A group of prayer warriors

Recently I have been blessed with a group of prayer warriors. Really two groups. People that have stated that they would like to be in prayer for me, and gather as a group to pray once a month for the first year of me being overseas in Madagascar.

This is a huge answer to a prayer that I have prayed for the last 4 years. I am so honored to have great friends & family willing to do this on my behalf with such a great commitment in time.

If you are interested in joining one of the two groups for prayer then please email April Reutter aprilreutter@yahoo.com for the details. These groups will have more detail and more direct needs to pray over monthly. April will be coordinating them from the Fullerton, CA area. If you would like to start up a group in your area please let her know.

I am so very humbly blessed and look forward to hearing about all the answered prayers not only for me but for each of you as you embark on this journey of Prayer!

immunizations

In other word shots!  

I used to fear needles but now with all the traveling that I have done this has become second nature and getting a disease would be entirely much worse.  SO, I look the other way, put up a smile, or grit my teeth, You'll never know. 

I got a call again regarding my reservations to get Typhoid, MMR and Malaria (have to be on a waiting list for this).  I have had two appointments that I have had to cancel because they gave my immunizations away before it was my turn to come in!   Ridiculous.  Now I have been told that they will not have Typhoid until the end of the summer and if I need it I can call private offices to see if they can help me out.  

Today I went to my primary care Dr. here in Brea and they gave me my updated MMR shot.  Now just to get the Malaria pills and the Typhoid shot out of the way in the coming weeks.  

Going the cheaper route, to the Orange County health department where all three of the immunizations have cost me less than $150 is not always the stress free route and can be very time consuming.  As of today I have an appointment with a private health care Dr locally that doesn't take insurance but will give me the Typhoid shot for $170.    So, not cheaper but all in all I will have the shot before I leave the country, for that I am a bit reassured. 

Something fun to anticipate, more shots...  I choose to look to the positive side as I have already had my Hep A and B series of shots, Yellow fever, and many more over the last 10 years ...  These are supposed to help me in not really contracting any life threatening diseases.  We will have to pray that through as well. 

 

Purchased tickets

YAHOO!  

Well, I needed to share with all of you that I just purchased my airline tickets to leave for Madagascar!  (insert a dance of rejoicing here)

Each day this is becoming more and more real!  I am so very excited to see what the Lord will do in the coming chapters of life and ministry overseas and in and through me. So much to do and so little time left.  Thanks to each one of you that are there and traveling this journey with me.  You are such a source of strength and moreover iron sharpening iron.  What great biblical examples you all are to me.  

I will be departing for Madagascar Wednesday, July 29th from LAX an evening flight and arriving in Madagascar on Friday, July 31, 2009 around 2 pm in the afternoon. 

I did mention to a girlfriend that I had wanted to kiss the ground once I arrived but she soon reminded me that people in Madagascar, including the animals deficate anywhere and that kissing the ground would be ill advised.  

I am rejoicing just the same and once again thank each and everyone of you for your part in this journey!   I could not do it without GOD first and you as a strong second in support, prayer and financially, most of all encouragement in perserverance.   

The Lords mighty blessings on all of you! 

Love and hugs, 

Nicole

Team Madagascar - SKYPE call

First official SKYPE conference call happened last night!  What a blessing!   It included Team Madagascar with over 11 people present - through technology! (sometimes the technology was not so hot and I had to type what the rest of us were saying to those in Madagascar and they would respond through type, but they could hear everything.) 

What a thing!  To connect over miles of land and sea with people from Alaska,  California, Arizona, Colorado and Madagascar.  

We talked for over an hour tonight about our hopes for the future, where we see ourselves in 3 years, Lord willing and much more. 

I thought that I would share with you some of the places that we collectively see ourselves in 3 years as a team in Madagascar.  Remember that these things are from all of us so they aren't specific to me necessarily but as a team we are hoping to be in these places, Lord willing of course.

The question:  Where would you like to see yourself 3 years from now?

Team answered:  Competent in Malagasy Language, connected to Malagasy community (relationships), involved in a Malagasy church, moving forward on Short term teams, always growing and learning, starting work on some Micro business projects (Antananarivo, Capitol city),  see if God's calling some of our team to longer time commitments there in Madagascar, feeling settled and happy to be there, happily married (three couples) with healthy children, safe, reforest project started in Mahajanga (North) with over 6 million trees being planted, Gospel spreading, Medical team more united in Mahabana (fishing village in North, West). 

Please join us in prayer as we give these hopes and dreams for the future to the Lord, to do with what HE will.  

                                  

Movie brings back thoughts

A recent movie that I saw with a great friend brought back some recent memories of terror for me.  Emotions that I thought were far from my mind.  Remember the post about "the BOX"?   

Sometimes we don't realize what we are experiencing daily has much to do with what we think about.   I am so blessed to have experienced the stress of the BOX and am better able to relate to people whom have gone through tough hostage, refugee situations.   I pray that will not ever be a real life experience for me but one doesn't know what the future holds. 

God is good to give us gentle reminders of the great life that we have.  What do you find yourself grateful for today? 

Sandi has arrived in Madagascar

I received an email today from Sandi and she is in Madagascar getting settled back in. 

Please pray for her in the transition.  Pray for the country as they are still under political stress. 

I have talked with her on SKYPE and she mentioned that all seems calm there. She is staying close to home and keeping her ears open to the tensions in the city. 

commissioning service details

It is official, my Fullerton Church family has decided to plan for my commissioning service on 

Saturday, July 18 6 pm. 

Dessert reception following at 7:30 

Eastside Christian Church

2505 Yorba Linda Blvd

Fullerton, CA 92831

714.871-6844

This will be an opportunity to be united in prayer at all services that weekend and hopefully get to say goodbyes for now, until we meet again, to many that have supported me through this journey and the one ahead. 

I hope to see you there.  (If you live locally and can make the drive, that is)

My first newsletter made on a MAC

What a great experience to sit down have all these thoughts and ideas and be able to express myself so easily in Pages.  This program on Mac sure has made life easier, and quicker and we all know what a HOT commodity time is these days and be able to put together such a beautiful newsletter to send to all my wonderful friends, family, contacts and partners.  

Blessings and I hope you enjoyed reading it and catching up with me... If you missed the boat and did not get one either electronically nor in the mail then let me know and I will get one to you.  

Blessings, 

Nicole 

Chili cook off

My precious Aunt Phyllis planned a chili cook off for my going away party that my fathers side of the family attended.  It was at a large park in Huntington Beach, right next to a dog park. 

The crafts that were given to the kiddos to do were wooden frames that they could color and paint with glitter... I had them sign them because they gave them to me as gifts so that I could put pictures from that day inside of them and make a precious spot for them in my future Malagasy home.  

We took pictures all day long and they even took, some of the older kids, more pictures that I get to have developed and put inside of the frames.  What a great idea!   What a treasure!

Thanks to everyone that was able to make it out for this wonderful chili cook off.  By the way the two entries were great!  It was hard to choose!   Really one packed a punch and the other brought back memories of the past!  

Book: Frontline Women

I have been re-reading a book that I read early on in this journey toward Madagascar. I hope to share some insights here for both you the reader and me the writer to reflect upon and possibly go back to in the future as a great reference?   

As a person that journals to process much of life I hope you enjoy this.  

Keeping Expectations Realistic

1.) Set reasonable goals

2.) Don't take your job description to seriously

3.) Be committed to you, be thankful, and be an encourager

4.) Forgive yourself and others remembering we are all human

5.) Be flexible and don't take yourself to seriously

6.) Make all changes gradually, especially cultural ones

7.) Stay healthy and reduce stress whenever possible 

 

I hope to add more at a later time to this....  Blessings

A day of Solitude

What a great day to get away, or nestle in right where I am... With no agenda besides spending a day with the Lord.

When I planned on this day a week ago I had no idea that my support would be in.  I was thinking that this would be a day to plead with the Lord for the final amount of support to come in.  That it would be a moving of the Lord to making it happen and not of my own earthly strength, conversation or prompting!   That is exactly what has transpired.   

In a little more than 10 days of me being back in CA the final monthly funds have come in! (Thanks to all of you whom have prayed, contributed and prayed some more).  GOD has been and continues to move on the hearts of the people here in CA and around the world to join TEAM MADAGASCAR in the amazing journey ahead of making a difference one child, and person at a time. 

So, I am going now to nestle in with the Lord for the day... Starting out with Rejoicing and praise, then this passage hit me this week so I will take some time to pray it through with the Lord.  

Psalm 139: 23-24

Investigate my life, O God; find out everything about me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong --- then guide me on the road to eternal life.  (Message Remix version)

Enjoy your day as you continue to give it and all that is within it to HIM.  

Blessings

Almost there!

Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow. 

Just today as I started to finish up my current newsletter I received an email. In that email had yet another commitment to join TEAM MADAGASCAR!  WOW...  In less than 5 days, GOD has moved among the heart of HIS people to commit to monthly support in the amount of $170 a month.  Do you know what this means?  

486 email addresses  committed to reading, encouraging and praying

Financially

42 individuals/couples 

  6  churches

  1   Sunday school class  and  

  1  organization

TEAM MADAGASCAR is growing and you are a part of it! 

I could not do this without ALL of you!  (1 Corinthians 12:12 one body many parts)  Thank you for walking this journey with me. Asking God how you can become involved and loving on me in each of the very special ways you have shown me over the last 4 years. 

Yes, it has been a long road and at times in order for me to be transparent, I felt like giving up.  GOD asks for so much more than a spirit of exhaustion, defeat and retreat!  He has been asking me to persevere, grow, tough it out and press on.  This is changing who I am in so many ways and I not only have God to thank for that but the rest of you as you have played a critical part in this journey as well!

So, upward, onward and in the coming months I WILL BE LEAVING to start the next chapters of this journey!    Praise the Lord with me?  REJOICE in HIS process in each of us.  May we run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. May we look to the creator of everything and be blessed just, right exactly where we are. 

A Bridge...

As I was sitting waiting to meet with a pastor on my journey back to CA from CO I found myself flipping through a book titled "Walking with God in America"

This one page stood out to me as it represents much of my life to this point and as I continue on in the journey ahead. 

" A bridge is a wonderful thing. It connects two places that otherwise would stay apart, and thereby it connects the people who otherwise would have difficulty meeting to share knowledge, experiences and resources."

How can we cross that bridge? What about being part of a bridge, yourself?  - "between cultures, between socioeconomic classes, between disparate ideas."

How can we be bridges for Christ to others in our lives?

"Even more significant than the ideological bridges, though, is the span God bridged between heaven and earth by sending Jesus. Now all who believe are called on to continue building bridges that help lead people to the Lord." 

Update on Bonnie Shattenberg

This just came to me today via email.  I wanted to share it with all of you so that you can join me in praying for Rich and Bonnie as they travel this cancer road still, as they say now in round 3. 

Rich and Bonnie are my Madagascar field team leaders... They have been in AZ for almost 2 years now fighting this battle. 

What is happening with the Shatts? I know it has been a long time since we have written.  We have been in wait mode. We have been trying a new medicine called Faslodex which should help control the spread of the cancer. We have
been using this medicine since February when Bonnie finished her 12 rounds of chemotherapy.

This last week we had normal blood work and met with the oncologist's Physician's Assistant, Amy.  She mentioned that the test showed that there
is some unusual activity in the liver. So we had a cat scan of the liver.
The next day we met with Amy again and she told us there is a 2 centimeter (less than 1 inch) mass in the liver.  It's presumed to be a new growth of the cancer. To say the least, this is disappointing.  Bonnie has been gaining energy, sleeping at night, and beginning to feel better.

Now I am sitting at the hospital as Bonnie is having an upper body MRI and cat scan of her lungs.  Then on Wednesday she will have a bone scan.  The
purpose is to see if the cancer has popped up in any other areas.  After this analysis we will meet with the doctor and decide where we go from here.

How do we feel about this. Well, yes, it is disappointing. We just get our hopes built up, and we get hit again. We say we are now going on round 3. We haven't been able to find the knock out punch.

Here are a few of my thoughts as we go through this. God has graciously and wonderfully taken care of us for over 60 years and for 39 years as a married couple.  During this time we have had a few hard times but in general we have had an easy good life. He has watched over us and our family in an amazing way. Now, God is allowing us to go down a new path that we don't understand. Yes, there is waiting, uncertainty, pain, weakness, and lack of understanding. But as we look back and see how God has been with us and
taken care of us, how can we at this time cease to trust and love the One who gave Himself that we might have life!

Thank you for your prayers and love for us,

Rich & Bonnie Shattenberg

Madagascar team Leaders/facilitators 

a post from a friends blog

This is a post from my partner in Ministry, Sandra Horen... I was really brought to tears so I thought that I would add the entire thing here so you all can read it with me and both rejoice and Pray!

Return to Madagascar

Well, the time has come again that I will make my way back to Madagascar. I am very excited. Not just because I am returning to the place I call home at this time in my life, but because of what Christ has done with and through me while I was stateside. Today I was doing a bible lesson on Luke 10 when he sends the workers out in groups of 2. I was just praising God that Nicole is now ready to join me in the field. It tells us in 
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 

I am glad to have a friend and partner in her. So please add her to your prayer list.

I have some not so good news I would like to share. 1st one of our Malagasy workers lost a daughter to cancer last week. Please keep Germain and his family in your prayers. 2nd We just received news that Bonnie Shattenburg (my leaders wife)has a 2cm mass on her liver. You may recall she had breast cancer that spread to her spine. She continues to be treated for that and went through 12 radiation treatments and now gets chemo through injections monthly. This new news is a hard blow to her and her family. Please keep them in your prayers. 

Ok now to end on a positive note. Here are my plans. I will leave Jeannie and Jerry's home in Tucson (this has been such a blessing) on Sunday June 7th after church sometime. I will stay with them Sunday and Monday night and they will have me at the Phoenix airport by 5:30 on Tuesday morning. I will fly through the night of the 9th and spend the 10th in South Africa. I will arrive in Madagascar in the afternoon of the 11th. I would appreciate your prayers for the pilot and airplane. 

This time back in the states has been a blessing. I was able to connect with my family in Arizona and in Michigan. I spent about a month with my Dad and was able to visit my Mother daily(please keep her in your prayers). It was nice to see my brothers and sisters and their family's. I was also able to spend time with my sister in Arizona and her family. This time with family is very rewarding. While in Arizona I connected with my church family and was blessed by their loving kindness and support of my mission. I also have a new church family in Michigan and was blessed to spend time with them also. 

Praise God for the blessings he has given me.
God Bless you ALL

June 2009 PRAISE and PRAYERs

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."  Psalm 34: 1-4 

PRAISES:

1.) My nephew, Jett Valor Fieldbrook was born Saturday, May 30. 8lbs 15oz happy and healthy (See separate post for pictures)

2.) An amazing time in CO for the months of April and May - that there was plenty of safety and great weather on the drive back to CA.  Over 1,170 one way! (See individual posts below)

3.) Fun, Fellowship and PEACE at a women's retreat that I was able to share at in N. CA. Getting to talk, share, pray, listen and fellowship with women from all over was such a huge answer to prayer, a change of scenery and encouragement to me!  THANKS!  You know who you are!

3.) Met new people, missionaries with same passion to serve GOD no matter where that takes them - this was a fantastic time of encouragement, prayer and lessons learned!

4.) SUPPORT IS ALMOST FULLY IN>>> Just $65 more monthly! 

5.) COmissioning service being planned for some time in July, details to come in the future.    Please let me know if you are interested in attending?

6.) Healthy Goodbye's officially begin June 7th with Rauch family in Huntington Beach, CA.

PRAYERS:

1.)  Pray for ALL the tiny details that come with moving overseas. Packing, Airline tickets and baggage allowance, shipping container, selling of my 2001 Honda Civic, saying healthy good byes....sleep... 

2.) Pray for the final $65 monthly commitment to come in, still in GOD's perfect timing! 

3.) Pray for me to experience the Lord in fresh ways daily and be able to share that with others along the way.  May I be just as much of an encouragement to others as they are being to me. 

4.) Pray for my family (and for me) as they (we) go through the tough emotions with me saying "good-bye" or "Veloma".

THANK you all so much for traveling this amazing journey with me.  I could not do it alone, first with GOD and then with you!   I am excited to see all that GOD will do in you as well as myself through this process.  

May the next part of the journey begin!