It’s quite a culture shock for me (though I did manage to find a good coffee shop here, whew!), but being in Birmingham the last couple of days has been nothing but delightful.  I’m attending a missions’ fair at a local church.

The highlights, besides meeting godly laborers from around the globe and seeing one of my best friends, has been unpacking our story.  I had the privilege of speaking for twenty minutes to a young adults’ class, depicting how Isaiah 61:1-4 motivates us to walk deeply with twenty-somethings.  However, the most enjoyable class I encountered was the K-3rd grade children.  They were given a lesson on the lifecycle of coffee, from farm to the cup.  They were able to see, feel and even smell this magical bean from the green stage to the grinds.  I then bridged this lesson to 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, how we are to be the fragrance of Christ.  Just as coffee can only be effective when it is ground and shared, we can only be adequate for Christ as we let Him work on our lives and reveal His “smell” through us.

Thanks for praying and contributing so that others can experience Jesus’ aroma through our lives.

For his birthday Jeffrey received his first guitar.  After trying Daddy’s and realizing it was too big to play, he enjoys strumming on this blue beauty.  He’s got the stance and strumming down, next is forming the notes and chords.

It seems that when it comes to helping friends in their twenties and thirties, new skills are needed constantly.  Lately, Matt has been using his garage as a repair shop as a couple of guys have helped make repairs on his car as well as their own.  One night three of them were up until 12:15 a.m. working on the brakes of a ‘91 Thunderbird.  This has been a unique way of bonding and shared experience.

Another night, Matt and Colette had two other couples over for conversation and cards.  Wedding advice was flying across the table, in between hands.

A good friend donated gourmet lasagna from his restaurant, along with a laptop for Matt to fix.  He also has been enlightening Matt  on film production, mentioning today of his friendship with Joel Moore who played Norm Spellman in Avatar.

The text of 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 is inspiring, “ I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”  Learning how to enter peoples’ worlds through the gateway of their interests and passions has opened a fascinating realm of mission.

It’s a front-row seat to transformation.  The friend we mentioned in our last update who has been submerged in a life of incessant lying and deception has been busy. He not only walked away from two of the major cults he had been deceiving, but he is taking steps to reconcile relationships in his family and prepare a memorable 50th wedding anniversary for his parents (though that event is still a couple of years away).

Yesterday, he and I met at a local coffee shop.  I was running late and feared he had left, but much to my surprise he was still there with coffee and a bagel waiting for me that he had purchased!  He even gave me an ipod yesterday!  I was wondering if this was the same guy I had known for the last eight months.  His countenance was even different.  He still has deep wounds and is on a journey towards Jesus.  Thank you for your prayers which God has honored this Holiday season.

Another one of our friends has his fiancee staying with us as she visits him over her college break.  It’s been a fun experience to host her, seeing this young vibrant couple enjoy time together after being separated by many miles.  They plan on a May wedding and hopefully will be living here after they are married.  They gave us a great evening playing Dutch Blitz, along with another twenty-something couple this past weekend.  It was cool to see the other young married couple giving advice about their wedding and young married life.

Last night about six of us gathered in a friends’ house to watch the documentary, “The Call of the Entrepreneur” (http://calloftheentrepreneur.com).  We spent about an hour discussing concepts of calling, faith and work, risk, pain, etc.  We hope to meet again in a month to continue discussion along these lines.  Most of the guys in the group were in their 20’s and 30’s.  I am leading another group tomorrow night (Wed) near the Boeing Facility in Everett, WA with several young professionals, most of whom I have never met.  My desire is that this film can engage and inspire these new young friends to honor God in their endeavors.  Also, that they can realize the adventure of following Jesus in the creative talents, skills and gifts given to them.

Next weekend, January 15-17, is a conference in Portland called “Ignite”.  This gathering will incorporate men and women from every age group as we seek to grow in our puruit of Truth featuring keynote speaker Dr. Dan Wallace from Dallas Theological Seminary.

On the home front, many changes abound.  Jeffrey is excited to announce his progress in potty training.  He enjoys playing his new guitar as he goes about his business.  Luke and Lana are chefs-in-training as they take coffee grinds and leftovers to the sink to produce masterpieces all are encouraged to sample.  Asha is the aspiring architect and seamstress, poring herself into drawing blueprints of houses and taking up cross-stitching.  Matt and Colette have enjoyed simple pleasures of home-made lattes and discovering new ways to exercise around our family’s busy schedule.

Thank you once again for your partnership – in prayer and resources for this strategic movement among the twenty-somethings.

Matt

Responsibility

Our youngest son, Jeffrey, has a new job.  He crumples the
paper used to start a fire in the wood burning stove.  It’s helped afford Daddy time to retrieve wood from the pile and get the lighter ready to get our source of heat going.  Luke, our oldest son, is being trained to fetch wood to keep the heat sustained.

These small, yet important responsibilities, will build character and confidence into our boys.  It communicates that they have value and purpose in daily affairs.  That same inspiration, our twenty­-something friends catch more deeply as they live and work in Seattle.  We have sought to include more friends to help with car and house repairs (There have been plenty).  This brings unique bonding, deepens their sense of purpose, and gets the job done.

Repentance

Yesterday, while drinking coffee and enjoying a bagel, a friend disclosed to me (Matt) that he had been lying about his identity for the last six months.  In fact, he said that this has been his way of relating for as long as he can
remember.  He still gets phone calls from church and cult leaders addressing him by different names!  As he and I have been discussing the truth of Jesus and being “in the light”, the Holy Spirit has secretly orchestrated circumstances to confront this destructive habit.  Would you pray for deeper freedom?

Thank you for partnering with us to achieve the goal of pointing young men and women to the heart of God.  Your financial resources, prayers and encouragement have been foundational for this work.  We appreciate how much you have invested in 2009.

With that in mind, would you consider your investment in this work for 2010?  Would you pray about the possibility of an extra gift above and beyond your regular giving?  Would you pray about an increase in your support?  If you are not supporting us on a regular basis, would you pray about beginning to do this?  We are trusting God to supply $15,000 to begin 2010 on good footing.  Just fill out and return the enclosed commitment card as the Lord guides you.  You can also give securely online at http://bit.ly/seattlestories.

Seeking to grow in responsibility and repentance,

Matt & Colette

A couple of days ago a friend of mine and I climbed up on our roof for
the last warm day of the season. Our reason, simple, to repair a leak
we have endured for the nine months. We stripped away several
layers of shingles and felt paper, including a roof vent. What we
discovered confirmed the evidence. Spanning two feet out in each
direction from the roof vent was moisture. It was obvious that water
was wicking in from compromises in the vent. Another culprit, a nail
hole a few feet down from the vent. After about four hours of labor, we
cleaned up the area with the satisfaction that our mission had
succeeded. We also needed to get the work done because a large rain
storm was about to hit the next morning.

By the end of the following day it was confirmed that the leak had
indeed been stopped. I called up my friend to share the good news!

It seems the roof situation parallels God’s work in our lives.
Eventually, the Holy Spirit reveals “leaks” in our lives that do not
seem dangerous in the short range, but if left untreated can do an
immense amount of damage. The difficulty sometimes, like with the roof,
is to find the source of that leak.

The last couple of weeks have proved that God is calling us to help a
few friends to discover where sources of pain have originated. They hit
a point where a relationship is hurt, they have difficulty connecting
with God, or are lacking direction. Would you pray for God’s wisdom as
we scour the “roof” and probe for deeper sources that drive the
issues?

Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel and tangibility of the time
you invest praying for His Kingdom to show up in our lives.

It’s exciting to watch our children grow and change, absorbing
experiences and moving toward deeper maturity. For all parents, we
believe, it is a particularly deep joy to observe “breakthroughs” in our
kids. These are especially sweet when they relate to God’s Kingdom.
Luke, our oldest son, came up to me (Matt) one evening stating his
desire to be in heaven. I quickly asked if he would like to pray and
submit his life to Jesus, in which he affirmed. He
seemed to have a “snapshot” of the reality of eternal things.

God is breaking through some of our friends’ lives as we’ve experienced
one stating that he needs to “let people in”. He has pushed
friends and family away for so long, he’s alone and in despair. Another
couple of friends are wanting to grow in memorizing Scripture because
they realize how vital it is to their thought life and decisions.

A new friend recently told me that he hasn’t been happy for the last
nine years and wants to reconnect with Jesus for real life. The world
has broken him and left him empty.

Our Scriptural reading group that meets in our home every two weeks has
been a breath of fresh air for all of us who attend. It is a community
that allows us to look closely at Jesus with friends who are all over
the board spiritually. Pray for us as we meet this Friday (October 30)
in our home.

On November 21st, we’re having an area-wide gathering to invest in
anyone wanting to grow deeper with Christ and in mission. If you’re in
the Northwest and want to attend, just register at
http://regonline.com/oneday.

After adding another 600 miles to my odometer, I can’t say that I’m eager to climb behind the wheel again.  However, my travels to Portland, Corvallis and Eugene were fun and fruitful.

Monday October 5

I hit the road at 4:30am to make an 8:30am meeting in North Portland.  I had a refreshing time sharing stories and brainstorming networking ideas with Jack and Dennis (Both on staff with The Navigators in Portland).  After, Jack took me to “The Grotto” to meditate through Stations of the Cross and walk the beautiful gardens.  It was a major highlight of my journey to Oregon.

I drove to meet my Brother-in-Law, Ernst, for lunch in downtown Portland.  We enjoyed a great conversation and were able to catch up on life.  I appreciate his compassion and honesty.

After finding my way out of the urban core, I met with a friend Nick who is a grad student at George Fox University.  He was able to disclose the intricacies of his journey with counseling and beating one of the professors in racquetball that has earned him instant fame.  Nick is seeking to impact his colleagues and undergraduates with the love of Christ and be an agent of God’s Kingdom in Newberg, OR.  BTW – Colette and I were married at the Friends’ church on this campus in 1998.

After encountering Nick’s incredible transportation machine, I drove to Beaverton to spend time with my Father-in-Law.  He and I had the pleasure of taking my niece, Aubrey, to her gymnastics practice.  We then caught up over dinner.  I wish I could have stayed longer, but I needed to head to Corvallis to meet Keith and Kate.

Tuesday October 6

It was delightful to experience God’s work at Oregon State U.  Keith and his team are doing a great job of engaging students in the Greek system.  They made me get up at 6am for an early morning leadership meeting.  I’m just kidding.  I was eager to join them on campus and was glad to hang with their student leaders and watch Keith in action as he met with a couple of different men. In fact, one of the students might intern this year in Seattle!

That afternoon I said my goodbyes to the Beavers and headed further South to the home of the Ducks, The University of Oregon in Eugene.  I met immediately with Mike and Dan at Starbucks and engaged for two hours regarding many issues surrounding our work and labor among twenty-somethings in Seattle.

Shortly after my time at McStarbucks (oops, sorry about that), I headed to Mike and Stephanie’s house for a relaxing dinner.  It was a breath of fresh air as I had been going pretty strong for the last 36 hours.

At seven p.m. that evening was a student Bible Study in their home.  I enjoyed digging into the Scriptures with them and also sharing about our passion among graduates.

All in all, the time in Oregon was worth every minute.  It was great to get to know the other staff with The Navigators better and make them more aware of what we’re doing in Seattle.

In addition to spending time on the Oregon campuses, I will be hanging out with Brian and his student friends at the University of Washington in Seattle on a regular basis.  I appreciate his accommodating me into their schedule this Fall.

Colette and the kids managed pretty well while I was gone, but the kids grew a bit restless near the end.  For some reason these trips are always hardest on my boys.

As we labor among twenty-somethings in the Northwest, we covet your prayers for fueling our walks with God and sensitivity to God’s Spirit throughout the week.  It seems as if the enemy has increased his attacks on us and our friends in the last few weeks.

Colette and I are assuming leadership for the ministry to twenty-somethings in the Northwest as our friends Jon and Pat started their Sabbatical last week, lasting six months.

Take care until next time.

At 4:30 a.m. This morning I hobbled into my car to make the 3 hour trek to Portland. Why, you ask, am I traveling at that crazy hour? The next couple of days will be spent interacting with fellow Kingdom laborers who are forging spiritual truth in the Northwest.

Building and growing these friendships is something we enjoy as we love and guide men and women in their twenties. Therefore, getting to know what God is up to in Portland and the at major universities in Oregon is a priority on this trip.

Would you pray for this time – that it would be rich and will bear fruit. More later…

If you have never heard this sermon from Dr. S.M. Lockridge, you are in for a treat.  This has been one of the most impacting and inspirational messages on the character of God in the twentieth century.

Watch this clip as a meditation on our great King and ask yourself, “Is this my King?”.  This excerpt just about brought me to tears, especially with the embedded music that picks up as you listen.  May this inspire you to live boldly for our King of kings!

Since our last update a couple of weeks ago, much has transpired.  This update is to give you the quick and dirty version of our lives during this time.  Hence, the first side of the coin…

The Scriptural Conversations a week ago Saturday was a delight.  We had a couple of new friends join us in our quest to satiate the Gospels in chronological order.  Last Saturday we focused on John 1:1-3, Mark 1:1 and Luke 1:1-25.  This Saturday, we’ll be looking at about the next 25 verses in Luke if you want to follow along.  You may even want to consider beginning a Scriptural Conversation group in your home, office, a local establishment, etc.

One friend, while helping me lay carpet in our guest room, exclaimed that he had a great time discussing the Bible last week.  I, Matt, agree with my friend and just had a blast being a part of this group keeping an intense, yet casual focus on Jesus.  Another friend of ours is planning on joining us Saturday.  Would you pray that they would be free to do so and that the enemy would not deter them or throw in distractions.  Thanks.

Another friend of ours meets with Matt each week for Scripture memory, prayer and sharing his life.  This has been a tremendous experience for both!

Now for the second side of the coin…

For the last 10 days our family has been pummeled with the flu.  We all, except Colette, have felt its blow.  In fact, Lana and Asha have had it twice during this time!  Lana is still struggling with it and was laid up all day today.  To give you some idea of the horror – we have gone through an entire carpet spot-cleaning bottle since the outbreak!  I’ll spare you the details .

Just when you thought this side of the coin was finished…

We’ve had some issues with our house that have required immediate maintenance over the last couple of weeks.  Hauling around 4,000 pounds of rock and soil, tearing up carpet, laying new carpet, repairing drywall, cleaning out plumbing, pond maintenance, and the list goes on.

We don’t know about you, but doesn’t it seem odd that right around the same time we stepped out intentionally to engage more friends with the Truth of Jesus all this “stuff” starts hitting us?  Maybe it’s just coincidence, but we don’t seem to think so.  Would you take a moment to pray for God and His Kingdom to advance here among the 20 somethings in Seattle?  We know that our suffering is short-lived compared to eternity, so praying for our safety is not our number one request – though we do strongly desire it.

Another situation that is occurring is a temporary expansion of our role for six months as our friends, Jon and Pat Sween, will be entering a sabbatical in just two weeks.  We will be assuming the 20 something leadership in the Northwest while they are resting and reflecting.

One last thing.  Could you please pray for our friend “Neil”?  He is the one I had been meeting with on a weekly basis to engage about God, the Scriptures and faith issues.  It has been very difficult to get together with him.  For some reason (from our vantage point), he has not seemed to eager to meet.  He has canceled a few times now.  We still are able to talk over the phone in a friendly manner, but the face-to-face interactions have been far and few between.  We also would love to have him join us for our Scriptural Conversations, but he is reluctant to move into that right now.  We know he lives a lonely existence, and desperately want to see him connect with Christ and others.

Thank you for your intercession, notes, financial resources and life stories!  You are such a crucial part of our team.

If you or a friend would like to give a secure online donation, just click the statement “Click here to donate securely” under the title “Donate” to the right.

Considering it a blessing that we can’t see both sides of a coin at the same time,

Matt and Colette