Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Nigeria Update 2012

Hello Friends,

I want to first thank you for all your prayers in these past months. They have been greatly appreciated. As most of you know I have been to Nigeria, Africa about two years ago and I loved the people and the country over there and wish to go back very soon. Right now, we are in the process of sending in our (my sister, Shana and I) visas to see if the Lord will open the door. I am planning on going over this summer as I have to be back in the fall for school and Shana is planning to go from 3 to 8 months. We are hoping and praying that it will go through, but more importantly we are praying for God’s will to be done. I hope that you also will pray about this with us. The Lord is good and we would love to have the opportunity to go back once again this summer. This is a great and exciting opportunity ahead of us. :)

Thank you again for your prayers.
Your brother in Christ,
T.J. Kerttula

New Year Update 2012

Hello friends,
I want to give you a little bit of an update of everything that is happening here in Bozeman, Montana.

Right now I am in Bozeman, MT at Montana State University taking classes for a degree in Construction Engineering Technology. I am in the middle of my sophomore year here. The semester went very well this fall. There have been many opportunities here on campus to share the gospel and to encourage others. The Lord has really blessed me with so many Christians around that I can hang out with.

Some of the highlights of this last semester

1.The Lord gave me the opportunity to share the gospel at the end of the school year at a nursing home.

2.That same week several people came with me downtown to share the gospel at the Bozeman Christmas stroll, where over five hundred gospel tracts were handed out. The Lord is good.

3.Throughout the semester I went out and did some street evangelism.

4.I started to help out with a new group called International Student Ministries (ISM) through Intervarsity (a Christian group on campus). There have been many opportunities to share the gospel with the international students we have been working with.

5.Early on in the semester, I got a phone call from a brother in Christ in Washington, who I have never met. He told me that there were three Chinese students that needed a ride from Bozeman to Yellowstone and back again. I was more than willing to help. The Lord gave me the opportunity to share the gospel with them and we became very good friends. I had a lot of fun with them.

6.I passed all of my classes.:)

Some of the things that you can pray for this next semester

1.I am trying to decide whether to take 17 or 14 credits while I am working 12 hours a week. So wisdom in what to do in that matter.

2.We are starting a bible study for new believers in discipleship and in Basic Bible doctrines as well as how to study the Bible for themselves. You can pray that we would have wisdom and that the Lord would show us what to do.

3.For more opportunities to share the gospel with people here on campus and here in the Bozeman area.

4.That I would be diligent in my work for class and that I would persevere.

5.That I would focus on God and that I would not be drawn away from that by the things of this world.

6.I am planning a trip back to Nigeria this summer. ( special update for that will be post very soon after this one)

Thank you for your prayers. I really appreciate them. The Lord is good. Keep pressing on friends. Hebrews 12:1-3

Your brother in Christ,
T.J. Kerttula