Happy New Year from the Haumschilt's

Joan and I want to wish you and your family a blessed New Year.

We are sure God is putting many hopes and dreams in your heart for this upcoming year.  As you abide in Him and walk in His truth know that He will be honored and by His promise you will find blessings.  (Psalms 1)

Pray for us as we head to Haiti with a team of ten.  Our goals will be to erect a building in La Saline so the pastor can serve in the community.  We will work to advance the young ministries in La Saline and Jerusalem.  Much evangelism and training for both locations will be needed.  We will also be establishing a new church in Canaan.  Leadership development will be key as well as finding men and women of peace through which to build the work. 

Heading to Haiti is always an opportunity to trust the Lord.  Pray for our team as six of them have never served on the mission field before and sharing their faith in that environment will be new for most of them.  Oh Spirit of God bring a harvest for your glory! (Matthew 9:37-38)

In the past few months Co:Mission has established partnerships that will allow us to plant churches and make disciples in many areas around the world.  God has opened doors in Africa, China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Brazil and other South American countries. We look forward with great anticipation at what God will do through all of us in fulfilling His heart for the nations in 2012.

Until the Nations Hear,

Mark and 

Having the Fathers Heart

Over one hundred times Jesus makes reference to “the Kingdom”.  He tells us “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel”.  He goes on to say,  “follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men”.  (Mark 1:15, 17)  A genuine heart for the Kingdom means I will follow Jesus and I will fish for men.  Jesus teaches us to pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.  (Matthew 6:9-10)   Getting the kingdom right will cause me to get ministry right.  Getting the kingdom right will cause me to get church right and everything else right.  Ministry can at times be selfish.  Church can at times be man-centered.  You and I know  that impure motives can be a battle with everything.  The Kingdom of God is always King Jesus centered.

We preach a King centered Gospel not a man centered Gospel.  If I am going to catch the wind of God’s Spirit I must set the sails of my life to get in on building His Kingdom by following Jesus and fishing for men.  God’s heart is to see the nations of this world come to the saving knowledge of Jesus.  He instructed us to do this in Matthew 28:19.  He has told us that it is the one thing that must happen before His return, “this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come”. (Matthew 24:14)  As a child of God, I can not be content doing only what I like or what I might be good at.  As a Christian I must do that which pleases the heart of my Father, follow Him and fish for men.

It is exciting to report of the many moves of God going on around the world. Churches are multiplying and thousands are coming to Christ in unreached people groups.  People are choosing to follow Jesus and fish for men all over the world.  Joan and I had the opportunity to have dinner with two key Church Planting Movement strategists last week.  Ying Kia is  the gentleman responsible for over two hundred and fifty thousand churches planted in the past six years in China and Steve Smith, a student and facilitator of Church Planting Movements responsible for the South East Asia Region.  Both are seeing God’s Spirit move and work like no other recorded time in Christian History.  

When asked why this is happening both responded the same, “people are fulfilling the heart of the Father by following Jesus and fishing for men”.  I am asking God to help me see the big picture.  I want a Kingdom heart.  I know that within the big picture I must stay intentionally focused.  I know that following the King means walking by faith expressing obedience through my life.  I also know that if God took the time to step out of heaven, die on a cross, resurrect from the dead so that He could live in man’s hearts I must have as the highest priority a passion to fish for men.  

Join us at Co:Mission Ministry as we set sail to serve the King and His Kingdom by following Jesus and fishing for men.  “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”.  (Matthew 6:33)

Until the Nations Hear,

Mark

Mark and Joan with Ying and Grace Kai

Mark and Joan with Steve Smith

With Grateful Hearts This Thanksgiving

We pray you and your family are prepared to have a wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration.  Joan and I are overwhelmed with grateful hearts to God for His goodness and grace toward us.  This year has been the biggest test of faith of our lives.  However, we have never grown more and scene the hand of God more evident.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that “in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.  We know this to be true in the depths of our souls. 

God has done a deep work in our hearts of healing and renewal.  He has kept us on our faces praying and crying out to Him every day.  Dependence and trust are wonderful gifts when they are centered in Jesus.  Thank you for your prayers for us and know we have been praying for you.  Let us know what God is doing in your lives.

We are also thankful that God after breaking us is using us in greater ways than ever before.  We will be partnering with so many in 2012 to begin Church Planting Movements in strategic places around the world.  We will be trained in December with the most effective Church Planting Movement strategy in history.   In Asia, Europe  and Africa there are hundreds of thousands of churches being planted through this movement.  Co:Mission will be in partnership with the International Mission Board to assist churches in the U.S. to be part of this global movement.  We will be attending this conference in December in the windy city of Chicago.

Sunday November 27, we will be worshiping with our friends at Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg Illinois.  On December 4^th we will be at  Eldorado First Baptist church.  Pray for the time as we challenge these church families to strategic involvement to fulfill Christ’s command to go make disciples locally and globally.

Final details are coming together for our team going to Haiti in January.  Pray for the details to come together for building the house in La Saline.  We also need wisdom on the communities we will be planting more churches when we return with our team in March. 

Finally, pray for provision for this ministry.  We need a great deal of funding to do the work God has called us to do.  We are stepping out on blind faith and scheduling our trip to the Amazon in February.  This will launch our partnership with IMB and World Wide Church Planters to establish a Church Planting Movement in the region.  We know God has called us to this effort.  Pray about giving to this effort that promises to plant hundreds of churches and reach thousands for Christ. 

We love you and pray your hearts are filled with thanksgiving for the goodness of our God.

Until the Nations hear,

Mark and Joan

Charles Stanley addresses the need for what Co:Mission does!

The way they do missions today is totally different from the way it was done when I grew up in the Philippines.

Forty years ago, it worked like this. An evangelist would go out and share the faith. Some would respond. After they responded, the evangelist would gather these new Christians into churches. (This order is important as we will see in a moment.) The churches would take on an approximate form to a church in America. They would have a choir and a Sunday School and a constitution. (How can you run a church without a constitution?) They would have committees and Wednesday night supper, church counsel, & visitation. In the early days we even built buildings with red bricks, a tall steeple and white columns out front.

Then, we grouped churches together in Associations, State Conventions and National Conventions. We created institutions, seminaries, agencies and so forth. We sent our young ministers to our seminaries and they received degrees that duplicated the kind of degrees they can get here. In short, we not only exported the gospel, we also exported the whole form of the way we do church in America. We exported not only the wine, but the wineskins as well.

Around 20 years ago, we started experimenting with a different model, one that is now known as Church Planting Movements. It is the dominant model of missions around the world these days. I found this statement on the International Mission Board's web page:

International Mission Board’s Overseas Leadership Team adopted a vision statement: We will facilitate the lost coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ by beginning and nurturing Church Planting Movements among all peoples.

Now, the phrase "Church Planting Movements" is probably not all that clear to you, as it was not to me. I think of "Church" as "Church as I know it." These are more like house churches, as was made clear to me on a recent trip to Richmond and a conversation I had with an IMB executive there. These are not churches as we think of churches. The executive clarified this to me adding, "In fact, we try to keep them small and continually reproducing."

These Churches in the Church Planting Movements are more like Sunday School classes than they are Churches as we think of them. They are small groups led by laymen that meet in homes. They are house churches.

I am curious what comes to your mind when you think of the phrase "House Church." It has always had a bit of a negative connotation to me. It has always spoken to me of people who could not get along with the people in traditional churches and decided to just do church at home. But, these are not rebels. This is an intentional strategy. Those who follow this strategy are following the top leadership of the IMB.

One other caveat. I don't see an essential difference between a Sunday School style group and a home group. To me, a group is a group is a group. Whether the group meets on campus on Sunday morning or off campus during the week does not change the essential character of the group. There  are pluses and minuses for both home groups and Sunday School style groups. One is not essentially superior to the other. A group is a group is a group.

I have done a little reading on House Churches in America. I was surprised to learn that many who participate in House Churches in America actually attend a traditional church on Sunday morning. This raises an interesting question. What is the difference between this house church and any other home Bible study? One word: attitude. They see this house church as just that, a church. It is just as legitimate as the traditional church, it just takes on a different form.

Church Planting Movements

This change of strategy is resulting in unprecedented world-wide growth of the church. For example:

Southeast Asia

When a strategy coordinator began his assignment in 1993, there were only three churches and 85 believers among a population of more than 7 million lost souls. Four years later there were more than 550 churches and nearly 55,000 believers.

North Africa

In his weekly Friday sermon, an Arab Muslim cleric complained that more than 10,000 Muslims living in the surrounding mountains had apostatized from Islam and become Christians.

City in China

Over a four-year period (1993-1997), more than 20,000 people came to faith in Christ, resulting in more than 500 new churches.

Latin America

Two Baptist unions overcame significant government persecution to grow from 235 churches in 1990 to more than 3,200 in 1998.

Central Asia

A strategy coordinator reports: “Around the end of 1996, we called around to the various churches in the area and got their count on how many had come to faith in that one year. When they were all added up, it came to 15,000 in one year. The previous year we estimated only 200 believers altogether.”

Western Europe

A missionary in Europe reports: “Last year (1998), my wife and I started 15 new church cell groups. As we left for a six-month stateside assignment last July, we wondered what we’d find when we returned. It’s wild! We can verify at least 30 churches now, but I believe that it could be two or even three times that many.”

Ethiopia

A missionary strategist commented, “It took us 30 years to plant four churches in this country. We’ve started 65 cell churches in the last nine months.”

Abdul

Abdul came to faith in 1987. The team found more than 350 evangelists serving in 29 districts, nearly 2,300 pastors serving among some 4,000 churches, and 89,315 baptized members—all direct spiritual descendants of Abdul. More than 23,000 of the baptisms had occurred during the previous year alone. And that’s only part of the overall church-planting movement now spreading through Abdul’s people, who number in the tens of millions, comprising one of the largest unreached groups in the world.

Consider this chart I found at

By AD 1430, (1%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1790, (2%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1940, (3%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1960, (4%) were Bible believing Christians.
By AD 1970, (5%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1980, (6%) were Bible believing Christians.
By AD 1983, (7%) were Bible believing Christians.
By AD 1986, (8%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1989, (9%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1993, (10%) were Bible believing Christians. 
By AD 1997, (11%) were Bible believing Christians.

Source: http://www.missionfrontiers.org/newslinks/statewe.htm

It took 1430 years for 1% of the world population to become Christian. Now, we are gaining 1% every 3 or 4 years. The percentage of Christians doubled between 1970 and 1993 from 5% to 10%. WOW!!

If this doesn't seem quite right to you, consider this. I heard a statistic from George Barna years ago that said that North America is the only continent on the planet where the church is not growing. It feels like we are not making progress because we are in the United States. But, in many places around the world we are making rapid progress.

I'd invite you to do some reading up on Church Planting Movements. Do a search on www.google.com and start chasing down the links. It is exciting.

Let's experiment together with how to make Church Planting Movements a reality in America.

We recently had the privilege of hosting Josh Hunt for our mid winter Sunday Morning Bible Study leadership conference. The emphasis on investing and building relationships is the key to reaching our society today. Fellowship is premium in a world where we face an epidemic of loneliness. People are looking for more than a "friendly" church. They want a place where they can grow and develop lasting relationships that will assist them in building a biblical foundation for life. If you have not had the opportunity to have Josh Hunt in your church or attend one of his conferences, make plans to involve your leadership. His concepts will make a difference in your thinking about how simple it really is to reach out to people.

Sincerely,

Charles F. Stanley
Senior Pastor First Baptist Church Atlanta

Missions Exists Because Worship Doesen't

John Piper probed our minds with this truth that missions exists because worship does not.  I understand the truth but I think it needs clarifying.  Man does worship.  However, the glory often worshiped is not God’s glory. In Romans 1:23 Paul tells us that man “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man”.  Verse 25 tells us that man “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator”.  

Every time we break the first command by making other things as more significant than God we live out the foolishness of this text.  God longs to be worshiped.  He knows that worship is the highest call His creation can respond to.  We are at our best when we adore the king of kings and Lord of Lords.  David tells us that praise is becoming and that God inhabits the praises of His people.

Missions is telling others about how to get connected to this awesome God!  It brings liberty to people who are in bondage to false gods both here and abroad.   That Testimony is not something that is shared only when we cross the ocean but even when we cross the street.   David expresses God’s heart in Psalms 86:9, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord and shall glorify your name”. 

In Revelation John sees the results of centuries of the church being on mission when he declares; “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the lamb” Revelation 7:9-10

Update from Co:Mission

It’s fall and the leaves are beautiful in St. Louis.  The St. Louis Cardinals are world champs and God continues to open doors for Co:Mission Ministry.  Life is good!  We are thankful that the opportunities to stand before God’s people and share God’s heart for the world keep coming.  The global strategy God has given us continues to stir believers as the army of great commission partners keeps growing.

God also continues to open up new opportunities around the world.   Knowing we can’t go everywhere we are selecting those places that have strong leadership, great openness to the Gospel and little or no Gospel presence.  Two exciting new areas He has opened up for us to harvest souls is the Amazon Basin of Brazil and Kenya, Africa. 

When the former International Mission Board President, Dr Jerry Rankin, was asked what the most fertile harvest field in the world was?  His answer was the Amazon Basin of Brazil.  At present there are no missionaries working this area of over fifty thousand tribes.  Only a few ministries like Co:Mission are laboring in this huge harvest field.  God is creating a partnership that will join this ministry to key leaders in the region.   Together we believe we will see thousands come to Christ this year.

We have also been praying for an opportunity to get to Africa.  Several opportunities came up but none seemed right.  However, recently Joan and I were able to meet with a strategic leader and his wife from Kenya named Pastor Titus and Rose.  Titus has a network of thirty leaders with whom he would like to plant churches.  He shared with us that he needs the strategy, energy and focus of sharing the Gospel that Co:Mission can provide.  We are very excited about building a long term relationship whereby we can reach tens of thousands for Christ and plant hundreds of churches over the next several years.

We continue to be amazed at the faithfulness of our God.  Thank you so much for your prayers.  We are convinced God is only opening these doors and building these partnerships through the prayers of His people.  Please continue to pray as we dedicate November and December to raising the financial resources needed to fulfill this God honoring vision.

Until the Nations Hear,

Mark and Joan

Co:Mission Expands It's Partnerships;

Joan and I spent a couple weeks on the road seeking to build partnerships for the great commission with churches here in the U.S..   A vital aspect of Co:Mission Ministry is to work with pastors and churches to fulfill the great commission. 

In the past few weeks, we have had the opportunity to sit down with five different churches and many pastors.  I am so encouraged to see in every man a heart to make a difference for God’s glory.  However, I also see the stress they feel in making it happen.   Having pastored for so many years, I know the burdens these men of God are under.  What a privilege it was to listen and pray with each of them.  May I encourage each of us to lift up the arms of our pastors.  Pray for them and be a friend.   It is very lonely at the top.  

Another aspect of our trip was the mission’s conference Co:Mission Ministry was asked to lead at Cross Point Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  What a joy it was to spend time with our dear friends, Dave and Kara Guinn and to see how God is using them in their new ministry.  God ministered in a wonderful way as the Church unveiled its Great Commission Ministry plan.  We will be partnering with them in Haiti next April.

We also had the opportunity to train eighteen new leaders in mission’s ministry.  Thank you Pastor’s Randal and Dave for your leadership and heart for the kingdom.  

The month of September was very special for both Joan and I as we spent quality time with so many dear friends in ministry.  Relationships have been rekindled and I believe many hearts greatly encouraged.   The goals of  September were to build partnerships in the U.S. and establish our Harvest Prayer Ministry.  We come to the end of the month and can say, “ Lord; you have been so faithful once again!”

As you pray for Co:Mission Ministry pray for our partnering churches by name.

August Gate

Cross Point Church

Dorrisville Baptist Church

Eagle Pointe Community

Eldorado First Baptist Church

Harrisburg First Baptist Church

Little Chapel Church

Until the Nations Hear:

Mark and Joan

A God moment in Haiti:

Jesus informed us that we will know them by their fruits.  I often wonder when sharing the Gospel, through a translator, in another culture, if they get it.  When you see the fruit you know they do!

Matt and I were frustrated to say the least.  We were sorting out what appeared to be thousands of parts to a house church we were building in Haiti.  It  quickly became evident we did not have enough parts and some appeared to be miss- numbered.  We finally decided the best way to redeem the time was to share Jesus with the twelve on lookers.  These were high-school age boys.   Why not?  Nothing else seemed to be working at the moment. 

The boys quickly got engaged.  The translator seemed relieved that he wasn’t  having to carry heavy medal anymore.  Matt, our lead contractor on the project still looked bewildered.  But God began to work.  You could sense the hopefulness in the air.  These boys were not only open but also eager to hear what we had to share.  To the praise and glory of God,  ten of the twelve turned from their sin and put their faith in Jesus. 

What an awesome moment!  However, it doesn’t stop there.  The next day while I was sharing the gospel in their community, two of the boys followed along wherever I went.   In the background,  I noticed someone  speaking broken English as I would share the gospel with people.   It happened to be two of the young men who had given their lives to Christ the day before.  I inquired as to what  he and his friend were doing.  They told me they were practicing  so that one day in the future they could become translators to tell people about Jesus.   They followed me for the next two days.  Their names were Jackson and Louvin.  A few posts ago I told you about giving up my translator so two guys could have the privilege of leading a woman to Christ.  Now I was without a translator and standing before ten people.  Struggling to communicate Jackson spoke up.  “I will try to tell them”,  he said.   And that he did.   As I spoke,  Jackson translated the gospel and God did a work not only in him but  also in the ten who heard. 

The apostle John in his third epistle said,  “I have no greater joy than to hear that  my children walk in truth.”  Although these were not my birth children they were spiritual children walking in the truth of their newfound faith.

May God get all the glory!  I can’t wait to see what He does with these two new young soldiers of His.  In case you were wondering, we did finally figure out the numbering system and found all the parts to the home we were building.  As we put first things first , somehow, God took care of the rest.

God is Faithful!

Today I want to give testimony of God’s faithfulness in Haiti.   A core value of Co:Mission Ministry is walking with the expectation that God is always at work.  God can do more in a moment than I can do in a lifetime.  He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we could ask or even think up, Ephesians 3:20.  I want all of us who participate in this ministry to experience this as we walk by faith. 

While waiting for our team from Texas to arrive in front  of the Port au Prince airport God spoke to my heart that He was wanting to work.   There were five  very rough looking Haitian men standing close to Matt and I.  The Spirit prompted me to share the gospel with them.  We faced two challenges.  One, our translator at the time was not really qualified to translate  the plan of salvation due to limited vocabulary.   Two, we have a strong conviction in Co:Mission ministry to see all who receive Christ also have proper follow-up. 

As I reluctantly but obediently began sharing with our disinterested Haitian friends, God showed up.  First,  we watched their countenances change before our eyes as God opened their hearts to want to hear the Gospel.  Secondly, while struggling with the translation two Haitian brothers showed up like angels excited that American missionaries were there sharing Christ.  As God would have it they were the only people around who were bi-lingual.  To our knowledge, they were the only believers around as well.  These guys made sure the gospel was clear to our new friends as we took the lead to share.  There in front of the Port au Prince airport all five men gave their lives to Christ. 

However, God was not finished yet.  It just so happened that the two “angels” who appeared took it upon themselves to invite these new believers to their church nearby and committed to follow-up our new brothers in Christ.  God is so faithful!

Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all the things you and I need will be taken care of.  May the earth and all His people declare His glory.

Sharing the Gospel

As Co:Mission Ministry finds God’s unique purpose in His awesome kingdom Joan and I are learning a lot.  We  continue to be overwhelmed in our hearts with the responsibility of helping to lead the Church to lead with the Gospel.

Years ago I memorized a definition of successful witnessing given by Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ; taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.  It seems we are taking the initiative to share a lot these days on the mission field, however, little sharing of Christ seems to be happening.  We seem to have bought the lie that people coming to Christ are a by-product of our ministry and not the purpose of our mission. 

While in Haiti I had the privilege of working with seven young people all eager to learn on the mission field.  They arrived in Haiti with a passion to work and make a difference.   They were not quiet sure how to share their faith but hoping their lives would count and communicate Christ’s love. 

Wanting them to have the experience of leading others to Christ I gave two young men access to my translator one day.  They came back rejoicing that a woman was interested in giving her life to the Lord.  I asked them if they had led her to follow Christ.  They indicated that could happen later but she was very interested in becoming a Christian.  I instructed them to immediately go back to her house and lead her to faith in Christ.  I only wish everyone reading this could have been there when these young men returned.  They had stepped past their comfort and lead this women to turn from her sin and put her faith in Christ.  They were literally skipping back almost floating above the dusty road beneath their feet.  Why in the name of missions do we find it so hard to take the initiative to lead people to the saving knowledge of Christ?  Proverbs 11:30 reminds us that he who wins souls is wise.  Romans 1:16 tells us that the gospel is the power of God for salvation.  Paul encourages us with the fact that God has placed this life-changing message in clay pots, that is, He entrusts the gospel message into our lives and expects us to share it.

I hear of testimonies today of hundreds coming to Christ through dreams and visions.  God can and does do miracles to draw others to Himself.  Every conversion from sin to salvation is a miracle.  I want it to be said; it is a privilege to carry out the mandate of winning souls by taking the initiative to intentionally lead others to Christ.

As Mark Driscoll shares “when it comes to the gospel we tend to be gun collectors and not hunters”.  Though we love the gospel we treat it like a gun  from our gun collection.   We admire it but never take aim and shoot.  We love the Gospel but seldom call others to respond to it. 

We want to encourage all of you to get out your gospel gun, polish it up and take aim and fire to the glory of God.  Remember to leave the results to Him.  Rejection may come but probably won’t.  You may do it less than perfect but God won’t miss your heart.  Take the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.

Co:Mission Ministry in Haiti

When we step out in faith God always shows His faithfulness.  I have heard this, preached this and have even tried to live this but the trip to Haiti was a stretch of my faith.  So many details had to fall into place that unfortunately or fortunately I had no control over.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)  I will take the next several days to share the details of how God came through in so many ways but today I want to give you an overview of what God did.

Island of La Gonove:

After three hours of  taxi and boat rides, no one speaking English, and wondering where in the world my contact was we finally arrived to explore opportunities for ministry on La Gonove.  La Gonove is an Island of three hundred thousand people and very few churches.  While ministering on the Island we worked in four distinct communities bringing encouragement to the believers and sharing the gospel with unbelievers.  Pastor Benies was our main contact and he was located on the far side of the Island in a mountainous region called Mapou Village.  We worked in Fregade, Palma and Las Titans as well.  During our time we were able to train twenty-seven leaders in church planting and saw twenty-four others give their lives to Christ.  Again, our main purpose on the Island was to explore future possibilities for church planting and the possibility of creating partnerships with churches in the U.S..   May the Lord give wisdom as we consider our future work on La Gonove.

On the Mainland:

Our time began by praying earnestly that our ride would be there to take us from the port.  Only forty-five minutes late, praise God our ride arrived.  While on the Island there was little to eat and nothing but hot bottled water to drink.  When we saw a Coke stand God spoke to our hearts about getting a couple cold ones!  From there, Pastor Rigaud, the precious man of God we worked with on the mainland, took over and was a wonderful help.  We began locating the unassembled homes provided by our good friends at Agriboard.  We were greatly encouraged to see the pastor’s home in Cabera completed by our partners from California.  [Thanks HOPE and Come Over Ministries for a job well done!]  Cabera  is the area where we launched a new church plant the last time we were in Haiti.  The ministry is being led by Pastor McGraw and has over eighty new disciples growing in the Lord. What a testimony of God’s faithfulness.  From there we went on to locate the other unassembled homes provided by Agriboard.  With many parts scattered into about ten different areas we set out  prayerfully to organize the remainder of the homes.  The young man traveling with me, Matthew Sirmans, took it all in stride and graciously took over the building process.  What a blessing he was both on the Island and building the homes!  We were able to sort things out and begin the process of building and pass off the finishing to a team God provided from Texas.  I can’t say enough about the faithfulness of our God.  We are beginning a  new ministry in Jerusalem  where hundreds of thousands have settled since the earthquake hit Port au Prince over a year ago. It will be led by Pastor Midace pictured below.   With no churches in that area, this church plant has enormous potential.  By the grace of God, Pastor Regaud  and I believe we can see over three thousand being discipled in the next couple  of years.  From there we visited another area we had launched a new work last visit.   In La Saline we were informed that  the ministry was growing and over two hundred are actively being discipled in Christ.  Our team from Texas is scheduled to finish that building this week.

William Carey said, "Expect great things from God… Attempt great things for God!"  In the midst of overwhelming opposition God accomplished so much for His glory.  In the end, we will see four new churches.  Thirty-three leaders were trained in Church planting.   Forty-four new believers came to faith in Christ and about four hundred and fifty  are being discipled.   The labor is never easy but always worth it. 

Joan and I want to thank you for praying for this ministry and us.  Thank you for partnering with us to fulfill the great commission and planting churches around the globe.

                                             Our Haiti Team

               Pastor McGraw's wife and children from Church plant in Cabaret

                                  Mamas making mud pies for their children

                       The faces of some of the many children on the Island

                     Pastor Midace and his family from Jerusalem Church Plant

                             A few of the precious children in Haiti

                            Matthew building the house in Jerusalem

                     The Texas team building the pastor's home in Jerusalem

                                Mark sharing the gospel on the Mainland

                                Mark with Pastor Midace and his translator

                                             A home  in Jerusalem

Heading to Haiti

Island of La Gonave

As I head to Haiti I want to share with you prayer requests for the trip and the pressing needs that Co:Mission Ministry has.  Joan and I are very encouraged with how God is working in this ministry already and specifically how He put this trip together.  I will be leaving St. Louis on August 2^nd and heading to South Florida.  I will meet up with a young man Matthew Sirmans who I am mentoring in missions.  We will head to Haiti on August 3^rd.  We will begin our work on the Island of La Gonave.  Our purpose will be to prepare the leadership for future house church plants.  We will be meeting with community leaders and perspective pastors.  We are looking to start ten churches on the Island in the next twelve months. 

Pray for safety in travel.

Pray for Matthew Sirmans since this is his first over seas mission experience.

Pray for our teaching times as we build into the new pastors. 

Pray for my health as I am battling a sinus infection.

Pray that we know the right villages to approach to start the house churches.

Pray that we can rest in the evenings because sleeping could be very interesting on the Island.

Work in the Mainland

On the 8^th of August we will travel back to the mainland.  Our purpose will be to establish three house churches and build those houses.  We will meet up with a team we put together from Texas.  Seven college students will meet us for the purpose of building the houses.  My purpose will be to train the pastors, assure the building goes well and launch the churches.  We will be doing a great deal of evangelism to strengthen the work in each of the areas.

Matt and I will return on August 12^th.  Our building team will return on August 23^rd.

Pray for the many logistics involved in building these homes in Haiti.  (Foundations, Materials, Tools, Enough workers etc…)

Pray for the pastors who will be equipped and left to lead these new house churches.   (Their names: Margera, Midace, Janic)

Pray for the team from Texas as they give sacrificially and work tirelessly to get these homes together. 

Pray for our evangelism efforts that many come to Christ.

Pray for the launching of these house churches and their impact in the communities they will dwell.  Pray for hundreds to become true Disciples of Christ.  (Community names are: La Saline, Canaan, Cabaret and if time allows La Plaines and Arcahaie)

Immediate Needs for Co:Mission Ministry

As God is opening many doors for Co:Mission Ministry we have some big needs.  We are already working with three churches to help create partnerships globally.

We need help as we put together our prayer ministry coordination, web-sight development, budgets, databases, brochure etc…

 We need help with the many flights we are taking to establish ministries in other countries around the world.  If any of you have flight miles you could donate it would be very helpful.

We need start up funds and partners who will give generously to help launch this ministry into the harvest fields God has called us to.

We need prayer partners who will stand in the gap and passionately pray for Co:Mission Ministry.

We praise God for you and your prayers, love and support as we work diligently to launch a ministry that will impact countless lives.  Thank you for your wilingness to be involved with us.

Until the nations hear,

Mark and Joan

God is doing much!

It has been a while since I last wrote on this blog.  Over the past several weeks much has happened.  The Lord has provided housing in a beautiful condominium in downtown St. Louis.  The location could not be better and Joan has truly made this place home.   We are in and settled.  Joan and I are renewing some awesome friendships and loving being grandparents.  After many drafts we now have a copy of a ministry plan that has been prayed over and well thought through.   It is attached to this writing of a Journey to Freedom. 

Please take time and read through the details of Co:Mission Ministry and hold this ministry up in prayer.  Joan and I are watching this ministry get much bigger than anticipated and doors are opening in so many ways.  We hope many of you will partner with us in prayer, going and giving as together we advance God’s Kingdom  through Co:Mission Ministry. 

We had hoped that through this ministry we could be involved in mentoring young men and women who had hearts for ministry.  If what we are experiencing now is just the beginning we are totally overwhelmed. 

When we began this blog we wanted to focus on freedom.  Freedom in Christ to fulfill His purpose for your life is awesome.  It involves trust, hope, love, patience and personal discipline.  Every one of these characteristics goes into walking boldly with Jesus.  Staying close and clean to Him has taken on a much deeper meaning and has become a moment-by-moment reality.   “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” 2 Corinthians 3:17.  I believe God looks at the bondages in our lives and weeps.  He sees us as sheep without a shepherd.  He sees the beauty of freedom and longs for us to experience it.  He wants to see you and I free to do all He created us to do.  Joan and I are beginning to know the reality of that freedom deeper than ever before.  We love you and pray for so many of you by name.

Thank you for your love and prayers for us.  Enjoy reading the ministry plan.

Until the nations hear;

Mark

Journey Home

The Haumschilt’ s have returned to St. Louis with all our belongings.  Our trip down to South Florida and back gave us many wonderful memories and much exhaustion.   Praying with friends in South Florida ministered to our hearts so much.  Saying goodbye is always hard but in the Lord goodbye is never permanent.   At every stop along the route we were encouraged and blessed.   Every night we stayed up late talking and sharing with wonderful family and friends.  We praise God so much for each of you! We hope to keep in touch for prayer and by God’s grace we hope to do ministry on the mission field together through the future work of Great Co: Mission Ministry.   

Now that we are home we plan to really focus on the work of Great Co: Mission Ministry.  Our first priority is the development of prayer partners.  James tells us “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”.  As I stated on our last blog we value your prayers.  As we seek to do God’s work God’s way we want to be pure before Him and completely yielded to His will.  We have already had over forty friends who are committed to praying with us for God to do a great work in and through this mission ministry.  Thank you prayer partners.  You will notice updated prayer requests on this blog.   This is such a strategic time to stand in the gap and pray as this ministry is formulated.  In Hebrews God invites us to come boldly to His throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  He explains in 1 John 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him”.   Oh the joy and freedom that comes when we want to do the work and will of God.  I believe God truly knows and hears our hearts as our souls long to do what is pleasing to the Father.  As we pray to the Lord of the Harvest He will give direction and resources to fulfill His purpose.  Let’s be sure to ask in faith without any doubting.  I pray that God will use every one of us every day to bring fourth His glory. 

Finally, in the next few weeks the ministry plan will be in place and the ministry of Great Co: Mission ministry will be under way.  We really want clarity for this ministry so when people read the vision they will run with the message and mission.  (Habakkuk 2:2) Quite simply, we are more than ever commited to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission to the church.  We believe He has called us to be a conduet to produce partnerships that will have global impact for God’s glory.  These words are not stated lightly.  Together we can do something awesome as we strive in God’s grace.  We may be weak but He is unbelievably strong. 

P.S. Our Grandson will be born this week.  It is so good to be on this Journey of Freedom with family by our side.

Partners in Prayer

These past three months have been times that have reminded us of the need for extended periods in God’s Word and desperate times in prayer.  God has shown us so much and we now find ourselves getting into the real grind of transition.  Transitions are always a challenge but God has been very present through this one.  Joan and I are enjoying the Lord and each other, as we trust Him for the days ahead.  Transitioning can put us face down and in total need of trust.  I can only imagine the challenges the nation of Israel faced as God moved them from Egypt to the promise land over forty years.  I am writing to you today for your help.  We need friends who can commit to partner with us in prayer as we embrace the ministry and life God has for us.

Our days are filled with getting established in St. Louis and setting direction for the missions ministry God has put on our hearts.  This is like a dream come true!  Having the opportunity to focus fully on making disciples through missions and global church planting, not to mention being close to the kids and grand kids, is a real blessing. With so many decisions to be made we want God’s best.  We want to know that every decision is covered in prayer.  Your willingness to pray with us and for us would be greatly appreciated! 

Isaiah 62:6 explains to us how God appointed intercessors for the work He was doing in Jerusalem.  We are asking Him to do the same through all of us as He begins this new work through us.  If you would send us a note to affirm your praying with us we would be greatly encouraged.  Simply e-mail mhaumschilt@gmail.com.  We know when God wants to do something big he breaks and builds into that individual.  Then He calls them to prayer.  The breaking has been happening and now we want to invite you to be a partner in praying with us.  Let us know how we can also pray for you.  We will want to keep in touch so we can share specifics of what to pray for and hopefully encourage you of how our Father is answering prayers every step of the way.

 We love you all so much and look forward to partnering to fulfill God’s great commission to make disciples of all nations as Jesus commanded and equipped us to do. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Let us know of your prayers and how we can pray for you!

Love You,

Mark and Joan

Brokeness

A. W. Tozer has been quoted to say, “When God wants to use a man greatly, He must first hurt him deeply”.  Brokenness seems to be part of the Journey to Freedom as well.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9 God promises us that His grace is always sufficient.  However, to know that grace and it’s life changing power I must first come to the end of me.  Jesus told us in John 15 that “apart from me you can do nothing”.  These past few months have been a wake up call to how empty I am with out Jesus. 

In these recent days of transitioning from Pastoring to International Church Planting we have found ourselves in the position of dependence on family and friends.   So many have been testimonies to us of the grace of God.  I guess we best know grace when we feel our weakness.  In verse 10 of 2 Corinthians 12 Paul tells me that when I am weak, then I am strong.  It is as if he is telling us to celebrate our weakness.  He advises us to boast about just how weak we really are.   We have been from South Florida to San Diego to St. Louis to Lake of the Ozarks and back.  We have slept in six different homes in four locations and our dog Tobie has found himself a bit confused at times.      

However, it is in times like these that you come back to those things that are most important in your life; the Lord and your family. Our times with our children have been amazing.  Joan and I were able to spend Easter with all the kids and spouses and yes, did I mention the most important member of the family, Allie, our 18-month-old granddaughter!  It has been many years since we had such an awesome blessing at a holiday time.  What a precious time of openness and sharing.  Joan has been able to help Heather get ready for our soon and coming grandson; Chaim Joshua.   Heather is so ready to have what promises to be a “big” baby boy.   Celebrating the things that really count and stopping long enough to enjoy the moments has kept us saying, “ thank you God for all you have given to us”. 

Jacob, one of our patriarchs of the faith teaches about the need for brokenness.  He wanted the blessing of God.  To gain the blessing he first experienced the breaking.  After wrestling with God all-night and unwilling to let go, Jacob pleads for the blessing of God.  God touches his hip and changes him forever.  He would be the one through whom God would call a nation and a Messiah.  His children and their faith were to be a testimony to the world of the nature and character of God.  When God broke Jacob we believe not only his name changed but also his character.  He was no longer a deceiver but a warrior.  His name was changed to identify a chosen people.  Thousands of years later his descendants still bear his name; Israel.  “When God wants to use a man greatly He must first hurt him deeply”.  To be honest we have known some deep pain these past months!  We know however, as Paul proclaims, “these momentary light afflictions are producing for us an eternal weight of glory.  He also encouraged us with the promise that “God works all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes”.  A dislocated hip commemorated the breaking of Jacob.  He probably never walked the same as a result.  Brokenness really does change you.  It can leave you complaining and wanting or thankful and useful.  As for me and my house we choose  thankful and useful.  May God get the glory through these open and empty vessels.

Mark and Joan.

Be still and know that He is God!  Is that not in the Bible?  Do you have any idea how difficult being still really is?   I am reminded no matter how much the Lord wants to do through me He desires greatly to do a lot in me!  The past few days I have watched my head wanting to move foreword and trying to carve out the future.  I find myself asking God for answers and trying to push ahead to gain specific direction.  This too is a stronghold of mine that God wants to set me free of.

God reminds me that He is still refining me, refocusing me and above all becoming the greatest love of my life.   One glorious day with my bride by my side and the perfect environment of Coronado Island surrounding me God spoke!  For me, God usually speaks through His Word and this time was consistent yet dramatically different.  Consistent in that God used His Word Psalms 141:2.  Dramatically different in that I knew this was something for me that would take time to come to fruition.  God asked me to believe Him for two things.  That Luke 10:27 would be real in my life.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself”.  All of Luke 10:27 would be real in my life!  Loving God, others and myself!  Let me be honest, this is no small undertaking.  Loving God and total abandonment to Him was a new reality to a familiar prayer.  I had prayed this often.  Now, I am living it.  Loving others, is this even safe?  God, do you know where I have been?  Love my self?  If I have learned anything through this journey it is I have major issues with me!

The second thing God asked me to believe Him for was to gain intense passion for the ministry that lied ahead.  I hate to admit it but I have had days where I served God because that is what you do.   Was I not saved to serve?  Somewhere through life I learned to put my nose to the grindstone to seek and serve God and do the honorable and right thing.  He has reminded me that He has put His joy in me so that my joy may be made full.  (John 15:11)  The second evidence of being filled with the Spirit is Joy.  I now also know that in His presence is fullness of Joy!  (Psalms 16:11) For the ministry that lies ahead I want to stay awake at night thinking of how to see thousands coming to Christ not stressed over the details of the next day.  I have known in my life days where my engines revved and passion roared.  God, I want it back, I said and He promised to do it.  He asked me to claim Psalms 141:2; “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”  I set this prayer of Luke 10:27 and passion for His work like incense before the Father.  I have laid this prayer before the Lord that it might linger for days and weeks and months.  If necessary that prayer can linger for years but dear God make it true and real in my life. 

So for these days I am learning to slow down be still and let God do His good acceptable and perfect will in my life.  I don’t know what the future holds but do I ever know who holds my future.  I am told God is good all the time and now I know all the time God is good.  He is in control of this world and my life and by the way yours too.  I know that when God is preparing a vessel to be used greatly He always breaks that vessel deeply.  The breaking has happened and now the restoration for His glory.  “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand”.  I will be still and experience Him as my God. 

Greetings and Catch-up

Greetings family and friends,

Joan and I wanted to have a venue that would allow us to keep up with the many who have asked to stay informed with what God is doing in our lives.  Thank you for the prayers and unbelievable support over the past several weeks. 

We are doing extremely well!  God’s presence has been known with great intimacy and His voice heard with wonderful clarity.   It has become clear that God has had two things He wanted from us.

 One: God does not want part of our hearts but all of them.  There were strongholds in our lives that kept us from being all God wanted to be in us.  I knew there were many times in my life that I was not dealing with stress in appropriate ways.  Joan was sensing for her life a need for greater trust and intimacy in the Lord.  We have found that God has gone so much deeper than we knew He needed to.  Daily He has ministered His Word to us.  “The Lord has appeared of old to me saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.  Therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you.  Again, I will build you and you shall be rebuilt.”  (Jeremiah 31:3-4)  While we spent three weeks in San Diego alone with the Lord and each other God spoke clearly every day. 

Two: God has a new work for us.  Not really a new work but a focused work.  Through the years God has given us a passion for house church planting around the world.  We have seen God do so much in the small amount of time we have been able to put into this ministry.  God has made it clear this is the ministry He wants us to invest our lives in.  God really takes His commissioning of us seriously. 

One of the last messages I taught at Sheridan Hills was on the cost of discipleship.  In Luke 9:57-62 Jesus had a message for us.  He explains a disciple is guaranteed of nothing, not even a home.  “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no-where to lay His head”.  The same may be true of His followers.  Joan and I find our selves homeless at the present.  He speaks to a man that was willing to follow God only when his father was dead.  In short, he would follow after he had received his inheritance.  Joan and I often spoke of starting this mission emphases when able to live on retirement.  God wanted it sooner!  The final encounter was with a man who asked to say good by to guests at his house.  This concern appears honest enough.  The issue here is acknowledging the importance of following Jesus without the urgency of following Jesus.  Our urgency was not the same as God’s.  Now is the time and today is the day says our Lord.  We make so many excuses but Jesus made it clear His commission is to be urgent.  

In short, God has had to set us free from so much to get us locked in on His very best.  Joan and I have spent  a great deal of time in the Word and one awesome study has been the book of Galatians while in San Diego.  “It was for freedom that Christ set us free and don’t be entangled to a yoke of slavery”.  (Galatians 5:1)  God’s love, mercy and power combine to give wonderful freedom in Christ.  It is awesome to see God set us free to be greater tools in His hand. 

We have so much more to share and I assure you these posts have only just begun. 

Keep walking in His Grace;

Mark and Joan