January 2013 Newsletter

"What is it about our worldview that does not value anything and does not think about tomorrow? How do we produce true discipleship and bring the Bible to bear on life?"
- Duncan Olumbe"
January 2013Jambo" from Kenya!
By the grace of God, we made it. What a privilege it is to write this update from the continent the Lord has brought us to serve! For nearly a month now, we have been in Machakos, Kenya going through our Africa Based Orientation (ABO) from AIM. It is a time devoted to training and adjustment to life in Africa. We have learned much and realized how much more we have to learn!
Our Time of Training
The past three weeks have been a challenge. Each day, we held a morning devotion session before spending about 6 hours in lecture and discussion on different aspects of African ministry and culture. This time was split up by lunch and tea breaks (thank God for chai!). Our topics of discussion included African culture and values, development work, security training, children's matters, HIV/AIDS and health, spiritual warfare, Islam, ethnomusicology, and cross-cultural communication. The food we were served seemed also designed to quickly adapt us to African meals - little variety, staple items (rice, noodles, or a cornmeal called "ugali"), simple meats, a few vegetables. Though hard for us all, the food was particularly unkind to Abby with her pregnancy tastes. The setting of our training was Scott Christian University, where we were able to interact with students from all across Africa and begin to observe church ministry in this context.
An African Worldview
Maybe the most fascinating and mind-boggling aspect of our training was a study of the African worldview. Our instructor was a Kenyan pastor who has studied in the UK and led orientation courses for missionaries of several different organizations. Every session raised more questions in our minds and provided answers we would have spent years trying to understand. The gap between our western mindset and theirs is truly immense, not to mention the Christian/pagan differential! The challenges presented in this training made us (and every other missionary we asked) feel very inadequate to the task. The work that must be done to produce true disciples will be something that only God could do through us. We are now more than ever reliant upon Him!Our Family...
...has been adjusting well to our new life here in Africa. There are certainly challenges we are facing in this culture. The length of church services and the lack of children's ministry or nursery makes it hard for Kyle to sit through Sundays. We try to bring coloring books, cars, toy animals, or the iPod to keep him occupied. But these things only keep him for a time, because the other children often take them away. Possessions here are seen largely as communal and meant to be shared. Personal space is not recognized at all and Kyle eventually gets tired of being crowded, carried, and touched. The food, as mentioned, is hard on Abby and has messed up Kyle's stomach a few times. I (Jonathan) had an especially hard time leaving the other missionaries at the end of ABO. But all in all, I feel we are adapting well. Our spirits are high and we were surprised at the ability we've had to keep in contact with our families back home during this time. The internet is unreliable here and very slow, but most days at Scott we've been able to post on Facebook and use Skype to contact home. We've been encouraged by all of you who have followed us on Facebook and kept up with our journey here. We are happy to be able to share it!

Our Plans...
...have been changing quite often concerning our next few months, because our team leader, Chris, has had some significant health problems in the past weeks. Please pray for his strength and recovery and for his wife and six children as they hope to see him well again soon. Doctors are still unsure about exactly what has happened. Our plans, then are to move to Lesotho on February 11th, where we will immediately do a 3-week village stay with a Basuto family, a pastor who lives in Maphutseng, to immerse us in the language and culture we will be learning. After that time, we will live in Maseru, the capital city, until Baby Ellee is born. Abby plans to deliver at a hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa, possibly. Sometime around late June we would then move east to Mokhotlong and settle down to minister there for the next few years.

Thank You All...
...for the sacrifices you've made to get us here. We realize more and more what an amazing team of support the Lord has put together for us. You encourage us by your words and your prayers. We love you and pray for you individually. Now it's on to South Africa!
- Jonathan, Abby & Kyle St.Clair
jastclair@aimint.net

December 2012 Newsletter

December 2012
Schedule:
Jan. 8 - Peachtree City, GA (sendoff)
Jan.10 - Fly to Kenya (3-week orientation)
~ Feb.1 - Move to Maseru, Lesotho (6 months of language/culture acquisition)
~ Aug.1 - Move to Mokhotlong, Lesotho (3 year T.E.E. assignment)
2016 - Return to USA (8 month home assignment to visit our churches, families, and supporters)

We are thrilled...
...to update you all on the exciting events which have taken place over the past two months! When we wrote our last update letter, we were awaiting several hundred dollars in monthly support as well as about $17,000 in outgoing expenses. As of today we have over 100% of our outgoing expenses and we are only short $115 in monthly support. We have been cleared by AIM to leave for Africa on January 10th.... a mere 38 days away!
It has been very humbling...
...to watch the Lord use so many of our friends and family to provide for our needs. We appreciate the sacrifices so many have made for the sake of spreading the Gospel in Lesotho. Literally thousands of dollars were given over the course of about two weeks in mid October which sent us from wondering where the funds were going to come from to celebrating the miraculous way the Lord had provided! It has been such a confirmation that this is exactly what our Lord wants us doing and that this is the time for us to go..
One Busy Month
This month promises to be an extremely busy one as we prepare to leave after the New Year. We are busy packing up the apartment and are scheduled to move out this weekend. Jonathan has two more weeks of his semester with Liberty online and he is covered up writing three research papers this week. We will be staying with my parents' during the time we are in Aiken this month, which won't be very often. On December 14th we leave for Illinois for a week. We will return to Aiken for about a week before turning around and heading to enjoy some family time with the St.Clairs in late December/early January. When we return from that, we'll only have a couple days before heading to AIM headquarters and flying out!
On January 8...
...we will drive to Peachtree City, Georgia, where we will spend all day in preparation sessions on Wednesday. Thursday, Africa Inland Mission is hosting a farewell luncheon and from there we will depart for the airport. Upon arrival in Kenya we will spend a few nights in a guest house trying to get over jet-lag before heading to our three week orientation in Machakos (about an hour south of Nairobi). After orientation we'll be on our way to Lesotho! As I type this I can barely believe that this is really happening. We are so excited!
While things are so busy and exciting...
...we covet your prayers as we prepare to leave our beloved friends and family. It is very difficult to think of leaving them all, especially as Kyle is still growing and changing so rapidly. I find myself fighting tears in even the little things like parting with many of his baby items as well as some of the toys he enjoys but we can't take with us. I am still very ill with “morning sickness” that lasts all day every day. There is so much to be done and I am finding it difficult to muster the energy to do it all. I know God is in control and I trust Him for strength and endurance. We appreciate your prayers for us as we walk through these busy and difficult days.
Our family prayer cards...
...are in and we'll be mailing them out shortly. If we don't have a mailing address for you and you would like one of our cards, please send us a quick email and we'll be sure to get one into your hands. We have enjoyed the opportunities in these past months to share our ministry plans with all of you and now anticipate keeping you informed of what the Lord is doing in Africa. Remember that you can follow us more closely through our blog sites and by "friending" us on Facebook.
Thank you all for your support! We look forward to updating everyone next from Africa!
- Jonathan, Abby, Kyle & "Baby Saint"
(803) 645-0822
jastclair@aimint.net

stclairsinmissions.blogspot.com;

jonathandstclair.blogspot.com;

abbymtstclair.blogspot.com

October 2012 Newsletter

"The Great Commission is to make disciples. There are a lot of missionaries who do good. There are not many who make disciples." - Pastor Martin Lemus, Iglesia Bautista Cristo Te Ama, Cancún, México
October 2012
Going and Growing...
...is a good way to describe our exciting and eventful past couple of months! We have seen God's people responding to our support needs and are asking Him for provision for our remaining finances.
The Lord provided for us...
...the opportunity to return to Mexico, where we lived in 2010. We have wanted to go back ever since Kyle was born and the Lord began to direct us towards Africa. The believers there had encouraged us so much in our desire to follow God's calling on our lives, we wanted to be able to share with them all that God is doing now! We were able to spend two nights on the hotel zone for a small family vacation before we went to stay with our friends. During our week we visited a small village called Victoria where we used to minister every week. Jonathan was given the opportunity to sing Steve Green's “Yo Iré” (“I Will Go”) in the evening service at our church as well as to share our Africa ministry plans at the men's Monday night Bible study. We spent many meals visiting with our friends and enjoying speaking Spanish again.
A Time of Encouragement
One of the most encouraging times in our trip was a conversation Abby and I had with Pastor Martin and his wife. In discussing the needs on the mission field today, Pastor encouraged us with his missional vision for his church in reaching their own people and even what role they could play in reaching Hispanics in the U.S. He is a godly, mature leader whom God will use greatly. He is the type of leader that I hope to help train up in Africa. The men's Bible study was also very encouraging as several of the church deacons and others expressed their appreciation for our ministry in Mexico and blessings on our plans for Africa. We pray for the Lord to bless this church and hope to keep contact with them in future ministry.
We have been busy...

... getting things together for leaving in January. This month we've been getting physical examinations, vaccines, blood tests, and prescriptions. Soon we'll begin sorting clothes, packing suitcases, and preparing to move. Each month we are praying that our support will be raised in time. Our monthly support is now around 88%, with a few more pending commitments, and our outgoing expenses are at 54%. We are now mainly in need of one-time donations to provide the big, upfront costs of moving to Lesotho.
Four days ago...
...while Abby was running errands, I got Kyle up from his nap and found him wearing a baby shirt that said "Big Brother"! I called Abby and learned that we are expecting our next child! Kyle has been such a blessing to us that we can't imagine how much joy will be brought by another little one. God is so good to us. With the new family member our monthly budget has been raised slightly, but it remains almost 90% pledged. In fact we need only $574 per month more to meet our budget. Our plan to leave in January remains the same. We know that the Lord is in control of our lives and circumstances; it was His desire to bring us this new child at this stage of our lives. We know He will care for both Abby and the baby as we leave for our new home in another land.
Please be praying...
...for the following needs in our lives:
Health for Abby and the new baby
Provision for the last of our support needs
Diligence during my seminary classes
Wisdom as we prepare to move overseas
Emotional strength for leaving home

Thank you for your involvement...
...in our lives. We are constantly reminded of our need of each other and are grateful for all of you who follow us, pray for us, and give to support our ministry. We want to be involved in each of your lives. Please contact us at the information below if we may minister to you in any way. We have just ordered our family prayer cards and will send those out shortly upon arrival. You may also follow us more closely and informally on Facebook and through our blog sites. May the Lord bless and keep you all!
- Jonathan, Abby, Kyle & "Baby Saint"
(803) 645-0822

jastclair@aimint.net
stclairsinmissions.blogspot.com; jonathandstclair.blogspot.com; abbymtstclair.blogspot.com

August 2012 Newsletter

August 2012

"It is exciting to think something so vital to the life and health of a Christian - which was practically inaccessible due to distance, illiteracy, and poverty - can now, with the efforts of a few dedicated workers, be brought to where people live so believers can grow."- Kevin Zwart, AIM Mozambique(on the TEE program)

After months of prayer...

...and correspondence, we have accepted our first assignment within AIM's Southern Region. We will spend our first 3+ years in Mokhotlong, Lesotho assisting a program called Theological Education by Extension (TEE).

In partnership with GEM...

...AIM began a program in Lesotho for educating national pastors and missionaries who are already involved in the work of the ministry. These men have neither the time nor the money to go to a Bible college or seminary to further their understanding of the Bible. Through this program, a group of trained missionaries is able to bring theological education to the pastors as they minister in their area. Jonathan will be serving as the TEE coordinator for eastern Lesotho, under the leadership of Ntate Joseph Mpakaneane in western Lesotho. During our time in Mokhotlong, Jonathan will continue his online seminary studies with Liberty, though initially we will focus solely on adjusting to our new language and culture. 

A New Foreign Language

While English is considered a national language in Lesotho, the common language there is called Sesotho. Given that the TEE program is taught in Sesotho, our family will be working to learn this language in order to effectively communicate with the Basotho people. After our three-week-long Africa Based Orientation in Kenya, we will move initially to the capital of Lesotho (Maseru) where we will spend somewhere from four to six months working under Ntate Joseph, learning the program and language. Following that, we will be moving into Mokhotlong to begin our work there. As mission work is all about reaching people, we hope to be able to develop relationships within our town quickly and minister to all whom the Lord sends our way! 

The city of Mokhotlong...

...we are told is much smaller than a large city yet more advanced than a rural village. It has fairly reliable electricity, running water, and internet access. The area is extremely mountainous with moderate to cool temperatures year-round. We have seen many pictures of this region and are very excited about moving there.

Over the past two months...

...our support has more than doubled! We are still working hard to have all of our finances arranged to leave in January of 2013. We have been very encouraged as we watch many of God's people stand up and commit to supporting the work He is doing in Africa. According to our records, we have over 68% of our monthly support pledged and about 54% of our outgoing expenses have already been sent in. Between Jonathan working full time and studying through Liberty, we have been meeting with families here in South Carolina to share with them our plans for the ministry. When Jonathan completes his first semester on the 18th of this month, he will have more free time to meet with the few other churches we have connections with here in Aiken. We are excited to already have a buyer for our car when we leave as well as for much of our furniture. It feels great to have very little holding us back now!

Please be praying...

...that the rest of our support will continue coming in and that we will be able to leave in January. God has been faithful to us and all of our needs are being met. We are continually surprised by the way God moves upon people's hearts. Several of the families that have committed to support us have contacted us on their own initiative, wanting to be involved in our lives. We have been able to see families commit very sacrificial gifts and we pray that the Lord will repay them according to their generosity. We have been humbled at the outpouring of support and love and prayer that we are receiving.

Kyle is growing...

...faster than we could have imagined. I had to close by telling you about him, because he is just the biggest blessing that the Lord has given us. He makes every day so joyful and happy! Being away from him is the hardest part of Jonathan working every week at Chick-fil-A. He is the happiest little boy we have ever known and we thank the Lord for him every day! So, from all of us, lots of love to all of you and thank you for your ministry in our lives. May the Lord bless and keep you!

- Jonathan, Abby & Kyle St.Clair
(803) 645-0822
jastclair@aimint.net

June 2012 Newsletter

June 2012

"Are you a Christian? Then you have some part to play in making Jesus known. It may be in another part of the world or it may not. You need to find out how and where God is leading you."
- Duane Elmer

Living Cross-Culturally... 

...is a challenge that most people won't have to face in their lives. Yet, in our ever-shrinking world, more and more people are finding themselves coming into contact with other cultures, whether through business connections, ministry opportunities, or the immigration of people to our home country. How, then, can we Christians use these opportunities to spread the gospel?

Passing It On

As part of our Outbound training, Abby and I have been reading through a number of books assigned to us by AIM. One of those books has been especially insightful and we wanted to pass along some of the truths we've been learning, in hopes that you may be able to pray for us more specifically and maybe even to aid you when your own life crosses with an unfamiliar culture. The book is called "Cross-Cultural Connections" by Duane Elmer.

Right, Wrong and Different

Culture typically defines the way things are done. Each time a person encounters someone who does things differently than themselves, he tends to label the other person's actions in one of these ways - right, wrong, or different. Often, we see our way as the right way and the other person's way as the wrong way. One of the great challenges of living in a new culture is being able to discern what things are right, what things are wrong, and what things are merely different. As more experience is gained living in a host culture, the lines we draw of right and wrong practices will likely include more labels of "different" and fewer labels of "right" or "wrong". We must be careful, however, that we never label as merely different something that God has explicitly labeled right or wrong. In our particular ministry - theological education - it will be critical for us to have wisdom in identifying cultural differences in light of biblical standards. Please pray that we will faithfully teach God's Word and rightly apply its truths to the cultures we will be living in! 

As the author stated...

"If we treat everything as right and wrong, we do a great disservice to the human diversity God has placed in his creation. If we treat everything as a cultural difference, we do a great disservice to the God who authored an uncompromising word of truth."

Our family plans...

...are continuing forward. During the past months, we have been making phone calls and visiting with families and friends whom the Lord has connected us to, sharing our plans for ministry in Africa and praying for the Lord to prompt hearts to join our support team. We have been very encouraged by the response of God's people. Each week at church, it seems, we have people I sing with in choir asking how our fund-raising is going and church members saying that the Lord has led them to help support us financially. Since our last letter, we've updated our numbers in the chart below. We are now at about 22% of our monthly support and have 34% of our one-time expenses already sent in. In addition, three churches and twelve families have committed to help us and are praying about how much the Lord would have them contribute. Please pray that the Lord will continue to provide. We trust that we will; He has always proven faithful!

Also this month...

...I have been accepted to study at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. My desire to teach in a seminary or Bible college in Africa required that I get my master's degree from an accredited seminary. I also needed to be able to complete my studies fully online, as I won't be able to take block classes on campus in the US. I will be studying for a Master of Divinity in Missiology. Of course, this will be a big expense for us and we are planning our personal budget now to provide for the costs. We are committed not to take on any student loans or debt. I feel this is the most responsible way to manage things and we have faith that God can stretch our finances as long as we honor Him in our stewardship. Also, I'm very excited to be able to study at the same school my father graduated from!

Thank you all...

...for your prayers. Once you've read this, would you take a small bit of time to email us back? We would love to hear of any news in your lives and know how we may continue to pray for you. We pray that you are each growing in your walk with the Lord. We pray that the Lord is preparing you for whatever ministry He has in your future. And we pray that the Lord will knit our hearts together during this time of preparation as we all look forward to the work that we will be a part of in Africa - wherever He sends us on that vast continent! God bless you all, dear friends.

- Jonathan, Abby & Kyle St.Clair

(803) 645-0822
jastclair@aimint.net

April 2012 Newsletter

April 2012

"Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality."
- A.W. Tozer

Finances...

...are often difficult for us to discuss in our culture. Maybe it's because of the high level of privacy that we Americans have worked into our lives. Maybe it's because of our own pride, not wanting our income to be compared or contrasted to that of our peers. But the fact is, we all need money in order to live. So rather than to shirk speaking about money, we thought we would take this newsletter to explain the financial aspect of our ministry.

Why Raise Support?

Africa Inland Mission is a faith-based missions organization. Unlike denominational mission boards, AIM and each of its members has no guaranteed income. All of our finances are received from churches, organizations, or individuals on a month-to-month basis, as the Lord prompts their hearts. This requires us to rely on God in a very practical way every month and allows us to have a more personal partnership with each of our supporting friends. Our desire is to develop a relationship of mutual encouragement, love, and prayer with every member of our support team.

Our Monthly Budget

One of the biggest advantages of serving with a group that has been ministering in Africa for over a hundred years is having the experience and knowledge of the various costs that will be required. As with anyone who desires to be a good steward of their God-given resources, we wanted to have the accountability of a financially sound institution to validate that our money is being used wisely and efficiently. So that all of you may see this as well, we will explain in this letter the breakdown of our monthly budget and also share with you an update of our current support pledges. 

Each month...

...our income will be divided into nine different categories, as shown in this graph. Those categories cover (from largest to smallest) salary, health insurance, U.S. administration, retirement, housing, social security, ministry expenses, home assignment, and international administration.

Over the past month...

...God has already begun to raise up our support team. Since being appointed with AIM last month, we have had six families commit to support us monthly. Three of those families also helped to support us during our ministry in Mexico and three of them are new supporting families. For any who didn't see our last letter, our support target that AIM has set for us is $4576 per month and outgoing expenses total $35989. Below is a chart which will show how much of our targets have been pledged by faith already.

What motivates us...

...is the same thing that motivated the apostle Paul. As he wrote to the Philippian believers, he expressed his gladness that they had the opportunity to give again to meet his needs in the ministry. He wrote, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit." We want to present our ministry to you as an opportunity to sow material seed and reap spiritual fruit. We want you to be able to share in the great rewards we will one day receive as we meet the many Africans who will be reached with the gospel as a result of our investment in native pastors and missionaries.

Our support team...

...is coming together out of those who will pray, those who will give monthly, and those who are giving one-time gifts. We thank each and every one of you who is contributing to our ministry in these ways. If the Lord is leading you to be a part of our team, please contact us at the information below. We would love to partner with you for the glory of God in this world!

- Jonathan, Abby & Kyle St.Clair

(803) 645-0822

jastclair@aimint.net

March Newsletter

Unreached People Groups...
...comprise 2.84 billion of the world's population - 41.1% of all humanity. On the continent of Africa alone, there remain 976 individual unreached/least reached people groups - 28.2% of its population.* How can these people ever be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ? The best answer, we have come to believe, is through native missionaries.
* Information gathered from Operation World and the Joshua Project

"Unlike the Western missionary, the native missionary can preach, teach, and evangelize without being blocked by most of the barriers that confront Western missionaries."
- K.P. Yohannan

What Can Westerners Do?
The challenges facing Africa today are great indeed. In addition to the countless economic, governmental, and health concerns, Africa faces a deep, spiritual need. While evangelical movements have succeeded in adding many numbers of people who claim Christianity, they have most often failed in the area that Jesus emphasized in the Great Commission - making disciples. The result of this neglect is an African church permeated with non-Christian traditions. "Thorough repentance and renunciation of sin and the works of darkness are often lacking, and many Christians are not free from the influence of witchcraft and evil spirits."* For this reason, we believe that the greatest thing we can contribute to the cause of Christ in Africa is that which they have so little access to - theological education.

Africa Inland Mission
On August 17, 1895, Peter Cameron Scott led a team of seven missionaries into Africa, founding four mission stations in Kenya which would grow into the Africa Inland Mission. Scott's burden was to establish a string of mission stations from the continent's east coast to Lake Chad in the interior and to spread the light of the gospel to the nations of sub-Saharan Africa. A quick glance at a map of evangelicals in Africa will show to what a great degree Scott's vision has affected the continent he gave his life for.

Our Ministry...
...will be to invest our time into the lives of young Africans who feel called of God to return to their people as pastors and missionaries, fully equipped for the work of the ministry. As need dictates, we will be heading towards a teaching ministry and beginning our time in Kenya. This region is strategically vital in reaching all of Africa, as national ministry students have been coming to Kenya from many different parts of the continent. Through faithful exposition of the Word and sound theological instruction, my desire is to fan the flames of passion for God's truth that He has started in these dear students and to join with them in ministry as we work together to see "Christ-Centered Churches Among All African Peoples!"

Our Support Team...
...is the most important part of our ministry plans. We cannot do this on our own. It will require a great deal of prayer, a significant amount of sacrifice, and the resources of God's people to make this ministry possible. Over the course of this year, we will be working to raise up a team of individuals and churches who will uphold us in prayer through our many spiritual battles and give financially to supply our living, working, and traveling expenses. Our support target that AIM has set for us is $4576 per month and outgoing expenses totaling $35969. It is always a matter of faith to trust God to provide when we see the numbers on paper. But God's work will never lack resources. So we look forward to seeing the miraculous ways in which He will provide for us. Our target departure date is the beginning of January 2013. To reach this date, we will need to have 100% of our support raised by December 1st.

Would you consider...
...joining our team? God will be doing great things through this ministry in Africa. We have the privilege of taking part in that. I want each of you to share in that blessing as well. As our pastor has often said, "Little is much when God is in it." We will be in contact with you in the coming months. You may also contact us through the information below. God bless you all and keep Africa in your prayers!


- Jonathan, Abby & Kyle St.Clair
(803) 645-0822
jastclair@aimint.net