LOVING GOD WITH ALL WE ARE

Dear Friends,

Jesus taught us that the greatest command is to “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength.” (Mark 12:30). By His grace, we love God with our head, heart, and hands. Like the offering of a few fish and loaves of bread, your support for BrookLink reaches people around the globe. We offer biblical teaching (for their heads), so that it dwells richly in them (for their hearts), to be shared with others (through their hands). You are a blessing to us, and we are thankful!

This principle of loving God with our heads, hearts and hands was recently brought home to BrookLink, literally! Our long time friend and partner, Pastor Tariq Waris, visited with us from his south Asian country. “Our seminary students are grounded in their heads, hearts and hands from the Scripture,” he shared at our Brookfield office. “We train our students first in the Word of God. His knowledge flows into their hearts, and we help nurture their hearts for service. Every seminary student is expected to be active in sharing their faith and building up others in their love for Scripture, for God and serving others.”

We trust you’ll be encouraged by Pastor Tariq’s message preached last month at Meadowbrook Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Despite being part of a marginalized sector in their country, the seminary has graduated 845 teachers, has planted 300 churches, and has 1,000 home churches. It is encouraging to know that 40% of its current student population are women. Lee has helped to equip hundreds of Tariq’s pastoral colleagues, thanks to you!

Lee and I are so thankful and excited that we will be with Tariq in his home country later this fall, Lord willing. We will be teaching over 600 pastors during a 3-day conference. It seems almost surreal to finally be back in the saddle, receiving our visas, confirming travel plans and preparing teaching material. Praise God with us! Pray for us!

“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” ~ Proverbs 27:9

Long time friendship between Lee and Tariq was rekindled, while Tariq and I enjoyed getting better acquainted during his recent visit to Wisconsin.

Following our time with Tariq, Lee and I travel to Ethiopia to encourage our friends in the Kale Heywet Church. We will be training another group of pastors on the front lines. Another huge answer to prayer, and what an incredible opportunity to serve our gracious Father in a country that has had its share of fighting this past year.

Ethnic tensions run high in Ethiopia, and affect many churches. The leadership is asking us to address this real life situation. I’m preparing to teach the first chapters of II Corinthians and have entitled it “Leading in Conflict.”

We hosted an intimate luncheon at the Brookfield office with two of our Kale Heywet Church partners as they recently visited the Milwaukee area. They are visiting several parts of the US during the next month. They are pictured with Lee, Terry and former missionary to Ethiopia, Joe Harding.

Your prayers are vitally needed as we look to our Father for protection in these fragile travel times as we return to teaching on the field. Please pray that Covid will not get in the way, for the hearts of the church leaders, for our protection, and for the Holy Spirit to guide our preparation.

One way you can pray is to join us for our fall Zoom prayer gathering on Saturday, October 23^rd. We look forward to having some of our global partners join us and share their prayer requests. If you missed our spring gathering last May, you don’t want to miss this wonderful opportunity!

Your partnership with BrookLink literally means the world to us.

You are invited to “BrookLink at Prayer” on
Saturday, October 23rd at 9:00 AM CST / 2:00 PM GMT
This gathering will occur over Zoom and will last for about 45 minutes.

We’d love to have you join BrookLink friends from
around the world in this short concert of prayer.
Email <info@brooklink.org> to let us know you’ll be there!

You will receive your Zoom link a few days before this important event.
Thank you if you have already sent us your RSVP. No need to RSVP again.

You are deeply loved by our gracious God, whose purpose for us never changes: love Him with all your heart, soul and strength. Isn’t it reassuring to know that in any and every season, our God is for us and will see us through every change? Thank you for praying for and for supporting BrookLink.

Shalom,