Dear Family and Friends

There is no way to measure the immense value of the life building connections that God brings into our personal world. Remember the two followers on the road to Emmaus who had a personal meeting with Jesus...they recalled, “Didn't our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way” Luke 24:32.

During this past month we were blessed with a visit from our life long friends...B and B Robinson. Bruce and Bonnie entered our daily journey on a Tuesday and we were able to enjoy their company through Friday morning. There is no substitute, Email or otherwise, for a hands on personal re such as we shared. Our lives merged in real time...the past lives again as we reminisce...the present becomes reality as we hear firsthand about events, family and grandchildren...the future seems to become animated as we project concerning possibilities which lie ahead. We cannot calculate the effects of actually becoming “partakers of the grace” of those personal connections.

Jesus Teaches Life Maintenance

Jesus spent the majority of his 3 last years with 12 men. By example, he demonstrated the need for sharing fully in the lives of others so they would become fruitful. Over the past few days we visited my daughter and son in law who operate an almond orchard. This type of farming takes continual maintenance if they are to have good fruit. It requires their full attention just as their five children do. The children are being taught constantly about how to live ...they are being monitored, corrected and commended 24/7. Is not this the work of the body of Christ...to continually edify one another to bring each member to maturity in Christ? Ephesians 4:12-14. This requires real life connections.

Fellowship...Continual Res

The concept of koinonia (fellowship) is that of personally sharing in the life of another. When this happens (gathering in Jesus name) something special occurs. Through the overflow of our lives we minister grace one to another. Ephesians 4:29. As Paul stated in Philippians 1:7, we become “partakers of the grace” that is in the life of others. This is what happened on the road to Emmaus, this is what happened in our visit with Bruce and Bonnie, this is what occurred in our time with our grandchildren, this is what happens each time a real life re takes place among believers as we experienced last evening...we are blessed as God's grace flowed between us...In this we are spiritually edified and keep growing in Christ likeness.

As We Shared Last Month...Just Keep Gathering

Jesus pursued people...seeking lost sheep always...while traveling with the sheep already in the fold. In this same way we take time, make time to meet with others...this is our life. Always meeting others. ..always sharing truth...always encouraging others to follow. What a blessing when God allows for a one on one encounter with someone. Likewise, what a wonderful thing to gather with a group to learn more about Jesus and his teaching. Personal and group meetings is the workshop...meeting in his name...sharing the truth...sometimes planned in advance...sometimes not.

Don't Miss It

This week we traveled back from Northern California 6 hours drive to meet with our Thursday groups beginning at 6pm with the second meeting at 7:30. We are so glad we did not miss the opportunity to share life with these people. It is difficult to describe...but these are life giving meetings. One of our grade school children stood before the group and from memory quoted Isaiah 55:1-6. One of our college young people played his guitar and led us in a Spanish song “His faithfulness is Great.” Questions were posed, questions were answered, personal experiences were shared, prayer requests were given, people were prayed for, and a snack was shared together as we talked of the happenings in our lives this week.

Central Coast Happenings

This week began our rainy season...with a major storm moving upon us from the Pacific. The beginning of the rain tells us that another year is coming to an end and soon we will be at the starting line to begin another. Life can get complicated and we can experience great difficulty...but the grace of the Lord is sufficient and more than sufficient to survive the storms ahead. So...rain or shine, we want to continue to invest our time and our life in people. Things are passing away, but God's people will endure for ever. We look forward to each week and to every opportunity to be a part of what God is doing here.

May you just keep doing what God has called you to...knowing that this (doing God's will)is the great work which will last forever.
Kingdom Blessings,
Steve Cornelius

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Moments of intense reliance on the Lord also tend to facilitate moments of quiet listening and insights on other less mundane matters than where the next meal is coming from (funny how that works, isn't it?). In this instance I have done some deeper thinking on the ministry of Speaking Volumes for the years to come.

Speaking Volumes is currently developing two new concepts, tools that we hope will benefit the ministry of others.

Speaking Volumes ::

This last week I had the blessing of attending a men's breakfast with John Oostdijk, Director of Atlantic Bridge. We studied Mark 8:27-39 and had great encouragement over taking up our crosses and following Christ. The breakfast was held at the home of the pastor of the international church in Antwerp which we attended when we first moved here. This breakfast is held every other Saturday morning and I plan to go as often as I can.

I am trying to find some more ways to interact with others outside the home office. I am now spending one day per week at the office of a Christian friend, with whom I also pray regularly. He has provided me some desk space and I have set up my old computer there.

As we think about ways to serve other ministries and develop our ministry vision we are seeking clarification of our thoughts over plans for the future. Continuing the theme of finding ways to interact with others in person, we hope to meet people "where they are", literally. In our line of work, we can certainly work from anywhere, regardless of where we are at a given moment; and regardless of where a ministry we are serving might be located. However, we do long to make contact and build relationships, and there are certain elements of our ministry we could develop further if we were able to meet face-to-face. Elements we would like to develop include training for ministries and churches, and interaction with other Tentmakers in some kind of partnership.

Training

I believe we can develop a series of workshops for churches or small non-profits that would enhance their outward communication, as well as explore tools that could increase their productivity and effectiveness (especially where teams or communities are separated by distance). Such tools might include various online services and an intranet structure.

Partnerships

As we have mentioned in a couple of newsletters, I have had a burden to build up Tentmakers like ourselves, and to begin a service that would benefit both them and the ministries they serve by channeling projects to them. It would be good to be able to meet and interact with some of the Tentmakers we hear about, and maybe involve them in new projects for churches and ministries in their regions.

Home ::

The kids are off this week, so we look forward to some special time with them. We are also trying to make plans for the Easter break at the end of April, for which the kids have two weeks off school and Amber has taken the two weeks off work. We hope to be able to make a road trip as a family, and we are looking at possibilities with friends and ministry contacts. It would be great to find some ministry and business opportunities during the trip, so please pray with us about that.

Thank you,
Rip & Amber

Speaking Volumes ::

Please pray with us about regular work opportunities; this is something we really need right now. Rip is looking for some part-time work and he is ready to spend about two days per week in a regular job, or freelancing if there is a steady flow of projects. Freelancing is great: it is the searching for and finding new projects every month that has been very difficult for us -- financially, physically and emotionally.

Rip could produce a new website every week, if the projects come in. We have a good process in place, and the experience and toolset to provide some professional services in content creation, online content management and communications. Please pray for some work for him. Do mention us to your networks; and if you hear of anyone needing a website or intranet related project, please put in a word for us!

Home ::

It's definitely the flu season in our household. We're taking turns (several). We're also had chickenpox and different infections come and, thankfully, go! Please pray that we'll regain health and strength.

We've been reminded several times during this last month to trust in the Lord and not in my own plans and feelings. It's hard to let go of certain things in our lives and to let God take control. It's hard to be vulnerable and to let God take our whole life. And we want to let you know we appreciate your friendship and encouragement and lessons we can learn from each other, thank you all for being part of our lives.

This month we look ahead to some changes we need to make this year. Bryony finishes elementary school this semester, and we are planning to go ahead and make a move closer to the high school she is likely to attend.

Dear Friends,

In some ways, this has been a bit of a transitional year, as we consider our past five years in the Netherlands. We are looking at some changes ahead, and we know that God has a plan for us. We look forward to the year ahead as God continues to reveal opportunities and concrete long-term direction.

Our roles at Atlantic Bridge are crystallising, and so too is the ministry we can offer other Christian ministries and churches. This is very exciting. We are happy to be working closely on an ongong and regular basis with 2-4 missions/organisations, and a couple of churches. This will grow as we continue to develop a unique and solid ministry of services.

Financial Update

We do ask for your prayers and thoughts concerning our finances, which are undergoing a change as we enter the new year. We have been blessed to have very faithful supporters over the last few years. We praise God for you our friends and supporters because we are reliant on your prayers and these contributions to our ministry.

We understand when a supporter's circumstances or focus changes. We are losing one faithful supporter at the end of the year. This does represent a loss in monthly income of 150 dollars. In addition, ministry income for some time has been lower than our goal by at least 250 dollars per month. We would therefore ask that you pray for us for a total increase in new contributions of 400 dollars per month. Our goal is to raise about a third of our total family budget through regular monthly contributions to our ministry; for a while, ministry contributions have been at about a fifth of our monthly family budget.

I am looking at taking on a part time job with a Christian friend in the new year. "Tent making" as a free-lancer is great; but in order to meet our family's budget, it tends to put the focus on scrambling for new business and free-lance projects each month, rather than allowing us to give all we want to give of ourselves to our ministry projects.

Another change that began this year is that we have acquired a car for the first time in the Netherlands, after managing without one for five years! This is a significant change and investment. As the kids grow and become involved in more activities, and as we become more involved in things happening in this part of the world, it has been great to have a car again. It also helps us visit our families... Amber's father in Limburg, and now her brother's family who have just moved there from America; and my family in UK whom we have been able to visit a couple of times this year. We are driving over next week for a few days since Ben and family will be in Buckingham. We'll see Mum and Dad briefly before they travel to Turkey to visit with Britt and Dave.

We pray that you will have a blessed Christmas time,
Rip & Amber

Home ::

My recent trip to America was a real treat. I attended my brother Phillip's wedding (he married Sarah Strawhorn); had some quality time with my sister, and two other brothers and their families. A small group of us went to Charleston, SC for two days to enjoy the sights and the warm weather. Although I loved my time in the States it was great to to go home and be greeted at the airport in Brussels by Rip and the three kids. We've been enjoying the American treats I brought back (jellybeans, marshmallows, chocolate chips, Reese's Peanutbutter Cups and Butterfingers).

Moxie and Bryony are in the same classroom this year, since the school has combined group 6 and 8 (grade/year 4 and 6). Bryony's group is preparing for their Cito Toets (end of year exam that will show what middle/secondary school she can go to next year). We'll be able to attend several open days to see what the different middle schools have to offer. Bryony has an Acrobatics tournament in January for which her trio has been training extremely hard.

Jasper started swimming lessons and is improving steadily. As we live so close to water it's important for the kids to get their swimming diploma's at a young age. Moxie is working on his C diploma (his last one).

I had been praying that Moxie would find a good friend. In July a Christian (Scottish) family with four kids moved to Kruiningen. Their oldest boy is in Moxie's classroom and they have become very good friends. As a mater of fact, all our kids and theirs have become friends and spend most days playing outside (when it's not raining).

The headmistress has asked me to help the Scottish kids with their Dutch at school on Tuesday mornings. On Monday afternoons I help with Techniek (Science and Technology) at the school. Each week we assist with a different year group). Once a month I help teach Sunday School.

Wednesday is my Atlantic Bridge day. I work on the data base, newsletters or a DTP project. We miss having interns this term but we hope to have new interns next year. Also on Wednesdays, I aim to walk regularly with my friend Josephine. My part-time job as dental nurse at a very busy Endodontic practice continues to be a big blessing. I go in on Thursdays and Fridays, so I have a full week. Please pray for strength and good health for all of us.

Amber

 

Speaking Volumes ::

Lately I have been focusing on developing better ongoing support and maintenance for websites and clients. After a project is completed it is still very much a "live" thing that needs to grow and develop, particularly where community interaction is a key element. Something will always need updating or fixing, and new features might be required as a community or organization grows.

Setting aside regular time each week is a key to this. It is also important to group similar tasks across multiple projects and doing similar things all at the same time, no matter what project or site they are associated with. I also need to develop some proactive procedures whereby I go through a website from top to bottom and head off potential issues before they arise. This all grows more complex, the more projects we do.

We aim to better serve others by providing a great ongoing service that will, at the least, reduce any frustrations as their body of content grows, or their site grows and becomes more complex; ideally, we will help clients improve their use of their site where necessary, but free them up to become more proactive in content creation, their communication and in the development of their relationships with their constituents.

As part of this focus, and as part of our "tentmaking" efforts to supplement our income, we are hoping to present some simple support packages that will be taken up enthusiastically by our clients. We are looking to build our base of regular monthly income, so that we are available to take on as many ministry projects as we can on an ad hoc basis -- whenever and where ever we are needed. Please pray that both our client and income base grows in order for us to live -- but in such a way that it allows us to minister more frequently, and more effectively. [if you hear of anyone needing a website project, please feel free to point them our way!]

Rip

 

Groetjes / Greetings!

Home ::

Amber is in South Carolina, USA for ten days. She is attending the wedding of her youngest sibling, Philip. She accompanies her dad who traveled with her from Netherlands. Meanwhile, I try to take care of the house and the kids. This includes juggling travel to and from several sports activities four times per week.

The weather has been very nice, and the kids have been enjoying inline skating. They found inline skates at the "swap shop" where have an account -- this is a community initiative which takes your junk and assigns point values to it, so that you can trade it for someone else's junk. Oh, well, at least the clutter in the house can look different than last week's clutter; so that is some improvement for Amber to come home to, I suppose!

Our grapes are now all harvested. I was able to get 175 nice bunches of white grapes form our one white grape vine. We took grapes from the red vine a few weeks ago, but the birds had gotten to them. These white grapes are very nice and unspoiled, and I shall be taking a number of bunches around to the neighbors.

Speaking Volumes ::

The mission idea that I mentioned last month is beginning to take shape. This concept will involve a project management tool and a way to encourage Christians to outsource work to tentmakers... as a means for Christians to support the missions of others, while at the same time furthering their own projects. I'll begin posting some details about it on the IGO blog or on our website.

A second concept is also in the works: a fund raising tool for missions and projects. Again, the concept has taken shape and now I need to develop some of the technical aspects to form it into a useful tool for ministry.

Please pray for me as I try to think clearly through the steps and requirements for the projects while I build the databases. I must try to build a high degree of usability into them as I construct all the fields and tables and links that will be needed.

This month I am working with two Christian ministries, in addition to Atlantic Bridge. For Atlantic Bridge I have some online forms to develop in order to help volunteers in various countries add data to one central place. We will also produce and mail out some AB DVD's containing testimonials.

Rip Robinson

Groetjes / Greetings!

Home ::

The kids have been back at school for a week. Their extracurricular activities have resumed, and they are all excited about their upcoming field trips. Moxie is off to the zoo this week and says he still wants to be a zookeeper. Bryony is to go on a school camp this week -- her group is cycling to a campground about 50 km away for a couple of days.

Our courgettes/zucchini and beans did very poorly this year (as in non-existent) and our strawberries got attacked; but God is good and the tomatoes, apples and grapes are great this year. We have some more apples to pick and our white grapes are not quite ready yet; we picked the red ones last week and started to make grape juice.

Speaking Volumes ::

We hope to start websites for two Christian ministries this month, as well as pretty much complete four or five other projects. There are also a couple of mission contacts to explore in our growing network.

We have been encouraged by IGO to put together a "council of advisors" and we formalized this last month. We have four great friends and advisors on our council; and we look forward to the fellowship, encouragement and advice that will begin to come out of these relationships. One is in England, one is currently in US, and two are here in Netherlands. We anticipate some good conversations that will result in personal development and sound goals.

Over the last month I have been very excited about a mission idea that may become a central part of our ministry to others. I have done a lot of thinking and writing for it, and now I need to do some refining. I introduced the concept to a couple of my advisors and they will be helping me with it. I won't say a lot about it right now, but it is something that I want to focus on when possible; so please pray for clarity of thought and inspiration as I try to combine a lot of elements I have used or learned in the last few years.

Rip & Amber Robinson