs and while talking with some people, I heard the organ being played. Thinking it was probably our organist, I was pleasantly surprised to see the student sitting at the organ and seriously playing the music. He was “in seventh heaven!”


Also-

I've been volunteering with international students for about eight years, first at UM-Flint but the last few years at Kettering University (used to be General Motors Institute) which celebrated its centennial anniversary last year.


At the pre-Thanksgiving dinner this year we had 25 students from seven different countries. We try to have some activity once a month for a couple hours on a Saturday, just to get them off campus (just a mile from our church) and give them a break with some home-cooked meals. We learn some things about their culture, such as how to use chopsticks, or going over idioms, which we in America speak so regularly. One bright engineer from India who is working in California recently told me he often feels lost when his American colleagues speak with idioms. So he goes to Google so he doesn’t miss some important aspects of his work. Sometimes we just play some board games.


I’ve made and maintain numerous friendships with past students in various parts of the world, as well as the ones who stay here and work with their employment visas.

But one of the great joys for me was studying the Bible with a young professor from China who, after studying for at least 15 months on a weekly basis, on his own request, wanted to be baptized. He has a wife and two young sons back home, and after he returned, we keep in touch by text, pictures, and occasional phone calls.


I also enjoy having a few students at a time at my home from time to time.

I can send a few pictures of guests at Thanksgiving and Christmas just for Tudi and your benefit. (I enjoy seeing the various pictures of your family, grandchildren, and friends.) I’d appreciate you not printing them though.


Over lunch at my place after having heard a Gospel-filled message during the service, a Hindu student told me they believe in one god but he has many “representatives.” I pray God will give me more opportunities to share, step by step, the One True God.


Your WB newsletters have been so encouraging over the years and have given me great ideas on how to follow through on some of the challenges you present.


God’s blessings to you and your family. I love the pictures when I see them on Ted’s WB weekly newsletters.


With love,

Martha"

Next, John's note of Encouragement-


JOHN USUALLY COMMENTS on most of my weekly emails. John is a very unique man whose heart and actions involve working with people who are hurting. He is also a great encourager to me personally. In our WB sessions he “always” has insightful comments, oftentimes totally different than anyone else

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR is the name of his ministry and he always says, ”We continue to serve, love, care and support those weak and poor individuals we encounter pointing them to Jesus.”

I have witnessed his ministry and some of those he has greatly helped.


"Ted,

"Here's a story you may be able to use. I was going to get the emissions test on some cars.  When I went in I started talking with the man who was running the test. He was not the man I had normally encountered at the testing site.  It turned out he was a manager of multiple sites. As we continued to talk we began to talk about life. I made the simple comment that this is not our home, we are just visiting. It is a reference to our time on earth, as I am sure you know. That led to additional faith discussion.  As I was leaving I asked him if he would like a Life Application Study Bible in large print and he answered yes. I carry Bibles in my car to be prepared to give God's word away at any time and I handed him a brand new one.  I told him I would be back soon to have another car tested. 


The next time I came back I had printed the documents "Drawing Near to the Father, the Summary of the Bible" (1.5 pages long) and the chart from Buckhead Church that shows how the Old and New Testament lay out. All are things I wish someone would have given me when I was beginning my journey. When I came back he was glad to receive the documents. I also gave him a card to Buckhead Church with address and web address that provides access to years of messages; the quote on the back of the card Romans 10:9- "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  As the discussion went further he talked about how amazing Jesus is and it was clear he was a believer. 


I have historically been prepared for encounters to point people to Jesus but your consistent encouragement reminded me to get back to TOP LEVEL preparedness.  That means have the things that you plan to use to share Jesus with you wherever you may be.  This preparedness is a great step in making the process of pointing someone to Jesus much easier.  It is interesting- men in particular will say they love Jesus but are simply NOT prepared to share their faith.  However, they can tell you everything about their business and how you could use what they sell or do.  Not the order us followers of Jesus should have.  


Thanks for the constant reminders to have sharing Jesus on our minds and reminding me to be PREPARED.   

Thanks, John "

THANK YOU MARTHA AND JOHN-


We all need encouragers in our lives. Let the following verses inspire us to bless someone else with the encouragement we have received:


2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (Amp) Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts and encourages us in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.


1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.


Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.


Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


Ephesians 4:15-16 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.


-Ted,

 Acts 17:28

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