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Changes Ahead
Mark Twain is reported to have said, “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes!” Change seems to be an inevitable part of our human existence.
Changes are in order for the Fraziers! As you may remember, Carla and I were struggling over a year ago with the idea of serving on a Mission Corps contract. “Could we raise sufficient funds to make it to Africa?” was the question that we asked ourselves. Thanks to the Lord and to your generosity we are now here. We stepped out of our comfort zone, and God stepped in!
However, changes are coming down the pike. We have received some wonderful news! The Global Mission of the Church of the Nazarene has extended a global missionary contract to us. We no longer need to raise funds for a monthly stipend. We are grateful to the Lord and to Global Missions for this opportunity to serve the Lord.
We first received word of the possibility a few months ago, but the contract change is now official as of this month, October. For this, we praise the Lord!
Now that we are on a Global Mission contract, some of you may want to re-evaluate your monthly pledge and redirect your contributions to other needs. If that is the case, we certainly understand.
However, if you would like to continue to give to our deputation account or our “work of” account, we encourage you to do so. We have a number of projects that we would like to support and would appreciate your support in doing so.
One of the projects which is dear to our hearts is the need to provide scholarships for students from French-speaking Africa. Our hearts are drawn naturally to this part of the world due to our previous service there. There is a great need for well-trained pastors in this area of Africa. If you want to give toward this project, we encourage you to do so. If you want your funds to go only to the “French-speaking Africa Students,” please designate your contribution as “Work of Russ and Carla Frazier.” If you just want to support our ministry in a general way, please designate your contribution as “Russ and Carla Frazier Deputation.” Please continue to use the same address:
General Treasurer, Church of the Nazarene
P.O. Box 843116
Kansas City, MO 64184
We do appreciate your faithfulness in giving!
Carla and I are still committed to praying for each church and each pastor of the churches that we visited during 2014. We are committed to praying for you! We pray that for pastors to be encouraged and churches to be blessed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Please forgive us for our failure to communicate. The website has been down for maintenance, and we have been extremely busy!
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Student Spotlight: Christine
She speaks softly…. so softly that I have to bend over the desk in the religion department to hear this teaching assistant speak. She is quiet—very quiet.
She isn’t quiet when she preaches though! Her voice thundered throughout the large auditorium the first time that I heard her. She preached with anointing; God used her words to minister to the hearts of students.
Her story is quite interesting. During her teenage years, her biological family sent her away. She landed in a pastor’s home where she grew tremendously in the faith and in her gifts for ministry while earning her keep as a house girl.
Eventually, she graduated from high school, and the pastor sent her to a Bible institute near Africa Nazarene University to get a diploma. However she wanted to attend University to prepare for the ministry.
She made application to ANU. Upon receiving her admission letter, she presented herself at the ANU finance office for permission to start classes. They turned her away. In fact, they turned her away numerous times! She went back again and again in the same day, speaking to a different person each time. All turned her away.
During that very day as she was continuing to cycle in and out of the finance office, a friend of hers called to inform her that she and her husband had sent Christine some money. Christine was elated. She went directly to the finance office and transferred the money about $100 to her account. God had opened a door for her!
Christine continued to work as a house girl, earning about $25 per month. It was barely enough money to pay for her own personal needs much less her school fees. She persevered however until she was able to secure work study. Today, she is now serving as a teaching assistant in the religion department. She is diminutive, but she packs a powerful punch. She is determined and persistent. I believe that she will make it!
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Wedding Bells
On October 17, our son, Seth, got engaged to his girlfriend, Chelsea Hughes. Our family has know Chelsea and her family for a longtime; she is the daughter of Andy and Becky Hughes who pastor the Zion Community Church of the Nazarene in Bloomington, IN. In fact, Carla babysat Chelsea when she was about three years of age. Seth and Chelsea reconnected at Trevecca Nazarene University. They plan to get married in May 2016.
Both Seth and his sister, Rachelle, will graduate in the same month. Thanks in advance for your prayers!
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Return Trip to Rwanda and DRC!
In November, Carla and I will be returning to Rwanda and to the Democratic Republic of Congo for a brief visit. We will depart on November 6 and return November 17. We’ll be there to visit churches and a district assembly in the region and to represent ANU at those venues in order to recruit some students for the university.
In addition, I (Russ) will teach a course to pastors on the Rwanda Northwest District. Carla and I are looking forward to visiting with our friends both in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has been over 10 years since we were there. We anticipate a great time of blessing and ministry!
Would you pray for us during this trip? We really appreciate your prayers!
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Prayer Requests
- Pray for us as we have been extremely busy in our roles, Russ in teaching and other responsibilities and Carla in the finance office.
- Pray for our son, Seth, and our family in the States.
- Pray that God will continue to supply all of our needs for our ministry here.
- Pray for the students attending ANU for whom English is not their first language. We feel this need deeply for some of our students from French speaking Africa.
- Pray for our upcoming trip to Rwanda and the DRCongo.
- Pray that God will give us the strength and health to do all that He wants us to do!
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