March 2014

The Vision A Movement and Way of Life with Jesus:  Calling people to pursue a distinct life of discipleship and mission that transforms individuals and communities The Mission Starting and supporting intentional discipleship communities networked locally and globally

We hope this note finds you well.  There is much to give thanks for:  Noleen is doing really well overall, she has not had a major 'episode' in more than three months and her minor 'episodes' that were occurring every two weeks are now only once a month. Her week at Barrow did not reveal any conclusive results because she did not have a seizure while she was there. We have a follow up appointment Tuesday March 18th. We are sensing God's healing hand has been on her. Thank you for your prayers and support these past eight months.  After six months Noleen is driving again! It has been over a year and a half since our neighbors down the street brought us into their home to see if we would like to buy it.  It has been an up and down journey with set backs and disappointments with there follow through and the outlandish price they are asking.  But we sense the Lord inviting us to a focus season of prayer again for this house.  Please pray with us as the Lord would lead you!

A2J's Mission of Hospitality God has given us the privilege of opening up the Hope House to women who have been detained and then released and given asylum.  These women from Africa have a deep faith in Jesus and have blessed us more than we have them.  I can understand why some say the Global South Church has much to offer the West.  click here to watch a video of our friends from Africa singing at Morning Prayer                                                                                                                                          Spotlight on Anthony Anthony was a man who had lost his way, we met him at CASS, (the homeless shelter right down the street from us). We slowly earned his trust by going down there and playing music and sharing our lives.  He eventually started coming to our morning prayers and then started helping with the outreach to CASS.  We have provided one of our Hospitality Apartments for him, and now he is off the street, and just last week got a job at a restaurant downtown.  He shared recently with us,  ...that it was our consistent friendship and our lives of welcome that made Jesus real and accessible to him.  He saw in us something (Jesus) that he wanted first to be around and then later wanted to have himself.   (Anthony painting the hospitality room in the A2J Prayer House at last month's workday) (below weekly outreach at CASS with Anthony in red shirt) A2J Development Brentwood - Next month Shannon Murphy,who has been with a2j for almost five years will be sent out to help establish a2j Brentwood with Amber Egleston.  They move into a house a few doors down from the Malakowsky's next month 4-Plex - Daniel Getz continues to discern his role with A2J and what level of partnership his developing community will have with A2J Rome -Todd and Chrisy Kincaid will be moving to Rome next month and want their new work to be part of A2J (Danny and I will go to Rome in May to strengthen this partnership this will be my second trip as I was just there with the Kincaids in October) Philippines - Is God calling A2J to the Philippines? We believe so, Mike and Maureen Alianza who are part of the A2J leadership team have been called to the Philippines for many years. Mike grew up there as the son of missionaries. (There will be a key exploratory trip this Spring)

Thank you for your friendship, prayer, hands on help, and financial support With Grateful hearts,  Ryan and Noleen Thurman