2003 September

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We hope that this MAP Update finds you doing well. Our family has been staying very busy this summer. Jonathan and Rachel spent a week away at camp last month. It was during one of the church services at camp that Jonathan surrendered his life to serve God in any way that God could use him. Rachel also went forward during one of the altar calls because she felt that God is calling her to be a pastor’s wife.

Pleased be advised that our home address has changed once again to 1690 Cty. Rd. 1095, Ashland OH 44805. Our home phone number stays the same...(419) 207-1478.

In August, the 19th church took the MAP Ministry on for support. There are now 19 churches and about 36 individuals that faithfully support the ministry every month. 24 of the 36 individuals who support the ministry are from our home church. Our monthly pledged amount from churches and individuals is right at $3,500.00 per month, meaning we are at 60% of our needed support. Thanks to the special donations that were given to MAP by varies people during the year, we have been able to make our budget all year.

The following is a break down of the income and expenses for MAP since January of this year.

Average monthly income since 1/1/03 was $5,815.42.

Average monthly expense since 1/1/03 was $5,693.26

Thank you all for giving and making the MAP Ministry possible. Some sweet day we will all rejoice together in heaven!

We had thought by September we would have a secretary hired to help out with the ministry, but for some reason God has not allowed that to happen yet. We have had many volunteers that have helped us out but it seems that we are at a point where we almost have to have a person that we can depend on to be there all the time. Joe has written up a hand book that has all the guide lines and job descriptions in it. Now we just need to wait on God to answer our need.

We have been telling you all about this exciting outreach for the most part of a year now. So far this year volunteers have helped us enter 17,636 Amish families into a mailing database. When God’s timing is right we want to start sending out a quarterly mailing that will have such articles as the Gospel, former Amish testimonies, Amish history, etc. in it. Originally we had thought that we would have everything in place by the end of the year but it just does not seem possible at this point. The cost of this outreach is going to run us $.25 a copy for a 4-page publication. We desperately desire your prayers for this outreach. We believe that God will bring us someone that can help cover costs when the time is right.

John and Vernon grew up in the same Amish community that Joe and Esther are from. After they left the Amish they came to Christ, got baptized and have been faithful to God. We are excited to announce to you that they are starting Bible college this Fall. John is going to Tennessee Temple and Vernon is going to Crown College. It is not possible to tell you how great it made our prayer group feel to pray over them and sound words of support toward them as they left to follow the call of God. We have been informed that they would love to hear from you. Their addresses are as follows…John & Jenni Schlabach, 300 W. Midvale Ave. Apt. 44, Chattanooga, TN 37405. Vernon Schlabach, P.O. Box 2000, Powell, TN 37849.

The Bible correspondence through the mail continues to grow every week. What you see in the photo’s are two weeks worth of Sonlight Club lessons waiting to go out in the mail. It is kind of hard to see but in the photo to your left you see about 500 lessons that are ready to go out. In the photo to your right you can see where about 30 students have finished the course they were in and are now getting their certificate of completion. We have a total of 24 courses (approximately 10 lessons per course) that range from age 3 through adult and when a student finishes one course we enroll them into the next course. There is hardly a week that goes by that we don’t hear from at least one student telling us that they asked Jesus to save them today. More and more adults are signing up for the Bible courses which makes us feel just great. Thanks to so many volunteers that are helping us get these Bible lessons out.

Several years ago God burdened Joe to reach the Amish with the Gospel through a wild game banquet. Hunting and fishing is one of the few things that they enjoy and so with many volunteers and hundreds of hours the home church as well as several area churches put the 2nd annual Wild Beast Feast together. For the menu we served elk, buffalo, alligator, venison, caribou, local turtle, Russian boar, and the mystery meat...kangaroo. We brought in professional wild game callers, a taxidermist, a variety of display tables and wild game mounts that decorated the whole front of the room. A lot of area businesses donated door prizes to give away at the event including a weeks vacation for two to Turpin Meadows Ranch in Wyoming. Our main speaker for the evening was Herb Fisher, a born-again Christian who shared his salvation testimony and then gave an invitation for anyone that wanted to accept the Lord as their Savior. Out of the 500 people that were at the event, 57 people made varies decisions to follow and grow in Christ. Our church is already working hard on following up on every person that made a decision. Our hearts were somewhat saddened that we were not able to draw more Amish people but we did draw a large number of former Amish and for that we praise God.

Over the past 15 years we have shared our home off and on to some 25-30 young folks that left the Amish, in hopes that we can influence them for Christ. The four that are pictured here just left the Amish in the past 2 month. Atlee and Ben told us that the reason they left was to get away from drinking and party life. After many visits from family members Atlee went back to his parents. At one point Atlee was told by his parents that they would rather see him in a coffin then where he is at now. Abram and Ben are still living with us and Rosie moved to one of our church family’s home, Jerry & Carol Gess. All of them have been very faithful in coming to church. Last week one night about 10 pm Joe was talking to Rosie on the phone and Rosie said, “Joe, I have been fighting the Holy Spirit all weekend and I am not sure that I can go to sleep tonight without getting saved.” A short while later (with many Christians praying) Rosie gave her life to Christ. Today in the morning church service she went forward and made her salvation public.

The Amish community next to us got together to pray and fast for one whole day last year because of their concern for the young folks that seem to be out of control. This year it caused such an up roar that they canceled the meeting. I wrote one of the leaders in the church a letter begging him to allow us (former Amish) to come out and meet with those Amish that are interested in praying and hold regular “prayer only” services. I have not heard back but we did receive a letter asking us not to include the ones staying with us in our prayer meetings.