Benny just called to say he arrived safely in San Antonio. He’ll be there until Tuesday night and I’m pouting since I couldn’t go too. For all of you that live there, he’s speaking at the Northside church of Christ on Sunday morning. His message ofcourse is about Dry Bones. It’s partly an update since we have some incredibly generous supporters from that church, and he’ll be sharing an awesome message about “Plundering the Darkness” and taking back what rightfully belongs to God. You don’t want to miss it. I know he’s my husband and all, but I’m telling you – the man has passion and he’s an engaging speaker! He has 2 suitcases full of our newest DB t-shirts with the “Plunder the Darkness” pirate logo on the front and the DB logo on the back. They’re cool! He also has several nalgene bottles and some t-shirts in kid’s sizes as well. This is a FUNdraising weekend for him. I hope he sells everything he took with him! (The money goes to the ministry general fund – not the Nowell’s)
As most of you know, we, the families on the Dry Bones Denver team, raise our own financial support to do what we do. We are urban missionaries and count on the faithful pledges of those who choose to partner with us to support this ministry. Not everyone can be the hands and feet in every area needed and we are blessed to be here working with the hundreds of homeless and at-risk teens and young adults that populate the downtown Denver streets. That being said, I am asking for your prayers for our support raising over the next few months.
When Benny and I moved our family here last summer, it was to do a year-long apprenticeship with Dry Bones with the intention of eventually taking the ministry to a new city and planting another one. There have been many changes taking place in the ministry over the course of the year and there are more to come. Good changes like a follow-up/mentorship program for those who get off the streets, and partnering with local churches to broaden the volunteer base and have a “safe place to land” for those in the mentorship program. There are many more. God is moving and we are along for the ride and ready to work how he tells us to. Our Board of Directors has decided that the timing isn’t right yet to plant Dry Bones in a new city. They have offered a position to us and would like us to stay on in Denver as part of the team here. We are really excited about this as Benny has filled a niche that nobody knew needed filling. It has been rewarding and challenging being here working with our teammates/friends: The Wallaces, the Goldman’s, and the Zimmerhackel’s.
God provided for us financially through His people for this past year and I am confident He will do so again. I believe He wants us to ask for provision and we have that example given to us throughout the New Testament. That doesn’t make it easy though. We fight the “mission work means overseas” school of thought, and the belief by some that missionaries should take a vow of poverty and barely make enough money to live on. It’s humbling.
We have had a wonderful group of people join us financially in this ministry this year. Please pray that most of them will continue their support and for those who must drop theirs, that God will raise up another individual, family, church, or business willing to take their place. If we are the hands and feet, then our prayer team is the backbone of the ministry. We have faced many spiritual attacks since coming here to do this work, but we know we are covered in prayer by amazing people who get on their knees (and sometimes faces) on our behalf. We have felt the peace of God while in the thick of the battle and we are so blessed by our prayer team. We have also been blessed by people who have gifted us throughout the year with notes of encouragement, cards with their family pictures in it, invitations to eat with them, visits from friends who want to check out what we do here, and even gift cards for Starbucks and Blockbuster. 😉 Blessings big and small have shown us how loved and cared for we are, by our support team, and by God. We are always looking for partners in this ministry.
If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the Nowell Family support team by giving financially, joining the prayer group, or if we can answer any questions you have, email me or Benny for more information. We are planning a few more visits to areas of the country our supporters live – Tulsa and OKC, OK , Wichita, KS, and Indianapolis, IN. We are also discussing a trip to the Houston area. Benny is a “Have message and materials – will travel” kind of guy. He will also be in the Chicago, IL area in a few weeks to speak at a youth event hosted by York College, Rochester College, and Oklahoma Christian University and a few local churches there. I’ll share more details as I learn them.
Thank you for your prayers, and Thank You for your support!
If you get to see Benny while he’s in his home state, tell him his yankee wife misses him! 😉
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