Reports from the Mission Field https://www.christcov.org Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:26:59 -0500 http://churchplantmedia.com/ Joel McCall -April 2023 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-april-2023 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-april-2023#comments Fri, 28 Apr 2023 12:20:25 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-april-2023 61718c07-0f8f-4bae-1d84-35cfdc2d0f76

 

ab27170f-94ee-c784-a2ac-27ed38678350

RWANDA CCI
 
I will be leaving with Dave Forbes on Thursday, May 4.  We will teach Certified Course Instructor Training for two weeks to a combined total of 48 pastors (24 at each CCI location involving the DR Congo and Rwanda.  These top leaders will be studying an in-depth five day course on "Doctrine of God."  Every pastor will explore Who God is and what His redemptive Plan involves.  I anticipate a dramatic response.  Especially if you join with us in prayer!

Since the deadline of the new Rwandan laws concerning pastors arrives on Aug 31, the uncertainty of how this will be applied to over 20,000 pastors and churches leaves an uncertainty about the freedoms of the churches going forward. 

This course was chosen to prepare the leaders and their churches to facilitate a clear understanding and encouragement in times of upheaval for the Rwandan body of Christ. As the law states, pastors will be removed who have not secured an accredited degree.  As it stands, pastors will no longer be allowed to preach in their churches without a state qualified degree. This has not been a reachable goal given the widespread poverty and lack of qualified schools for Biblical studies.

Since there is much uncertainty about how quickly and how stringently these new laws will be applied, Dave and I are laboring to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  Over 10 years have  been invested in these pastors and we are trusting God to protect and produce fruit no matter how tough it will be.  You can only imagine what we would do here in America if over half the leadership of churches were no longer able to minister from the pulpit.

Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we are there for the two weeks. 

The Lord through an unexpected source graciously provided $7500 to purchase 500 Study Bibles. Indeed, Christ loves His Bride!  He moved a person's heart to meet a resource need at such a critical time. This provision will enhance the effectiveness of our instruction.  Theophile is purchasing some of these Bibles right now to be distributed where he is teaching one of our courses in another country. I praise God for the multiplication that is already at work.  I am sitting here right now with tears in my eyes over the Father's gracious provision for these 500 brothers and sisters.
 
UPCOMING UGANDA CCI
 
After returning on May 20, two and a half weeks later I will be leaving again to join Landon Roland at Good Shepherd's Fold in Jinja, Uganda for another week of CCI training with pastors.  This will be a third course which is covering "Biblical Theology" on an overview of God's Great Redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. 

We have been training these pastors first by laying the foundation to understand the Bible and how to interpret it (Bible Study Methods). 

JUST RETURNED FROM ISRAEL

From April 1-11 Nathan McCall (my son) and I did a study tour with 24 on the Geography, history and archaeology of Israel.  I taught 3 classes in preparation for the trip involving presentations, homework, and map studies. We reviewed biblical history and then it was time to see the Biblical locations!

Of course, it took prayer. A few days before our departure there were riots in Israel over a controversial law, the airport was closed to incoming flights the week we were to depart.  But we prayed, pressed ahead and God reopened the airport.  While there, rocket attacks took place in the north and south the day after we left the Lebanese border. All went well for us in spite of these events.  God kept us safe during the final week of Passover/Easter. While in Jerusalem we had a small worship over Easter, and finished  the week visiting Biblical sites all the way to the Dead Sea region.

Reading Scripture and praying together was a powerful experience of learning and fellow-shipping with the Lord and each other.  Those who went will be using that knowledge in their ministries here at home.  It was a pleasure to join together with my brothers and sisters in such a unique place.
 
I am praising God for you.  Because of your faithful prayers and support I am seeing the Lord multiply impact continually.  God bless you!

Joel McCall
Equipping Leaders International
a545013a-7270-7fe8-f8ee-d7903c142996

 

 

 

 

]]>
61718c07-0f8f-4bae-1d84-35cfdc2d0f76

 

ab27170f-94ee-c784-a2ac-27ed38678350

RWANDA CCI
 
I will be leaving with Dave Forbes on Thursday, May 4.  We will teach Certified Course Instructor Training for two weeks to a combined total of 48 pastors (24 at each CCI location involving the DR Congo and Rwanda.  These top leaders will be studying an in-depth five day course on "Doctrine of God."  Every pastor will explore Who God is and what His redemptive Plan involves.  I anticipate a dramatic response.  Especially if you join with us in prayer!

Since the deadline of the new Rwandan laws concerning pastors arrives on Aug 31, the uncertainty of how this will be applied to over 20,000 pastors and churches leaves an uncertainty about the freedoms of the churches going forward. 

This course was chosen to prepare the leaders and their churches to facilitate a clear understanding and encouragement in times of upheaval for the Rwandan body of Christ. As the law states, pastors will be removed who have not secured an accredited degree.  As it stands, pastors will no longer be allowed to preach in their churches without a state qualified degree. This has not been a reachable goal given the widespread poverty and lack of qualified schools for Biblical studies.

Since there is much uncertainty about how quickly and how stringently these new laws will be applied, Dave and I are laboring to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  Over 10 years have  been invested in these pastors and we are trusting God to protect and produce fruit no matter how tough it will be.  You can only imagine what we would do here in America if over half the leadership of churches were no longer able to minister from the pulpit.

Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we are there for the two weeks. 

The Lord through an unexpected source graciously provided $7500 to purchase 500 Study Bibles. Indeed, Christ loves His Bride!  He moved a person's heart to meet a resource need at such a critical time. This provision will enhance the effectiveness of our instruction.  Theophile is purchasing some of these Bibles right now to be distributed where he is teaching one of our courses in another country. I praise God for the multiplication that is already at work.  I am sitting here right now with tears in my eyes over the Father's gracious provision for these 500 brothers and sisters.
 
UPCOMING UGANDA CCI
 
After returning on May 20, two and a half weeks later I will be leaving again to join Landon Roland at Good Shepherd's Fold in Jinja, Uganda for another week of CCI training with pastors.  This will be a third course which is covering "Biblical Theology" on an overview of God's Great Redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. 

We have been training these pastors first by laying the foundation to understand the Bible and how to interpret it (Bible Study Methods). 

JUST RETURNED FROM ISRAEL

From April 1-11 Nathan McCall (my son) and I did a study tour with 24 on the Geography, history and archaeology of Israel.  I taught 3 classes in preparation for the trip involving presentations, homework, and map studies. We reviewed biblical history and then it was time to see the Biblical locations!

Of course, it took prayer. A few days before our departure there were riots in Israel over a controversial law, the airport was closed to incoming flights the week we were to depart.  But we prayed, pressed ahead and God reopened the airport.  While there, rocket attacks took place in the north and south the day after we left the Lebanese border. All went well for us in spite of these events.  God kept us safe during the final week of Passover/Easter. While in Jerusalem we had a small worship over Easter, and finished  the week visiting Biblical sites all the way to the Dead Sea region.

Reading Scripture and praying together was a powerful experience of learning and fellow-shipping with the Lord and each other.  Those who went will be using that knowledge in their ministries here at home.  It was a pleasure to join together with my brothers and sisters in such a unique place.
 
I am praising God for you.  Because of your faithful prayers and support I am seeing the Lord multiply impact continually.  God bless you!

Joel McCall
Equipping Leaders International
a545013a-7270-7fe8-f8ee-d7903c142996

 

 

 

 

]]>
Matt & Kelly Rogers - March 2023 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/matt-kelly-rogers-march-2023 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/matt-kelly-rogers-march-2023#comments Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:34:05 -0600 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/matt-kelly-rogers-march-2023  

Rogers Mar1

Jessie Knows Jesus!

Do you remember me mentioning the student that "dropped in Kim's lap" early this fall? They have been meeting consistently since September, and now Jessie knows Jesus! This is the second salvation in less than a year and that's amazing considering how dark and hopeless Utah is.

Jessie's new roommate and childhood friend, Evelyn, has also started meeting with Kim, so pray for her as well! 
Kim wrote:
In September, I wrote an article titled "The Fruit God Dropped in My Lap: immediate answer to prayer" where I explained that I had prayed something like: "LORD God, I just need you to drop someone in my lap this week. I know you can do that, so I am asking you to bring me someone to talk to about You!" Monday, right after lunch, I received the following text: "Hey Kim. This is Jessie, Ari's roommate. I was wondering if it would be ok to ask you questions about the Bible." I thought, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! A resounding, "YES!" God had literally dropped fruit right into my lap as I had asked him for just the night before.

Jessie was raised staunch LDS and was roommates with Ari when she got saved last spring. After Ari shared her newfound faith with Jessie, she decided to attend Ari's baptism (I wrote about Ari's salvation at Easter last year and also about her baptism in July). So, Jessie had already begun the process of leaving Mormonism when we began our weekly meetings. As soon as we started our Bible study together, she started attending the TGM InterVarsity weekly Bible study and often stayed after to ask Marcus & Julia (the TGM Student Ministry Directors) questions. Jessie was on a pursuit to know Jesus!

Right after Christmas break when Jessie and I met up, she told me that she wanted to come to Ephraim Church of the Bible (ECB) with me the following Sunday. She said that the first time she came to ECB for Ari's baptism the worship service was overwhelming and confusing to her, but that now she thought she had more understanding and felt like it was time to go back. During the first worship song, Christ be Magnified, she began tearing up. And, during the second worship song, Man of Sorrows, Jessie was born-again! Shane was on one side of her, and I was on the other. Both of us felt the Spirit of God moving, so as soon as the service was over, I felt led to re-explain to Jessie what it meant to be born-again and how to surrender her life to Christ. She started to cry and said, "I think I was already born-again during the second song!" After, talking through it all with her, she was showered with hugs and welcomes from the body of believers at ECB!

Thanks to all of you who prayed for Jessie's salvation. Your prayers have been answered! She knows you have been praying for her, and she is overwhelmed by your love for someone who you do not even know. Now she is already sharing Jesus with her friends, Evelyn and Nikole! We ask that you pray with us for their salvation, too. Jessie is waiting to tell her family when she goes back home later in the semester. Please pray for her as she is already experiencing spiritual warfare through some depression episodes. Pray for God to firm her faith and help her to KNOW HIM more intimately.
Rogers Mar2

Rogers Mar3

It's been a busy couple of months for us! Matthew spent most of Christmas break tearing out the 20-year-old carpet in one of the cafe dining rooms, and replacing it with a distressed hickory hardwood. It was a project that had needed to be done for a couple of years, and it turned out gorgeous. The flooring Matthew and Shane picked out looks perfect with the late 19th-century-house style, and quite a few people have asked if it was the original flooring!

Rogers Mar4

Ephraim Co-op has done a nativity display in early December for many years - people in the community bring their special nativities to display for a weekend, and it was really cool to see the different ones people had collected from around the world. In the past, because the LDS church people were in charge, the Christian community might attend, but had never participated in the display - we have to be very intentional to make it clear that we are not "all the same." A few years ago, they asked Ephraim Church of the Bible to become the official sponsor, which they were willing to do, if they could include a statement of what Christians believe about the birth of Jesus. Every item on the Christmas story canvas (pictured) is the biblical account and a point on which the LDS church's teachings differentiates from the Bible.

One of the things that our church team incorporated over the past few years was live background music for a good portion of the event! Amelie and I put together a beginner duet of "Silent Night," and I dusted off my music books to work up a set to help fill the rest of my 30-minute block. It was fun to play again, since I hadn't in so long, and I enjoyed being able to use that long-neglected gift!

Rogers Mar5

And then there's the minor things, like getting used to Utah winters: continuing to function like normal when the temperature is in the single digits, snow blowing and plowing, and driving in the snow! This year has apparently been a lot more snow than has been normal in recent years, which is awesome, because we've had several years of drought lately. 

Le Tourneau Go Week

Rogers Mar6

In late January, Matthew and Jordan spent a week in Texas at LeTourneau University during their "Go Week" missions conference. Tri-Grace has a long-time relationship with LeTu - Jordan and Kjelse both went to college there, they send a mission team almost every spring break, and we've had a lot of interns come from there as well. Matthew and Jordan spent the week recruiting students to come on the mission team, talking about what ministry looks like here at Tri-Grace and in Utah, and, on Saturday, training the students who are coming on the Utah mission trip in March. Even though LeTourneau is a Christian university, it's a well-known engineering school, and they have a lot of students come from other faiths as well... so they even had a few gospel conversations. They said they have about 25 students signed up for the mission trip, so we'll have a good crew here!

Matthew and Jordan stayed with a couple of different friends during the course of their trip, and it was a good encouragement to be with them and visit their churches.

In the meantime, with a good bit of help from Kim, Kelly made it through her first January batch of year-end tax filings, donor reports, staff reports, and her second batch of quarterly board reports, with only a few hiccups. February is a calmer finance month and she's looking forward to her office hours not being quite so packed.

Rogers Mar7

Matthew, Amelie, and Grace went to the Revive! Utah youth retreat last weekend. The youth pastor and his wife couldn't make it this year, so Matthew and Maris (Shane and Kim's daughter) took our church's crew of about 25 middle and high schoolers. 170 kids came from Nevada all the way to Idaho, and it was a good weekend for the young believers of Utah to spend time together. It is hard for the Christian middle and high school students here; while they do get to know Mormon kids, they are definite "outsiders" in their communities. 

Rogers Mar8

If you remember "Lucas," who I mentioned a few months ago, he and his family have started attending Ephraim Church of the Bible! They live about an hour's drive away, so it's quite the commitment for them to come, but we're glad to have them and have been enjoying getting to know them. His mom and I (Kelly) have connected a little bit and I'm looking forward to learning more of their story - she mentioned an LDS background but we haven't gotten into much beyond that. Continue to pray for them, that their faith will grow in the true Jesus.

Rogers Mar9

The cafe espresso machine needed a tune-up a couple of weeks ago, and Matthew stuck around after his shift to find out first-hand what the problems were, and be available to help/ask questions.

Gabe, the cafe's espresso repairman, mentioned that when he isn't fixing espresso machines, he works as a stunt guy. Matthew said... "wait, you look kind of familiar" and he said "yeah...so do you..." and it turns out Gabe was the stunt man from the movie Matthew worked on in November! They hadn't interacted in close contact much on set, and they were bundled against the cold or in stunt safety gear when they did, so it took them a bit to recognize each other. Shane shared a little bit about the ministry and about the gospel with Gabe, so pray those seeds take root... and of course we don't want you to pray that our espresso machine has any problems... but more opportunities to build a relationship with Gabe would be great too, so... do with that what you will, I guess?

Big Changes Coming Up

rogers mar9b1

Our current Evangelism Directors, Jordan and Kjelse, and their kids, are moving back to Wisconsin this summer. They have been here with Tri-Grace for 9 years and we will all miss them terribly! Our kids and the Rittmeyer kids have become fast buddies, so it will be hard on them all. God has directed their family clearly that they need to make this change, and we are all supportive of their move, even if our hearts are breaking to lose them!

rogers mar9b2

 

Since Jordan and Kjelse announced that God was leading them back to WI, we have all been praying for someone who can fill that role. As our Evangelism Director, Jordan helps train our interns, leads outreaches, and helps plan ministry events - his being gone will leave a big hole. After a whirlwind week in January visiting and interviewing, God has been faithful to provide Mark and Kim Searles, who are currently in deputation, to fill that role. Jordan has been working to prep them as much as he can. Pray for them as they raise support and prepare to move - it's a hard and challenging time.

 

Praise God for His Provision

Thank you for being a huge part of our ministry here through your prayers and your financial support. God moved in such big ways to build our support team to get us here so quickly, and we are so grateful to all of you for how you have allowed Him to use your resources. It is such a gift to see your names every month!

Please Be in Prayer

- The woman from the Netherlands came in as we were closing a couple of Fridays ago. She said she is heading back to the Netherlands for the next few months, but may be back next fall - pray that the seeds that have been planted in her heart will grow and that she does come back next year!
- Pray for K, the LDS student who had made a profession of Christ, but who had a major family tragedy last summer. She's come into the cafe less often than usual, and is now engaged (not familiar enough with the young man to know his background). Her roots are in very rocky ground.
- Pray for Lucas and his family to solidify in their faith in the true Jesus.
- Pray for Jessie to grow in her new faith, and for her childhood friends Evelyn and Nikole to come to know the Lord as well!
- We haven't been able to get together with the Castles yet - pray for work, weather, and sickness schedules to line up so we can get together!

Love and miss you all!
Matthew, Kelly, Amelie, Grace, Hope, and Molly
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRI-GRACE MINISTRIES
MEET THE TRI-GRACE STAFF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rogers Mar1

Jessie Knows Jesus!

Do you remember me mentioning the student that "dropped in Kim's lap" early this fall? They have been meeting consistently since September, and now Jessie knows Jesus! This is the second salvation in less than a year and that's amazing considering how dark and hopeless Utah is.

Jessie's new roommate and childhood friend, Evelyn, has also started meeting with Kim, so pray for her as well! 
Kim wrote:
In September, I wrote an article titled "The Fruit God Dropped in My Lap: immediate answer to prayer" where I explained that I had prayed something like: "LORD God, I just need you to drop someone in my lap this week. I know you can do that, so I am asking you to bring me someone to talk to about You!" Monday, right after lunch, I received the following text: "Hey Kim. This is Jessie, Ari's roommate. I was wondering if it would be ok to ask you questions about the Bible." I thought, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! A resounding, "YES!" God had literally dropped fruit right into my lap as I had asked him for just the night before.

Jessie was raised staunch LDS and was roommates with Ari when she got saved last spring. After Ari shared her newfound faith with Jessie, she decided to attend Ari's baptism (I wrote about Ari's salvation at Easter last year and also about her baptism in July). So, Jessie had already begun the process of leaving Mormonism when we began our weekly meetings. As soon as we started our Bible study together, she started attending the TGM InterVarsity weekly Bible study and often stayed after to ask Marcus & Julia (the TGM Student Ministry Directors) questions. Jessie was on a pursuit to know Jesus!

Right after Christmas break when Jessie and I met up, she told me that she wanted to come to Ephraim Church of the Bible (ECB) with me the following Sunday. She said that the first time she came to ECB for Ari's baptism the worship service was overwhelming and confusing to her, but that now she thought she had more understanding and felt like it was time to go back. During the first worship song, Christ be Magnified, she began tearing up. And, during the second worship song, Man of Sorrows, Jessie was born-again! Shane was on one side of her, and I was on the other. Both of us felt the Spirit of God moving, so as soon as the service was over, I felt led to re-explain to Jessie what it meant to be born-again and how to surrender her life to Christ. She started to cry and said, "I think I was already born-again during the second song!" After, talking through it all with her, she was showered with hugs and welcomes from the body of believers at ECB!

Thanks to all of you who prayed for Jessie's salvation. Your prayers have been answered! She knows you have been praying for her, and she is overwhelmed by your love for someone who you do not even know. Now she is already sharing Jesus with her friends, Evelyn and Nikole! We ask that you pray with us for their salvation, too. Jessie is waiting to tell her family when she goes back home later in the semester. Please pray for her as she is already experiencing spiritual warfare through some depression episodes. Pray for God to firm her faith and help her to KNOW HIM more intimately.
Rogers Mar2

Rogers Mar3

It's been a busy couple of months for us! Matthew spent most of Christmas break tearing out the 20-year-old carpet in one of the cafe dining rooms, and replacing it with a distressed hickory hardwood. It was a project that had needed to be done for a couple of years, and it turned out gorgeous. The flooring Matthew and Shane picked out looks perfect with the late 19th-century-house style, and quite a few people have asked if it was the original flooring!

Rogers Mar4

Ephraim Co-op has done a nativity display in early December for many years - people in the community bring their special nativities to display for a weekend, and it was really cool to see the different ones people had collected from around the world. In the past, because the LDS church people were in charge, the Christian community might attend, but had never participated in the display - we have to be very intentional to make it clear that we are not "all the same." A few years ago, they asked Ephraim Church of the Bible to become the official sponsor, which they were willing to do, if they could include a statement of what Christians believe about the birth of Jesus. Every item on the Christmas story canvas (pictured) is the biblical account and a point on which the LDS church's teachings differentiates from the Bible.

One of the things that our church team incorporated over the past few years was live background music for a good portion of the event! Amelie and I put together a beginner duet of "Silent Night," and I dusted off my music books to work up a set to help fill the rest of my 30-minute block. It was fun to play again, since I hadn't in so long, and I enjoyed being able to use that long-neglected gift!

Rogers Mar5

And then there's the minor things, like getting used to Utah winters: continuing to function like normal when the temperature is in the single digits, snow blowing and plowing, and driving in the snow! This year has apparently been a lot more snow than has been normal in recent years, which is awesome, because we've had several years of drought lately. 

Le Tourneau Go Week

Rogers Mar6

In late January, Matthew and Jordan spent a week in Texas at LeTourneau University during their "Go Week" missions conference. Tri-Grace has a long-time relationship with LeTu - Jordan and Kjelse both went to college there, they send a mission team almost every spring break, and we've had a lot of interns come from there as well. Matthew and Jordan spent the week recruiting students to come on the mission team, talking about what ministry looks like here at Tri-Grace and in Utah, and, on Saturday, training the students who are coming on the Utah mission trip in March. Even though LeTourneau is a Christian university, it's a well-known engineering school, and they have a lot of students come from other faiths as well... so they even had a few gospel conversations. They said they have about 25 students signed up for the mission trip, so we'll have a good crew here!

Matthew and Jordan stayed with a couple of different friends during the course of their trip, and it was a good encouragement to be with them and visit their churches.

In the meantime, with a good bit of help from Kim, Kelly made it through her first January batch of year-end tax filings, donor reports, staff reports, and her second batch of quarterly board reports, with only a few hiccups. February is a calmer finance month and she's looking forward to her office hours not being quite so packed.

Rogers Mar7

Matthew, Amelie, and Grace went to the Revive! Utah youth retreat last weekend. The youth pastor and his wife couldn't make it this year, so Matthew and Maris (Shane and Kim's daughter) took our church's crew of about 25 middle and high schoolers. 170 kids came from Nevada all the way to Idaho, and it was a good weekend for the young believers of Utah to spend time together. It is hard for the Christian middle and high school students here; while they do get to know Mormon kids, they are definite "outsiders" in their communities. 

Rogers Mar8

If you remember "Lucas," who I mentioned a few months ago, he and his family have started attending Ephraim Church of the Bible! They live about an hour's drive away, so it's quite the commitment for them to come, but we're glad to have them and have been enjoying getting to know them. His mom and I (Kelly) have connected a little bit and I'm looking forward to learning more of their story - she mentioned an LDS background but we haven't gotten into much beyond that. Continue to pray for them, that their faith will grow in the true Jesus.

Rogers Mar9

The cafe espresso machine needed a tune-up a couple of weeks ago, and Matthew stuck around after his shift to find out first-hand what the problems were, and be available to help/ask questions.

Gabe, the cafe's espresso repairman, mentioned that when he isn't fixing espresso machines, he works as a stunt guy. Matthew said... "wait, you look kind of familiar" and he said "yeah...so do you..." and it turns out Gabe was the stunt man from the movie Matthew worked on in November! They hadn't interacted in close contact much on set, and they were bundled against the cold or in stunt safety gear when they did, so it took them a bit to recognize each other. Shane shared a little bit about the ministry and about the gospel with Gabe, so pray those seeds take root... and of course we don't want you to pray that our espresso machine has any problems... but more opportunities to build a relationship with Gabe would be great too, so... do with that what you will, I guess?

Big Changes Coming Up

rogers mar9b1

Our current Evangelism Directors, Jordan and Kjelse, and their kids, are moving back to Wisconsin this summer. They have been here with Tri-Grace for 9 years and we will all miss them terribly! Our kids and the Rittmeyer kids have become fast buddies, so it will be hard on them all. God has directed their family clearly that they need to make this change, and we are all supportive of their move, even if our hearts are breaking to lose them!

rogers mar9b2

 

Since Jordan and Kjelse announced that God was leading them back to WI, we have all been praying for someone who can fill that role. As our Evangelism Director, Jordan helps train our interns, leads outreaches, and helps plan ministry events - his being gone will leave a big hole. After a whirlwind week in January visiting and interviewing, God has been faithful to provide Mark and Kim Searles, who are currently in deputation, to fill that role. Jordan has been working to prep them as much as he can. Pray for them as they raise support and prepare to move - it's a hard and challenging time.

 

Praise God for His Provision

Thank you for being a huge part of our ministry here through your prayers and your financial support. God moved in such big ways to build our support team to get us here so quickly, and we are so grateful to all of you for how you have allowed Him to use your resources. It is such a gift to see your names every month!

Please Be in Prayer

- The woman from the Netherlands came in as we were closing a couple of Fridays ago. She said she is heading back to the Netherlands for the next few months, but may be back next fall - pray that the seeds that have been planted in her heart will grow and that she does come back next year!
- Pray for K, the LDS student who had made a profession of Christ, but who had a major family tragedy last summer. She's come into the cafe less often than usual, and is now engaged (not familiar enough with the young man to know his background). Her roots are in very rocky ground.
- Pray for Lucas and his family to solidify in their faith in the true Jesus.
- Pray for Jessie to grow in her new faith, and for her childhood friends Evelyn and Nikole to come to know the Lord as well!
- We haven't been able to get together with the Castles yet - pray for work, weather, and sickness schedules to line up so we can get together!

Love and miss you all!
Matthew, Kelly, Amelie, Grace, Hope, and Molly
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRI-GRACE MINISTRIES
MEET THE TRI-GRACE STAFF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thomas and Jennifer Su McIntyre - Jan 2023 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/thomas-and-jennifer-su-mcintyre-jan-2023 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/thomas-and-jennifer-su-mcintyre-jan-2023#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:49:29 -0600 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/thomas-and-jennifer-su-mcintyre-jan-2023 51a93560-de4e-f6c7-6a78-0457edef46de

Dear prayer partners,

Happy New Year! As always, please know that we are so thankful for your prayers and financial partnership that make our ministry in Taiwan possible. We just wanted to write a brief update to say that your prayers were answered -- the 3 outreach activities that we held for Christmas were a huge success.

The cookie outreach at our coworker's house had around 50 people as we ran out of room and seating. The park outreach near the famous Xingang temple also had around 50 people attend. And the school outreach went so well that the principal wrote our team to say thank you. In two of the three outreaches, Thomas shared the gospel (we are limited on what we can say at the school, but we did share the entire birth story of Christ). So far, the parents are not running away as we evangelize! In fact, the online group we created for follow-up now has 33 parents in it. In the coming months we'll be following up with people and holding similar events to build more relationships and develop trust. Hopefully by Easter or perhaps this summer we can start either a bible study or "book study" that is biblically based. It's a long process, but we're making excellent progress in these early stages of church planting in Xingang. Thank you for your partnership! See pictures below.

In Him,
Thomas & Jennifer
OMF International, Taiwan
See pictures below

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133654

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133721

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133743

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133802

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133819

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133837

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133915

 

 

 

 

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51a93560-de4e-f6c7-6a78-0457edef46de

Dear prayer partners,

Happy New Year! As always, please know that we are so thankful for your prayers and financial partnership that make our ministry in Taiwan possible. We just wanted to write a brief update to say that your prayers were answered -- the 3 outreach activities that we held for Christmas were a huge success.

The cookie outreach at our coworker's house had around 50 people as we ran out of room and seating. The park outreach near the famous Xingang temple also had around 50 people attend. And the school outreach went so well that the principal wrote our team to say thank you. In two of the three outreaches, Thomas shared the gospel (we are limited on what we can say at the school, but we did share the entire birth story of Christ). So far, the parents are not running away as we evangelize! In fact, the online group we created for follow-up now has 33 parents in it. In the coming months we'll be following up with people and holding similar events to build more relationships and develop trust. Hopefully by Easter or perhaps this summer we can start either a bible study or "book study" that is biblically based. It's a long process, but we're making excellent progress in these early stages of church planting in Xingang. Thank you for your partnership! See pictures below.

In Him,
Thomas & Jennifer
OMF International, Taiwan
See pictures below

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133654

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133721

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133743

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133802

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133819

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133837

Screenshot 2023-01-23 133915

 

 

 

 

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Joel McCall - December 2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-december-2022_2 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-december-2022_2#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2022 12:33:47 -0600 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-december-2022_2 80707ef7-e0b7-45ce-8e76-9295db037d2e

a9a760c7-fcc8-13a9-96d2-f1a8bf8e8198

Merry Christmas!
 
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11 ESV)

Dear Friends and Family,
It’s that time of year again when we love to send our wishes for a blessed Christmas season, remembering the birth of our Lord Jesus. We have thankful hearts for all the blessings of 2022 and God’s faithfulness to us in so many ways. Sarah and I got COVID right after Thanksgiving, and we are especially thankful to be over it now and able to enjoy all this season brings.   Here are some highlights from 2022:

MINISTRY - Joel was able to get back to training pastors in Rwanda, DR Congo, and Uganda in person this year with ELI, making two trips to Africa. He also continues to ZOOM teach each week with a few pastors in Rwanda and one pastor in Israel. The plan was to return to Uganda this month but because of Ebola the trip has been pushed back until February. In addition to this, he is still on staff at our church as an associate pastor, teaching in various ways and   occasionally filling the pulpit. Sarah fills in as needed in the preschool Sunday school classes and co-leads a weekly women’s Bible study at church.

FAMILY - Although none of our children & grandchildren live close by, we have enjoyed many visits this year, and especially thankful for two visits from our son, Zachary, who lives in Hawaii. It is so hard having him half way around the world! It was our year to have everyone at our house for Thanksgiving and is always fun for all the grandkids to be together. Rebecca, Jason, and their boys (Josiah, 15 & Isaiah, 12) moved into their “new” house in High Point, NC earlier this year after house hunting (and losing many offers) for over a year. Nathan, Ruth, and their three (Adah - 14, Jonah - 12, Merrimac - 10) are still in Nashville, TN where he is co-pastor at All Saints PCA. Ruth spends her days homeschooling the kids and running them around to their many activities. Zachary works as a civilian, contracting for the
military in the area of intelligence. He is also in the Army Reserves.

CELEBRATIONS - This year we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary! We took a trip to Vermont in late September and so enjoyed staying at a friend’s cabin on a small lake. It was so fun exploring a part of the country we’d never been to before.
In October, we were so blessed to connect with Sarah ‘s Ben Lippen classmates at a 52nd in- person high school reunion in Black Mountain, NC. It was a wonderful weekend sharing memories and stories of God’s faithfulness over all these years.Classmates came from all over the country and some even drove from Mexico.  It was also peak for the autumn leaves and was so beautiful!

We are thankful for each one of you and the many ways you enrich our lives. Your prayers and partnership in our ministry with Equipping Leaders are priceless.  Please come visit us if you are ever near Knoxville.

With Christmas Joy,
Joel & Sarah

 

 

 

 

 

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80707ef7-e0b7-45ce-8e76-9295db037d2e

a9a760c7-fcc8-13a9-96d2-f1a8bf8e8198

Merry Christmas!
 
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11 ESV)

Dear Friends and Family,
It’s that time of year again when we love to send our wishes for a blessed Christmas season, remembering the birth of our Lord Jesus. We have thankful hearts for all the blessings of 2022 and God’s faithfulness to us in so many ways. Sarah and I got COVID right after Thanksgiving, and we are especially thankful to be over it now and able to enjoy all this season brings.   Here are some highlights from 2022:

MINISTRY - Joel was able to get back to training pastors in Rwanda, DR Congo, and Uganda in person this year with ELI, making two trips to Africa. He also continues to ZOOM teach each week with a few pastors in Rwanda and one pastor in Israel. The plan was to return to Uganda this month but because of Ebola the trip has been pushed back until February. In addition to this, he is still on staff at our church as an associate pastor, teaching in various ways and   occasionally filling the pulpit. Sarah fills in as needed in the preschool Sunday school classes and co-leads a weekly women’s Bible study at church.

FAMILY - Although none of our children & grandchildren live close by, we have enjoyed many visits this year, and especially thankful for two visits from our son, Zachary, who lives in Hawaii. It is so hard having him half way around the world! It was our year to have everyone at our house for Thanksgiving and is always fun for all the grandkids to be together. Rebecca, Jason, and their boys (Josiah, 15 & Isaiah, 12) moved into their “new” house in High Point, NC earlier this year after house hunting (and losing many offers) for over a year. Nathan, Ruth, and their three (Adah - 14, Jonah - 12, Merrimac - 10) are still in Nashville, TN where he is co-pastor at All Saints PCA. Ruth spends her days homeschooling the kids and running them around to their many activities. Zachary works as a civilian, contracting for the
military in the area of intelligence. He is also in the Army Reserves.

CELEBRATIONS - This year we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary! We took a trip to Vermont in late September and so enjoyed staying at a friend’s cabin on a small lake. It was so fun exploring a part of the country we’d never been to before.
In October, we were so blessed to connect with Sarah ‘s Ben Lippen classmates at a 52nd in- person high school reunion in Black Mountain, NC. It was a wonderful weekend sharing memories and stories of God’s faithfulness over all these years.Classmates came from all over the country and some even drove from Mexico.  It was also peak for the autumn leaves and was so beautiful!

We are thankful for each one of you and the many ways you enrich our lives. Your prayers and partnership in our ministry with Equipping Leaders are priceless.  Please come visit us if you are ever near Knoxville.

With Christmas Joy,
Joel & Sarah

 

 

 

 

 

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John and Kathy Clow - Dec 2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/john-and-kathy-clow-dec-2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/john-and-kathy-clow-dec-2022#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:46:27 -0600 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/john-and-kathy-clow-dec-2022 THE CLOW COMMUNICATOR
December 2022

Merry Christmas! As we look back and reflect on 2022, we are in awe of our LORD’s faithfulness to us both in our personal lives and in ministry. It has been a rough year with a lot of hard things. Clinging to the hope we have in our Father has truly been what has gotten us through this year. BUT - there has also been joyful and wonderful moments. Both in the hard circumstances and in the joyful situations, we praise the ONE who ordains all.

We pray for each of you; that your homes are filled with His peace. Also, that 2023 brings you a greater understanding of who God is, his faithfulness, and his grace!

We were asked to film a short video for one of our churches. We thought we would include it in this newsletter. Click the link to view the video: CLOW VIDEO 2022

PRAISES:
1. The faithfulness of the Lord in all things!
2. Feeling more settled into a new city with each day.
3. Time with our children over both Thanksgiving and Christmas

PRAYERS:
1. A greater and deeper knowledge of who God is.
2. An increase in our ability to both speak and understand Spanish
3. Clear direction on how to serve the church, and what our roles within the local body of believers are.

The Clows
Mission to the World, Honduras

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE CLOW COMMUNICATOR
December 2022

Merry Christmas! As we look back and reflect on 2022, we are in awe of our LORD’s faithfulness to us both in our personal lives and in ministry. It has been a rough year with a lot of hard things. Clinging to the hope we have in our Father has truly been what has gotten us through this year. BUT - there has also been joyful and wonderful moments. Both in the hard circumstances and in the joyful situations, we praise the ONE who ordains all.

We pray for each of you; that your homes are filled with His peace. Also, that 2023 brings you a greater understanding of who God is, his faithfulness, and his grace!

We were asked to film a short video for one of our churches. We thought we would include it in this newsletter. Click the link to view the video: CLOW VIDEO 2022

PRAISES:
1. The faithfulness of the Lord in all things!
2. Feeling more settled into a new city with each day.
3. Time with our children over both Thanksgiving and Christmas

PRAYERS:
1. A greater and deeper knowledge of who God is.
2. An increase in our ability to both speak and understand Spanish
3. Clear direction on how to serve the church, and what our roles within the local body of believers are.

The Clows
Mission to the World, Honduras

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thomas and Jennifer Su McIntyre - Dec 2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/thomas-and-jennifer-su-mcintyre-dec-2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/thomas-and-jennifer-su-mcintyre-dec-2022#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2022 09:54:27 -0600 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/thomas-and-jennifer-su-mcintyre-dec-2022 mci dec22a

Dear prayer partners,

God is good! After only 3 months of church planting ministry in Xingang, we had our first major outreach for Thanksgiving. Over 45 people came and we filled the entire coffee shop (see picture above)! We ordered a large Turkey, kids worked on a craft while adults talked together, and Thomas shared about the Thanksgiving story. Jennifer coordinated and planned the event with Lulu, her friend who owns the coffee shop, and other non-Christians we've befriended so far also contributed to the event's success. We're looking forward to ministering to everyone who came in the coming months. Even our park ministry had a huge jump in attendance after the outreach. Praise God that He is letting us see Him work in ways that took years at our last church plant. Here's how you can pray: 

- The big news is that we've been in the process of trying to adopt a Taiwanese girl (age 6-9) for the past 9 months. We just completed our home study this week and were approved for international adoption. Now we're just waiting for a match, which can take a while. Please pray that God leads us to the right child. While the timetable is impossible to know, in theory the placement of the girl in our home could happen in late 2023. 

- Praise God that Jennifer's leadership training in Singapore went well. She continues to serve the Taiwan field as the church planting coordinator and has a lot on her plate at the moment as more members of our field are moving into church planting. We also give thanks that her seminary class (in Mandarin) on leading cross-cultural teams also went well. See pictures below.

- Thank you for praying for Larry. Thomas and Rik (our coworker) have been doing an evangelistic Bible study with him. When Thomas was comparing the local gods to the God of the Bible, he emphasized that we can have a real relationship with God. Larry's response: "Why would I want a relationship with God when I can become a god!" His point was that like Matzu the sea goddess who is the main object of worship in Xingang, she was once a person who became a god. Likewise, he believes that he too can reach deity. At the moment, he says he prefers just to rely on himself and doesn't see the need for Christianity. Please keep praying. 

- We continue to invest in mentoring & training. Thomas preaches at Sanhe Church once a month and we both continue to mentor Jordan & his wife Bella, the pastor of the church. We also spend regular time each week mentoring our new missionary coworkers from the Netherlands, the Williamsens. We're thankful that they are a wonderful, hard-working couple. 

- Lastly, please pray for our upcoming Christmas outreaches. We were invited into Xingang elementary school to tell the real meaning of Christmas on December 21. (At Sanhe it took us years to build rapport with the local schools but here we have received an almost immediate welcome). We'll also host a cookie outreach event on December 16 and a Christmas outreach in the local park on December 18. One of the problems that we have is finding suitable space for our events as the reaction to our team in Xingang has been very, very positive. We can't have all of our events in the coffee shop, but we will try our coworkers house this month, as it has more room than our home. It's a good problem to have this early in the ministry! 

In Him,
Thomas & Jennifer
See pictures below:

Screenshot 2022-12-05 102859
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102839
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102753
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102728
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102658

 

 

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mci dec22a

Dear prayer partners,

God is good! After only 3 months of church planting ministry in Xingang, we had our first major outreach for Thanksgiving. Over 45 people came and we filled the entire coffee shop (see picture above)! We ordered a large Turkey, kids worked on a craft while adults talked together, and Thomas shared about the Thanksgiving story. Jennifer coordinated and planned the event with Lulu, her friend who owns the coffee shop, and other non-Christians we've befriended so far also contributed to the event's success. We're looking forward to ministering to everyone who came in the coming months. Even our park ministry had a huge jump in attendance after the outreach. Praise God that He is letting us see Him work in ways that took years at our last church plant. Here's how you can pray: 

- The big news is that we've been in the process of trying to adopt a Taiwanese girl (age 6-9) for the past 9 months. We just completed our home study this week and were approved for international adoption. Now we're just waiting for a match, which can take a while. Please pray that God leads us to the right child. While the timetable is impossible to know, in theory the placement of the girl in our home could happen in late 2023. 

- Praise God that Jennifer's leadership training in Singapore went well. She continues to serve the Taiwan field as the church planting coordinator and has a lot on her plate at the moment as more members of our field are moving into church planting. We also give thanks that her seminary class (in Mandarin) on leading cross-cultural teams also went well. See pictures below.

- Thank you for praying for Larry. Thomas and Rik (our coworker) have been doing an evangelistic Bible study with him. When Thomas was comparing the local gods to the God of the Bible, he emphasized that we can have a real relationship with God. Larry's response: "Why would I want a relationship with God when I can become a god!" His point was that like Matzu the sea goddess who is the main object of worship in Xingang, she was once a person who became a god. Likewise, he believes that he too can reach deity. At the moment, he says he prefers just to rely on himself and doesn't see the need for Christianity. Please keep praying. 

- We continue to invest in mentoring & training. Thomas preaches at Sanhe Church once a month and we both continue to mentor Jordan & his wife Bella, the pastor of the church. We also spend regular time each week mentoring our new missionary coworkers from the Netherlands, the Williamsens. We're thankful that they are a wonderful, hard-working couple. 

- Lastly, please pray for our upcoming Christmas outreaches. We were invited into Xingang elementary school to tell the real meaning of Christmas on December 21. (At Sanhe it took us years to build rapport with the local schools but here we have received an almost immediate welcome). We'll also host a cookie outreach event on December 16 and a Christmas outreach in the local park on December 18. One of the problems that we have is finding suitable space for our events as the reaction to our team in Xingang has been very, very positive. We can't have all of our events in the coffee shop, but we will try our coworkers house this month, as it has more room than our home. It's a good problem to have this early in the ministry! 

In Him,
Thomas & Jennifer
See pictures below:

Screenshot 2022-12-05 102859
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102839
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102753
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102728
Screenshot 2022-12-05 102658

 

 

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Joel McCall August 2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-august-2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-august-2022#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2022 21:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/joel-mccall-august-2022 joel aug22
CLICK HERE to read
"Glorious Reunion in Ministry"
by Joel McCall in DRC.
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joel aug22
CLICK HERE to read
"Glorious Reunion in Ministry"
by Joel McCall in DRC.
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The Ochs in Ghana - June 7 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs---bolgatonga https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs---bolgatonga#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs---bolgatonga We’re up in Bolgatanga and so excited to see the kids and home. David and Stephen (in the orange shirts) are supported by the youth group! 

OchsJ22 (8) 

OchsJ22 (4)

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OchsJ22 (3)

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OchsJ22 (7)

OchsJ22 (1)

 

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We’re up in Bolgatanga and so excited to see the kids and home. David and Stephen (in the orange shirts) are supported by the youth group! 

OchsJ22 (8) 

OchsJ22 (4)

OchsJ22 (2)

OchsJ22 (5)

OchsJ22 (3)

OchsJ22 (6)

OchsJ22 (7)

OchsJ22 (1)

 

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The Ochs in Ghana June 3, 2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs-in-ghana-june-2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs-in-ghana-june-2022#comments Sat, 04 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs-in-ghana-june-2022 Yesterday we went to one of our favorite places…Save Them Young Orphanage. They have many special needs children. We worked with them physically under Ashley, our PT team member, played games, did songs, did a drama, puppets, and crafts. They had many children crying when it was time to leave and we had several team members crying also.
Bev

ghana jun3 (1).PNG

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Yesterday we went to one of our favorite places…Save Them Young Orphanage. They have many special needs children. We worked with them physically under Ashley, our PT team member, played games, did songs, did a drama, puppets, and crafts. They had many children crying when it was time to leave and we had several team members crying also.
Bev

ghana jun3 (1).PNG

ghana jun3 (2).JPG

ghana jun3 (5).JPG

ghana jun3 (4).JPG

ghana jun3 (7).JPG

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The Ochs in Ghana - May 2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs-in-ghana---may-2022 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs-in-ghana---may-2022#comments Tue, 31 May 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/reports-from-the-mission-field/post/the-ochs-in-ghana---may-2022 Below are some photos from the first couple of days in Ghana! We went to the special needs school and did songs, puppets, and games. We also did some PT training with some teachers to help the students who have physical disabilities. 

The Ochs in Ghana May 2022 - day 1 & 2– Image 1 of 14

 

 

 

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Below are some photos from the first couple of days in Ghana! We went to the special needs school and did songs, puppets, and games. We also did some PT training with some teachers to help the students who have physical disabilities. 

The Ochs in Ghana May 2022 - day 1 & 2– Image 1 of 14

 

 

 

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