Balch Family Missions

Friday Feb 3, 2012

2012-02-03T21:28:00.001-05:00

Friday evening in Piedras Negras. A team of 22 people arrive on Sunday evening to work with our ministry. We will be putting an addition onto "Casa de Paz". Casa de Paz is an orphanage CrossRoads has worked with for years now. They, like many ministries here, have difficulty funding their ministry. They have anywhere from 15 - 29 orphans at the home at any given time. Alex and his wife are the only full time staff.
CrossRoads, along with Sunnybrook Christian Church in Stillwater, Ok will add a room and bathroom to the current building. The space will be used to rent out for parties (receptions, quincenetas, birthdays, etc.). This will help provide valuable funds for the orphanage.
Over the last few days I have been organizing housing, food, project supplies, and programs for the team from Sunnybrook. While I am nearly ready for their arrival, it becomes so clear that God is working with me here. Finding the supplies needed at a cost that was very affordable; and crossing food and other supplies across the border with no questions from Mexican customs are just a few of the details that when I look at them, I know God is with us.
Pray for the team from Sunnybrook this week. Pray for our ability to minister to Casa de Paz and the other ministry programs we will be doing this week. On Monday and Wednesday we will visit a hospital to serve those less fortunate and ill. On Tuesday and Thursday we will provide a meal and bible study at a local soup kitchen where the poorest of people live in Piedras. We also plan to work with "Las Lucecitas" (Little Lights); this is a group of Christian girls age 10-17 who do their own outreach, projects, and bible studies. We will also take the "Fun Bus" out to play with kids in a neighborhood, do a bible study, and share some ice cream with them.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I will continue to update when possible. Also, I will be posting pictures on Facebook www.facebook.com/tim.balch.

Restart

2012-01-28T10:52:00.001-05:00

I have recently come to the conclusion that I do not journal enough. I understand that blogging is "public" writing but it is a form or journalling. So I am going to attempt this once again.
I am heading back to Piedras Negras on Monday. Our ministry is looking at potentially 7 short term team visits this year. The first team is coming Feb 5-12 with our second team visiting and working March 10-17. The ministry we do there currently depends on short term mission teams. In recent years not many teams have come to Piedras. We are really praying for increased participation this year. If you are interested in working with our ministry this year check out the web site:
www.crossroadsmissions.com/mexico

Looking at the night sky

2009-09-22T19:25:00.002-04:00

One thing I noticed while in Tanzania was the clarity of the night sky. Electricity in most of the country is either non existent or rationed. Only in the major cities is 24 hour electricity available. In Masasi, the electricity was normally on for 8 hours and off for 4 hours. However, the pattern was often changed to allow for electricity at different times of the days.
We were there in the dry season. It had only rained once in the last 60 days. After sunset the clouds would totally disappear and the sky was clear. In my current classes on science and religion we had discussed how the earth is located in the perfect spot of the universe for observation of the entire universe. One thing that was talked about was the ability to see the middle of the "Milky Way" galaxy at night. This appears as a cloud that seems to go through the middle of the night sky. This cloud is the densely packed area of stars that are so distant we cannot see the actual stars with the naked eye. However, when you are away from the artificial lights created by technology, this cloud like area is visible in the night sky.
It was amazing to look up and see this in the sky. It is almost impossible to see from populated areas of the U.S. However, in this area of Tanzania, during the electricity 'blackout' periods, you could clearly see the center of the "Milky Way". I could only stand in awe of creation when looking at the night sky. Unfortunately I did not have the ability to take a picture of this. I can only encourage people to take mission trips to areas like this. God reveals so much when you take the time to focus on Him and His creation. When you participate on trips like the one I recently finished, you come back with more than just the experience you intended on getting. God has a way of showing up in ways that you can never imagine.

Tim

Last Day in Tanzania

2009-09-19T11:19:00.002-04:00

While my plan was to blog much more often. There are things that prevented that. Namely electricity rationing (we never knew for sure when we would have it), and internet purchase is by the mb here so I did not want to continually use up the mb.
This week has truly been an eye opener. I have met the leaders of 7 different churches in "the bush". These leaders all face difficulties that our churches at home would think nothing of. When I asked for prayer requests so that people in the U.S. could pray for specific items there were two things that were common in all the churches.
First, each one of the churches is looking for leadership in the form of elders. Only two churches currently have elders with one of those only having one elder. The pastors really soaked up the discipleship and leadership training we provided and are going to apply it to their congregations. They really need Christians in their congregations to step up and be leaders.
The second was for the spiritual development of all of their congregation. There are many distractions here that we do not have in the U.S. Lack of food, water and electricity are only a few. But one church was particularly interesting. I knew that the Makuowa (indigenous) people were originally animistic. I also knew that Islam is prevalent in this country. One church is positioned across the street from the local "witch doctor". This person will walk people right by the church to his shrine which is located behind the church property. I could not get over the fact that this IS the front lines of spiritual warfare. These Christians are battling forces that we know very little about. Prayer is the answer.
I hope that everyone will join me in praying for the Christians in Masasi, Tanzania.

Tim

In Tanzania

2009-09-14T13:56:00.002-04:00

Thanks to God and all my supporters I am safely in Masasi, Tanzania. 49 hours of flying and driving create a very tired person.
Today was the first day of the leadership conference. More than 20 leaders from the 9 different churches that the Team Expansion missionaries have planted showed up for classes. I originally thought we would be working with the Masaii people. I did not realize that here in Masasi the missionaries are working the the Makua and Yao tribes. It was such a blessing to see so many Christian leaders give up their time to come study and fellowship together. It is important for these young churches to understand that there are other churches in the area just like them. They have the support and prayers of not only those churches but people in the United States who pray for them daily.
I spoke about discipleship and training while Steve spoke on church leadership. There were many questions and both sessions ran over on time but nobody was complaining. I encouraged questions because it is important to understand exactly what difficulties the local leaders are facing.
God was very good and helped me answer all of their questions. At the end of the session I asked for them to write down the problems they face in evangelism. I am speaking on evangelism tomorrow and wanted to directly answer their questions. To my surprize there were 12 issues brought to my attention. Hopefully God will lead me to the answers that these Christians need to hear.
Thanks for all your prayers.

Tim

Tanzania - Day 1 First sign of God's assistance

2009-09-11T11:21:00.004-04:00

It is so important to remember that God will help those who keep Him first. This morning while checking our bags in Steve Poston (on the trip with me) inadvertently only checked his bag to London Heathrow. Later as I explained to him that the bag could have been checked all the way to Tanzania, he decided to go back to the counter and re-check the bag. If you have ever had luggage problems you may know where this is going. The kind counter assistant told us he would personally take the new tag to the bag.
When we got to the security check point I had not picked up my boarding pass from the printer so I had to go back (a third time) to the kiosk. While I was there I overheard a conversation on the radio between the clerk and baggage supervisor. The clerk was telling him the name on the bag was "Poston". This caught my attention. Obviously, the baggage supervisor was having difficulty locating the bag. He asked what tag was on the bag and the clerk said "Birmingham". Now I had to speak up. So I spoke with the clerk about the bag and when he radioed back the information I gave him the baggage supervisor told him that he found the correct bag.
Sometimes when we feel we are being delayed, held back, or even when we feel we have made a mistake (like forgetting a boarding pass); God can show us that He is in control. He can make good come from many of the things we feel are frustrating.

Peter's denial is the one thing that comes to my mind. Peter said he would die before denying Christ. Then he went out and denied him not only once, but three times. Was denying Christ a mistake? Surely we would think so, but God used it to bring the most wonderful gift to us. The gift of eternal life through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Later the forgiven Peter became one of the initial church fathers.
Thanks to all who are praying for us on this trip. I will update as often as possible so keep watching.

Tim

Priming the senses

2009-08-28T12:23:00.002-04:00

When I was a firefighter we would usually have one of the guys in the group cook on a regular basis. This would help with the budget and frankly, once you find a good cook, you want to stick with that person. Whenever he would fix a meal the rest of us would usually comment "wow, that really smells great". By the time dinner would be served we were rushing to the table to eat whatever had been prepared for us. His response when we would comment on the aroma was always the same, "that's half the battle".
After I went into ministry I was talking with a culinary school graduate about this memory of mine. He had an interesting observation. He mentioned, as some of us know, that our sense of smell plays a huge part in taste. During one of his classes they performed a little experiment on this. The meal was simply hot dogs and baked beans. Not much aroma to this meal. When they served it the first time they only fixed the meal with no extra aroma or attempt to spread the aroma. The comments were what one would normally expect (good meal, not bad, etc.). The next time they prepared the same meal. However, this time they roasted some garlic and baked some bread at the same time. Nothing was added to the meal. It was the same exact meal that was served the first time. This time though the comments were much more praise filled. Great meal! Did I smell garlic? This is good bread (it was not the bread being cooked).

You may be wondering what I am getting at. Well, I feel the same goes when we talk to people about Christ. We can simply start talking and I am sure the message will eventually get through. Whether people accept the message or not, they will respond to the it. However, when we take the time to get to know people, to show people the blessing of Christ in our own lives; that message will have much more of an impact on their own lives. It will be so much easier for people to take in the good news we are giving to them if we do more than simply talk with them. Paul speaks of how we are the aroma of Christ in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

[14] But thanks be to God,who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. [15] For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

I want to encourage all of you to simply "show" Christ to others in your lives before you try to "tell" them the good news. Get people wanting to hear what it is that makes your life full of hope. This will make it so much easier to evangelize the lost.

Tim

Spiritually Mature

2009-05-15T12:52:00.002-04:00

As I approach graduation I received an interesting update in my inbox. I signed up to receive the Barna Groups updates and this months update was particularly interesting to me. If you do not know who the Barna Group is, they are Christian pollsters. Similar to other poll organizations except they focus on Christians and the problems that they face. This months release was on Spiritual Maturity. I have noticed how Christian churches are often very good at outreach and teaching. However, how do people know when they are spiritually mature? If you read the Barna update you will see that not only Christians, but church leaders had a difficult time pinning that down. It is no wonder that people who are in a church often feel like they are stagnant or not progressing. Let me be clear that salvation does not depend on spiritual maturity. However, if you come to Christ years before you leave this earth, you should be interested in how to become more spiritually mature. I am interested in how you look at spiritual maturity. If you would I would love to read what you think. Respond to this post or email me with your ideas. I will let those who respond know what I feel on the subject. The link to the Barna update is:

http://www.barna.org/barna-update

It is interesting reading.

God Bless,
Tim

Moving again

2009-05-03T08:17:00.002-04:00

As many of you know we are moving to a different home yet again. The owners of the home we are renting are coming back in June so we had to find a different home to live in while we do our ministry. Renting seems to be the best option for us. One advantage is if one of us is out of the country doing a mission trip, and something major happens to the house, the landlord will be there to take care of it.
We started moving this weekend. Missi's mom and her good friend from Springfield came down to help. Since we have two full weeks to move we decided that this weekend we would paint a lot, and move the stuff that we could do without this week. Next week is the big move where we will move the furniture.
Keep us in your prayers during this period. We are still working on 3 overseas trips and 3 inner city mission trips that will be taking place between June 14 and Sept 21. Visit our web site for more info on them (www.balchfamilymissions.com).

Tim

Trusting in Our God

2009-04-16T19:37:00.002-04:00

It has been over 2 years since our family made the decision to go into missions. Many things changed in those two years. Our initial intentions was to go to Guinea, Africa and work with Pioneer Bible Translators. There we would have been working on outreach to a Muslim population that Pioneer Bible Translators were working with through translating the Bible into their native language.

Our plans fell through and we were unable to go to Africa. However, God opened another door for us to work with Team Expansion and CrossRoads Missions. We are now working on organizing and leading short term missions around the world. While we concentrate our efforts on Team Expansion missionaries in the field, we are not bound to only work with those missionaries. We can also reach out to other missionaries in need. Missi and I have been on numerous short term mission teams and have lots of experience in this area. God decided to use our skills in this area.

While we are currently working on 3 overseas trips, another door was opened for us to work with "Inner City" missions through CrossRoads Missions. This work is organizing and leading short term mission teams to inner city work areas within Louisville and Cincinnati. Recently we completed 2 of these trips and the people who participated were overwhelmed with the work and outreach they were able to accomplish.

While we are living in the Louisville area, the home we have been renting is no longer available. So we have to move again. We were concerned with two big things. Would we have to move our children to yet another school district and where would we find a suitable home?

What is interesting to me is that I have learned 2 very valuable lessons during this journey. First, it is so important to realize that "my" plans may not be the plans God has for me. In Jeremiah 29:11 God tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (ESV). However, if you read a little farther, in Jeremiah 29:13 God goes on to tell us, "You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart," (ESV). If we simply seek God with all our heart, He will be found and He will put us where He wants us to be.

The second valuable lesson that I have learned through this is what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us, "[31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32]For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33]But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."(ESV). Throughout this journey I have made plans, worried about where we will live, eat, sleep, etc. Yet by staying focused on God and His Kingdom, He has always provided for us.

Guinea, Africa has had a change in political leaders. Pioneer Bible Translator's is having to evacuate the country due to the government taking back the homes foreigners are staying in. If we had gone there we would be just arriving and now have to be leaving the country. God knew this was coming and wanted to use us in a different capacity.

We searched everywhere for a suitable home. While taking our daughter to spend the night with a friend, Missi noticed a home for rent next door. She called the number on the rental sign and we now have an even bigger home, with more land, in the same school district, that is closer to our work.

Serving God in "Inner City" mission work has been both rewarding and has given us very valuable experience in leading a group. The "Overseas" part of our mission is continually moving forward. God is truly amazing! We are so concerned about things that He has told us He will provide for us if we simply stay focused on Him.

I want to personally thank all of you who pray for our ministry and our family. I cannot express how grateful I am to be able to work in this ministry. It is only because we have God on our side, and He has moved you to pray and support us that we can accomplish the things He has led us to.

Thank you so much. May God bless every one of your lives.

Tim Balch

God is our Strong Tower

2009-03-02T18:24:00.002-05:00

Recently our family has been going through many little setbacks. On a trip back to Springfield; Missi was driving the Explorer when suddenly there was a loud bang in the engine compartment. Not knowing what was happening, Missi pulled off to the side. Luckily we have friends in Ohio who work on vehicles and one of them answered her call for help. I was still here in Louisville. After examining the vehicle the only option was to tow it to the garage. It looked as if we may need to overhaul the engine. After inspection there was only minor damage and the bill was significantly less.
The reason I had stayed in Louisville was to receive a visit from the people who own the house we are staying in. After talking with them about the possibility of purchasing the home, we could not come close to an agreement. While nobody is angry, we simply cannot agree on a purchase price. So that means we will be required to move at the end of our lease (June 30th). If anyone has ever moved, you know how much we enjoy that. I am sure we will get help from our friends, but we still have to move and that is not fun.
After getting the Explorer fixed (for much less than we thought), it seemed as if it was running perfectly again. Last week, while driving home from work, Missi noticed it would not shift into 3rd gear. She was really stressed when she called me so she drove it straight to a transmission shop nearby. This time the news was not so good. 3rd gear was completely gone and a new transmission was needed. The funny thing about all of this car stuff is we paid off the car in October. So getting a new transmission will hopefully fix the car for a long time to come.
Feeling frustrated one of Missi's friends said it best. "God must have big plans for you because Satan sure is trying to get at us".
That was exactly what we needed to hear. God is our Strong Tower. Satan can throw anything he wants at us. As long as we remained focused on God, He will see us through. We cannot wait for this time to pass.
We are definitely in need of prayers. Please keep us, and all missionaries in your prayers. When things like this happen, and you are away from home, it really adds stress. But one thing I don't think Satan was aware of; it also draws us closer to the One who will see us through.

Recruiting

2009-01-26T09:25:00.002-05:00

Our ministry is entering an new phase for us. We now have 3 trips confirmed, planned and advertised. Now we must fit the correct people into those trips. Recruiting is really something new to us. Missi and I have never really had to recruit people before. So when the President of Team Expansion was scheduled to speak at Kentucky Christian University; Missi took the opportunity to go along and walk around the campus talking with people about our ministry and the trips scheduled. Needless to say she returned with a very positive attitude about potential participants. The really nice thing about our ministry is no church or organization needs to supply the entire team.
If your church or organization is interested in participating we have numerous ways to find information. There are two webs sites:
www.crossroadsmissions.com/overseas
www.teamexpansion.com/balch

You can also respond to this blog posting or email us at:
balchfamily@hotmail.com

It would be our blessing to come and speak to your organization. Thank you for all your prayers.

Tim

2009-01-09T14:58:00.002-05:00

It has been a few weeks since our last post. Christmas was very good and we are so blessed by God that it is hard to believe some times.
The trip to Taiwan for the Sports and English camp is set for July 1-12. This is a camp that the missionaries in Taiwan put on each year to draw in more youth to the church. The camp teaches many different sports along with drama and photo/journalism. They even have a web site: www.sportsandenglish.com. Check out the video from last years camp.
We also will take trips to Alaska and Tanzania this year. We are still in the process of getting set dates, however, these trips are missionaries that have requested trips through us.
I only have 4 more weeks of traveling to CCU for school (yea). While I will still be completing some online courses, the 2 hour trips to Cincinnati will be complete. I will graduate in May with a degree in Ministry and Leadership. Wow, it only took me 29 years after high school to get this. Missi is still working hard on her Master's Degree in Ministry and Intercultural Relations. Her school requires 1 week of instruction each semester with lots of online work.
The kids are doing well in school and church. DJ is on the middle school basketball team. If anyone knows Indiana, basketball is like the only sport in this state. So for DJ to make the team is really an achievement.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support.

Prayer Requests:
Finding the right people for the Taiwan mission trip
We are continually seeking more support. Right now Missi works to help offset any deficit we have. Pray for God to lead us to people and churches willing to back our ministry

Praises:
We are really getting the word out on our ministry to missionaries. We are receiving requests for more information and potential trips. Keep checking our web site and the CrossRoads web site for more information.

God Bless,
Tim

Christmas Shopping

2008-12-19T14:43:00.003-05:00

Our shopping is done! Missi and I completed this yesterday. When we were on our way home I asked her if there was anything else we needed. When she said we were done this feeling of elation came over me. It never ceases to amaze me how great a wife I have. While I did participate in some of the shopping, Missi was the driving force. She kept the list; made sure we got the things we needed to get; and kept us well within our budget. Wow, what a partner I have.

On a separate note. In this Christmas season I often think of Joseph. I posted some thoughts on our web site devotion page and I encourage you to read them and comment. Go to:

http://www.balchfamilymissions.com/devotions.htm

I hope everyone has a great Christmas. This is a time for all of us to declare that Jesus is born. Our savior came into this world to save us.

Tim

The Christmas Rush

2008-12-13T11:13:00.002-05:00

This is probably one of the busiest times of the year. We try to visit family and friends. We attempt to get this year's work goals completed. We plan for the coming year. There are Christmas parties to attend. If you are like our family, everyone is working on homework and assignments from school. And somewhere in that mess we look for gifts to give our family and friends for Christmas. In the midst of all of this it is easy to skip personal time with Jesus. To me the ironic thing about that is Jesus is the reason for this season. He will guide you through these days. You only need to take the time to ask Him for that guidance.
So when you feel frustrated due to the traffic, long lines or the seemingly lack of enough time; take a moment to ask Him to calm your soul and guide you.

Tim

Black Friday Shopping

2008-11-30T17:36:00.000-05:00

We were in Ohio this weekend so I did not get around to writing in the blog. My wife and I are big Black Friday shoppers. We have spent the night outside of stores to get the best bargains. Even when we do not spend the night outside of stores we always get up around 3am to get out there and shop. To me it just makes sense to try and get the most for the money God has allowed me to have. I am sure there are other ways to do this but Black Friday has really become a 'tradition' for my wife and I. We really get excited about getting our family members presents while spending as little as possible. My wife will sit down after the Thanksgiving meal and plan a strategy. Stores all open at different times and have different sales so making a strategy allows for the best possible outcome. The strategy does not always work, but more times than not it really helps. One strategy we often use while shopping is Missi will shop while I wait in the long line with another cart. That way she can scoop up the bargains, drop them in my cart, we can check out quicker and get moving to the next store. Teamwork is great! The best part for me is being in the crowds. It really is a chance to show God's love. I always smile at people and wish them well. I help whenever I can and try to carry on positive conversations with everyone.

I know in the big picture of things, shopping like this really does not matter. It is not the gift but the thought behind it. The real reason for the season is Christ. However, getting up a 3am, dealing with the crowds, getting the most for my money, is my way of showing just how important the people I buy gifts for are. Besides that, it is a very special time that my wife and I spend together each year.

Tim

National Missionary Convention

2008-11-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

We are currently attending the National Missionary Convention. This years convention is in Tulsa, OK. If you have never been to a convention I encourage you to attend next years convention in Peoria, IL. It is so encouraging to see all of the different organizations that work to spread the work of Jesus Christ. The convention is for Church of Christ/Chistian Church organizations to display their mission anr recruit supporters and other potential missionaries. There are also many different workshop style classes throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. These classes are designed for all the different parts of missionary activity from Churches, to missionaries, to college students, and any other potential missionary organization. Team Expansion always has a very large display. Through this convention, Team Expansion works hard to recruit new missionaries through the many different opportunities available. Missi and I have taken this opportunity to meet the many different missionaries who attend this convention and let them know exactly what our mission is all about.
CrossRoads always has a huge wall building area during the convention. Missi and I have helped cut the wood and supervised groups assmebling the walls. This year anyone who want to participate can assemble a wall that will either go to an Indian reservation in Arizona to house some needy families, or help Pioneer Bible Translaters build a new office to house their international headquaters.
It is only with your prayers that we are able to do what we do. I really am amazed at how God has worked through this family. Thank you for all you do for us.

His always,
Tim

Prayer requests
1. Meeting up with the right missionaries
2. Travel safety back to Louisville then to Ohio for Thanksgiving
3. Keeping our hearts open to God's will and direction

Planting Churches

2008-11-14T17:47:00.000-05:00

Sitting here in Southeast Christian church during the Global Missions Health Conference is an experience. It is amazing to see how many Christian based missionary organizations are operating. But it also has shown me how unique and special Team Expansion is. This is a medical missions conference. All of the organizations represented here are nearly exclusively medical related. They only focus on medical missions. Team Expansion is unique in that there are medical missions, however, there are many other different missions that Team Expansion has. In a recent email the president of Team Expansion said that at the end of 2007 there were teams in 47 different countries. Few organizations can equal that number. I am not bragging. I am simply pointing out that Team Expansion is not going to focus on any one particular way of doing missions. Team Expansion is a 'church planting' organization. If the best way to plant a church in a particular area is through a medical clinic, then that is what is done. If the best way to plant a church is through preaching, then that is what is done. Missi and I are so blessed to be associated with an organization that is focused on one thing; planting churches using whatever tools are available.

Tim

We are all missionaries

2008-11-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

This is a time of year for many conferences that involve missions. Last weekend Missi and 7 others from Team Expansion and CrossRoads Missions attended the National Youth Workers Conference in Pittsburgh. She made some great contacts for future mission trips and got the word out about the opportunities available through our ministry. Since it was over Holloween weekend there were 'costume' days for the exhibitors. I have attached a few pics of her in some of the costumes. Missi has so much energy that God uses in some wonderful ways.

Next up is the Global Missions Health Conference at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville 13-15 Nov. There we will be able again to make contacts and even connections for possible short term ministry teams.

However, Missi and I are not the only missionaries on this team. Our son, Sean, left this weekend for a youth group overnighter at a nearby campground. There he will fellowship with other teens from Northside Christian Church. You know, paintball and other activities along with some Bible study. The amazing part is Sean took 3 unchurched students from school with him. These boys have all told me that they have seen something in Sean that they really liked. 2 of the boys were on his crosscountry team and the third is the brother of one of those boys. None of these boys has been baptized yet or attended Church regularly. Sean simply asked them to start going to Wednesday night small groups with him. He also picks them up for Sunday morning church. As a father I am so proud of him. He sees the need to reach out to those around him and show them Jesus. In its most simple form, he just asked them to go. Jesus has done the rest.

We are currently working numerous contacts for potential trips in 2009. As soon as any trip is confirmed I will place it on our web site. Anyone can go on a trip that we organize. The group does not have to come from the same church.

We have plans to be home in Springfield for the Thanksgiving weekend. We are going to first attend a dinner at Gallipolis Christian Church on Thursday evening, then drive to Springfield to be with family. If you want to visit with us, or would like us to visit with you just leave us a note and we will get back with you. You can comment on this post; email us at balchfamily@hotmail.com, or call us at (937)360-9230. That is my cell.

Prayer requests this week:
Pray that the boys on the trip will accept Jesus
Pray for our contacts
Pray for our supporters

God Bless,
Tim

New Page on web site

2008-10-31T21:31:00.000-04:00

I started a new page on the web site today. Missi and I attend so many classes and conferences that we are bombarded with information. I thought it would be nice if I were to share some of this information occasionally with our supporters. I would like to do this in the form of a devotional. I will try to update the page weekly with new stories and information. To get to the page simply click on the devotional link from our home page. I would also like to hear any feedback you may have. You can give us feedback through our Guest Book page, by adding a comment to our blog, or by simply emailing us. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Missi is in Pittsburg this evening at the Youth Specialties Conference. I hope to have some pictures posted by next week. There are special dress days. Today was "Jock or Geek" day. Missi chose to dress as a jock and sent a text message picture to me of her and many others which is hilarious. She is really having fun and making great contact with people there. It is amazing how many people are dedicated to serving our Lord. Mission work is all about working as a team. The more team members the better. That is why your prayers and support are so valuable to us. Without that we would not be able to even meet these other dedicated people.

Thank you all so much.
Tim

Getting the Mission up and running

2008-10-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

We have spent our first full week in the office. It is amazing how much 'stuff' there is to do to get started. One thing we are doing very well is accumulating a large data base of people, churches, schools, etc. that are wanting to do short term mission trips. The hard part now is getting the missionaries in the field to request these trips. Communications with missionaries in the field are good in some areas and poor in others. I have communicated with missionaries in Peru, Taiwan and Bosnia who have some interest but right now they are not sure as to when they will need the trips. On 29 and 30 October we are participating in a 'webinar' from Team Expansion International Services headquarters. This is a web based training that all missionaries with internet service can participate and actually see us in the office. We will announce our new position and 'get the word out' to literally hundreds of missionaries in the field on that day.

We are also participating in 3 conferences in the next month. Missi will be in Pittsburg, PA on Oct 29 - Nov 1 for a Youth Leaders conference; On Nov 13-15 we will both be at the Global Missions Health Conference at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville; and on Nov 20-23 we will be in Tulsa, OK for the National Missionary Convention. We will certainly make lots of contacts at these conventions and probably build up our data base of people wanting to go on trips even more.

Missi is still working hard on her Master's Degree in Intercultural communications and I am in my last semester at CCU for my degree in Ministry and Leadership. I will be done in February (with God's help).

Be sure to visit the web site often. I am beginning to blog more often and I am going to add a devotional page. Missi and I are constantly getting information at these classes and conferences that make great devotional material. So she told me to start putting it on the web site.

That is all for now. Please keep praying for our ministry and thank you for all your support.

Tim

School Days

2008-10-17T10:07:00.000-04:00

Missi and I were talking this week and now that we are actually in the offices of Team Expansion and CrossRoads we are going to make a concerned effort to blog more. We really want to stay connected with our supporters and one of the best ways is through a blog. So, a weekly (or more) post will begin today.

This week has been filled with meetings and school. I have really learned appreciation for the Team Expansion organization. It is a very well run organization. There is a checklist of things that must be accomplished prior to beginning work in the office. So this week has been spent making sure all of our 'ducks are in a row' so to speak. That way there will be no major distractions once our work begins in the office.

Missi is in Phoenix this week. Her main purpose is to work on her Master's degree in Intercultural Relations, however, being a true missionary she is also making great contacts while there. It is really uplifting to here her excitement when she calls.

This week I turned in a final for my Philosophy of Religion class. I really enjoy Philosophy and I hope to someday work on a Masters in Apologetics. I also am finishing my class on the Literature of CS Lewis and started a new class called Case Studies in Leadership. I know that sound like a lot but I really enjoy studying Christianity and the Bible. Add the Christian Leadership classes to that and the whole degree will only help further our mission and our ability to work better for God.

There is no way that Missi and I could have possibly done this without God leading us. Even though we are just starting I can look back and see that this journey is such a great testimony for God's leading. We also would not be able to accomplish anything without the prayers and support from all of our supporters. We love all of you.

God Bless,
Tim

Surviving the hurricane

2008-09-24T17:51:00.000-04:00

Hopefully everyone made it through the midwest hurricane last week. We were very lucky compared with many people we know. While I know it wasn't a real hurricane, it was definately the strongest sustained winds that I have seen in this area. We only lost power for 26 hours. There were people just 2 blocks away who lost power for a week. 2 trees were cut in half in our back yard. The top half of both trees fell. The amazing thing was that nothing touched our fence or house. Our whole yard was covered by one of the trees but no damage to the house of fence. The only real loss (besides power) was our canvas awning over our deck was shredded. It is interesting how the loss of power can sometimes be a blessing. The day after the winds, there were 10-15 people helping my family remove the downed branches from our yard.

On a separate note I started facilitating a small group through our church this Sunday evening. There are 20 people (I know not very small). Everyone is from the Charlestown area. The church created a companion course with the sermon series that the preacher is doing. I included video, scripture, and sample questions for discussion. The church challenged people to do 6 weeks of small groups then decide if they like it. The group went very well and being new it will be interesting to see how many people stay after 6 weeks.

We are still actively seeking support so your prayers are very welcomed. We are over 50% and Missi has graciously taken a part time RN position to cover the remainder. However, I really pray this is temporary and support will come. God is amazing and we really feel He is with us.

Tim