As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15
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Masha is the sweet young lady we will be hosting this summer from Ukraine. Please help us to share the love of Christ with this girl by partnering with us in prayer or perhaps as a financial sponsor.
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Bowers' Family Missions - 2012
Greetings friends and family!
We hope that you all are having a great start to the year! We wanted to share with you what God has been doing in our lives over the last few months. Our church has once again decided to be a “sending church” and send a team to Uganda to help build a well and to share the glorious love of Christ with the children there. Last year, our family was burdened to go, but since Mindi was very pregnant and homeschooling 4 boys, we knew it would make it tough for myself and our oldest son Travis, to go. Once again this year, we desired to go, but there were so many things that were going to make it challenging. We felt the call to go, but just were not sure if this was the year for that to happen or not. So we attended the informational meeting at our Church, and at that time we were presented with a wonderful opportunity to minister together as a family.
Representatives from New Horizon’s For Children were there to tell us about summer hosting plans that would allow us to host a child from Latvia or Ukraine. We immediately felt that this may be what God was calling us to do. This was something we as a family could all be a part of. It could truly be a family ministry. So we checked into it more and prayed about it. We felt as if this was something that didn’t necessarily need to be prayed about, but rather we just needed to pray for provision. During this time we had numerous reasons that came up for not doing this. Not having room in our car, not having the money, not feeling comfortable bringing a stranger into our home, could we really do this?, and anything else the enemy could instill in our minds. It finally hit us that we just needed to commit to doing this and trust in the Lord to provide.
There is no doubt that God’s hand was in this, because no sooner than we agreed we were going to proceed, we had some close friends bless us with a “gift” that has given us a great start in our fund raising efforts. It is quite expensive to do this. In fact, probably nearly $4000, counting providing for the child once they get here, required doctor's visits, sending the child back with clothing and luggage, and more. That is a little shy of the cost to send two people to Uganda. But we realized that while that is a big number to us, it is a very small number to God. Right off the bat, we knew that we were doubting God, by focusing on and stressing about how we would come up with this kind of money. Especially after a tight year financially, being self employed. But then we were reminded of some friends at church whom God provided for in a huge way! So we stepped out in faith, and are excited to see what He will do!
This is what we do know about the child that we can share. Her name is Masha and she is from Ukraine. She looks to be around or between the age of our two oldest (Travis, 11 and Tyler, 8). She likes and enjoys many of the same things as our children. She loves younger children and cooking. She’s been in the orphanage for most of her life and has no family. Masha will have her birthday while she is with us, so we look forward to celebrating it with her. Oh, and she ONLY speak Ukrainian, so guess what foreign language our family is taking!
We want you all to know that it is not anything about us that makes us want to do this. In fact, if we listened to our flesh, we probably would not be doing it. It is God working in us to serve his children. We deserve absolutely no credit for any good that comes from our family ministry opportunities. All praise and glory to God alone!
This is an opportunity to show compassion to one special girl, and by partnering with us, you can share in that compassion. There are many ways you can support us! Here are a few, and if you have others we welcome them.
1. Pray for this Masha to be called to repentance and belief in Christ Jesus, not by our doing, but by the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. Donate Money – you can help us with financial gifts by donating via credit card, check, or cash. Your gift is tax deductible if made by check.
3. Prayer – We need your prayers. For guidance, for safety, for our children’s safety, for the salvation of Masha, Who
God will entrust us with.
4. Sponsor a fun day when this child gets here in June – Have a connection such as a pass to the zoo, theme park, or sporting event, beach house, etc? We want to help Masha have a wonderful time, as this could be the only time she ever has a real family experience. We assure you all time spent with Masha will be in the name of Christ!
5. Transportation – We will have a need to either replace some seating in our vehicle in order to accommodate this child or possibly borrow a larger vehicle for a few weeks (one that seats 8).
6. People to donate yard sale items – We plan on having a huge yard sale at the end of April/first of May, in order to raise funds.
7. We would like to have a fundraising meal. If you can provide a location for us to do this, that would be great! This would have to be coordinated soon, as funds are due once a month to New Horizons for the hosting program, and we are trusting in Lord for the next payment.
8. Other fundraising ideas – Do you know of a way we can raise funds? If we exceed the amount needed to fund this, we will either help someone else who is also bringing a child over or we will place the funds in a ministry account to go towards a winter hosting opportunity, as God directs!
If you can think of other ways in which you can help, please let us know. This is brand new to us, and we know we cannot do it alone. We know that God has placed people in our lives that He will use to make this happen!
Thank You all for partnering with us in whatever way God calls you, and we pray for His name to be Glorified through it.
Sincerely,
Travis and Mindi Bowers
travisandmindi@bowerslife.net
704-615-8409
www.bowerslife.net
To Donate via paypal, check, cash, or credit card please contact us directly at 704-615-8409 or e-mail us at travisandmindi@bowerslife.net and we can provide you with the necessary information!
We hope that you all are having a great start to the year! We wanted to share with you what God has been doing in our lives over the last few months. Our church has once again decided to be a “sending church” and send a team to Uganda to help build a well and to share the glorious love of Christ with the children there. Last year, our family was burdened to go, but since Mindi was very pregnant and homeschooling 4 boys, we knew it would make it tough for myself and our oldest son Travis, to go. Once again this year, we desired to go, but there were so many things that were going to make it challenging. We felt the call to go, but just were not sure if this was the year for that to happen or not. So we attended the informational meeting at our Church, and at that time we were presented with a wonderful opportunity to minister together as a family.
Representatives from New Horizon’s For Children were there to tell us about summer hosting plans that would allow us to host a child from Latvia or Ukraine. We immediately felt that this may be what God was calling us to do. This was something we as a family could all be a part of. It could truly be a family ministry. So we checked into it more and prayed about it. We felt as if this was something that didn’t necessarily need to be prayed about, but rather we just needed to pray for provision. During this time we had numerous reasons that came up for not doing this. Not having room in our car, not having the money, not feeling comfortable bringing a stranger into our home, could we really do this?, and anything else the enemy could instill in our minds. It finally hit us that we just needed to commit to doing this and trust in the Lord to provide.
There is no doubt that God’s hand was in this, because no sooner than we agreed we were going to proceed, we had some close friends bless us with a “gift” that has given us a great start in our fund raising efforts. It is quite expensive to do this. In fact, probably nearly $4000, counting providing for the child once they get here, required doctor's visits, sending the child back with clothing and luggage, and more. That is a little shy of the cost to send two people to Uganda. But we realized that while that is a big number to us, it is a very small number to God. Right off the bat, we knew that we were doubting God, by focusing on and stressing about how we would come up with this kind of money. Especially after a tight year financially, being self employed. But then we were reminded of some friends at church whom God provided for in a huge way! So we stepped out in faith, and are excited to see what He will do!
This is what we do know about the child that we can share. Her name is Masha and she is from Ukraine. She looks to be around or between the age of our two oldest (Travis, 11 and Tyler, 8). She likes and enjoys many of the same things as our children. She loves younger children and cooking. She’s been in the orphanage for most of her life and has no family. Masha will have her birthday while she is with us, so we look forward to celebrating it with her. Oh, and she ONLY speak Ukrainian, so guess what foreign language our family is taking!
We want you all to know that it is not anything about us that makes us want to do this. In fact, if we listened to our flesh, we probably would not be doing it. It is God working in us to serve his children. We deserve absolutely no credit for any good that comes from our family ministry opportunities. All praise and glory to God alone!
This is an opportunity to show compassion to one special girl, and by partnering with us, you can share in that compassion. There are many ways you can support us! Here are a few, and if you have others we welcome them.
1. Pray for this Masha to be called to repentance and belief in Christ Jesus, not by our doing, but by the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. Donate Money – you can help us with financial gifts by donating via credit card, check, or cash. Your gift is tax deductible if made by check.
3. Prayer – We need your prayers. For guidance, for safety, for our children’s safety, for the salvation of Masha, Who
God will entrust us with.
4. Sponsor a fun day when this child gets here in June – Have a connection such as a pass to the zoo, theme park, or sporting event, beach house, etc? We want to help Masha have a wonderful time, as this could be the only time she ever has a real family experience. We assure you all time spent with Masha will be in the name of Christ!
5. Transportation – We will have a need to either replace some seating in our vehicle in order to accommodate this child or possibly borrow a larger vehicle for a few weeks (one that seats 8).
6. People to donate yard sale items – We plan on having a huge yard sale at the end of April/first of May, in order to raise funds.
7. We would like to have a fundraising meal. If you can provide a location for us to do this, that would be great! This would have to be coordinated soon, as funds are due once a month to New Horizons for the hosting program, and we are trusting in Lord for the next payment.
8. Other fundraising ideas – Do you know of a way we can raise funds? If we exceed the amount needed to fund this, we will either help someone else who is also bringing a child over or we will place the funds in a ministry account to go towards a winter hosting opportunity, as God directs!
If you can think of other ways in which you can help, please let us know. This is brand new to us, and we know we cannot do it alone. We know that God has placed people in our lives that He will use to make this happen!
Thank You all for partnering with us in whatever way God calls you, and we pray for His name to be Glorified through it.
Sincerely,
Travis and Mindi Bowers
travisandmindi@bowerslife.net
704-615-8409
www.bowerslife.net
To Donate via paypal, check, cash, or credit card please contact us directly at 704-615-8409 or e-mail us at travisandmindi@bowerslife.net and we can provide you with the necessary information!
Winter 2012
Winter 2010
