Duane and Lois Thiessen

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Dear Friends,
We are delighted to announce a new family member. No, Lois was not pregnant. Matt got married July 21, 2007 to Rachel Grady (MK from Indonesia). Her parents work with One Challenge International and currently represent their mission in Europe and the Middle East. Trust you enjoy the picture.
The wedding was in Colorado Springs, so we were able to make contact with friends in the Colorado Springs and Denver. Thanks to all who came and made the day very special. Special thanks go to those who opened their homes to us for a place to stay and the rehearsal dinner, rented us a car, and paid for the rehearsal dinner. You were truly God’s servants in our need.
Matt and Rachel after a week honeymoon in Hawaai, came back, packed their bags, and flew to Indonesia where they will be teaching this year at Bandung Alliance International School. They are currently unpacking after the move to their house in Bandung and preparing for the start of classes on August 20th. Matt will be teaching high school Math and Spanish. Rachel is teaching English Literature in the high school as well.
Alison continues in her degree completion program at Simpson University in Redding, CA. We look forward to her graduation in 2008. Recently she started a job as a telephone receptionist with “Nerds on Call” in Redding that serves Redding, Chico and Sacramento. It was great to see her briefly in Colorado Springs for the wedding.
Anita is going into her third year of Nursing at Bethel College (Mishawaka, IN) and enjoying it greatly. She worked two different part-time summer jobs in-between her jaunts to Quito, Ecuador for Alliance Academy graduation and Matt & Rachel’s wedding in Colorado Springs.
We are due for Home Ministry Assignment in December. We will be living near Duane’s mom, Gale Thiessen, in Eugene, OR. This will be a six month HMA so we will be finishing up Spring in Uruguay and moving to Winter in Oregon. We look forward to missionary conference ministry during the Spring tour in the Pacific Northwest District of the C.&M.A.
Between now and December both Lois and Duane will be teaching in the Bible Institute in Rivera, Uruguay. Lois team-teaches Evangelism with a graduate, Juan Lucas Piñeiro in September – November and Duane will be teaching Genesis during the same time period. Duane will also be supervising two other graduates of the Institute, Jhon Costa and Jesus Farias, in teaching Introduction to the Old Testament in the extension course of the Institute in the town of Tranqueras here in Uruguay (about 55 km., 33 miles from Rivera).
Abrazos (hugs),
Duane & Lois (sitting in front of the fireplace to keep warm)

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

Most Recent Answer to Prayer:

God provided for our needs in our time in Colorado Springs for Matt and Rachel's wedding. We received an invitation from staff at Headquarters to stay in their basement apartment the whole time we were there. God moved in the hearts of others to rent us a car for the two weeks we were there and give us the funds to pay for a catered rehearsal dinner. He really surprised us in these matters. "Oh we of little faith!"

July 7-9 was the Regional Alliance Women's Retreat in Northern Argentina. Lois was asked to speak and lead group dynamic sessions. Here is her report.
Concordia, Argentina Alliance Women’s Retreat
The sweet fragrance of the evidence of the presence and power of the person of Jesus still lingers four days after a district ladies’ retreat held in the northern most district of the Argentine Alliance field. This is in stark contrast to the depths of darkness that overwhelmed my soul, in the days of preparation prior to the event.
Following a week of sickness with a resulting accumulation of things on my “to do” list, a host of fears and inadequacies assaulted my mind. Added to that was the very real threat of the bridge between Uruguay and Argentina being closed to all traffic during the July vacation, in an attempt to put political pressure on Uruguay to rescind their plans for a pulp mill on the river that separates the two countries. Miriam (a former student who God provided to accompany me) and I would be able to take a bus over the river on Friday, but there was uncertainty as to how we would return.
In the last two days before we were to leave, Duane made the decision to drive us to the border and do some investigative study, together with another former student, Jose, whose parents live in Salto, across the river from Concordia. That decision provided a spiritual, emotional and physical protection for me that brought release from the tensions within.
In the reading that I was doing in preparation for the study times together, God spoke to me about walking in obedience to Him, in spite of the circumstances and my feelings, and leaving the results to Him. Little did I know what God had planned for that weekend.
About 45 women gathered together from various churches in the district, many of them having overcome enormous obstacles in order to be there. Together we sat at the feet of Jesus as fellow learners. With games, dialogue, small group interaction, inductive Bible study and prayer times, we saw God “renew our wineskins” (their chosen theme for the weekend) in order that we could receive and respond to the “new wine” of His teaching and His life-giving Spirit.
There was such a hunger for God’s word and a resulting desire to walk in intimate relation to Him, in order that our lives and the lives of those around us could be transformed by the power of Jesus living in us.
We saw women who live with tremendous difficulties in personal and family life situations, respond to the call of Jesus to daily renewal. Sadness turned to joy, despair to hope, discouragement to laughter, and feelings of abandonment and isolation were washed away in an atmosphere of love. God Himself touched us and in the midst of all that took place, God brought healing to my own heart. I had arrived on Friday to meet 45 strangers, and I took leave, on Monday, of 45 friends and caring sisters in Christ.
The bridge crossing the river was closed, as threatened and so Miriam and I boarded a small riverboat with some 30 other passengers to cross the river and return to Uruguay. There we were met by Duane and Jose, who had accompanied us all the way with their prayers, and together we began the four hour journey back to Rivera.
I returned with a deep sense of joy and contentment and a peace that passes all understanding. God had showed me once again that “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” I Thessalonians 5:24

Pray for us as we help the Uruguayan Alliance grow and mature. They have come out of a long history of strong individual leader type pastors and are beginning to function with a team mentality and a cell group philosophy of church ministry.
Pray for our part in training new leaders for the Uruguayan Alliance Church in the Bible Institute in Rivera and two extension institutes in Tranqueras and Vichadero (Uruguay).

Uruguay

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