SO much has happened since we last sent an update! Looking back on all that God has done and has allowed us to do, both as a family and in ministry, we have to pause and thank you for praying for our family and for your generous support that allows us to be a part of the TBM family! We wanted to walk through the last few months with you and share a few of the highlights.
Has that much time really gone by? In May, we celebrated Dylan’s graduation from Southeast High School. We are so proud of all that he accomplished! We are also happy to see Dylan complete his first semester at Frontier School of the Bible. He is having a great time and, from what we hear from his professors, he is growing a lot! By the time you read this, we will have another recent graduate in the family. Sarah will have completed her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I know she is thrilled beyond words to be finished, but we are all so proud of her for all she has accomplished. We are excited both for Dylan and Sarah to see how He will continue to use them for His Kingdom.
In July Sarah and I were able to walk the downtown streets of Mitchell, NE (the town where our church is) and help hand out hundreds of water bottles to people who were attending the parade. Each bottle had a sticker with an invitation to come to church, so this was a great opportunity to reach out to our community. In June, our Pastor moved to Colorado, so I have had many opportunities to preach. We currently have someone from the Bible College filling pulpit, but please pray that God would bring the right man along to shepherd our church body.
The end of October Ben traveled with the Mathias family, who are also Home Office missionaries, to Southern Utah and Northern Nevada. In Utah we enjoyed spending some time with our TBM church planters in Ivins and attending Sunday services there. The next day we went to Mesquite, Nevada and held our Southern TBM Field Conference. We were encouraged to hear ministry updates from TBM’s Las Vegas, Southern Utah, and Western Colorado church planters. It is these times that are so encouraging, knowing that God is allowing us to serve each of these missionaries from the Home Office.
A few weeks ago Travis and I went with the men from our church to a Pumpkin Shoot. We scattered two pickup-loads of left over pumpkins on the side of a hill and used them for target practice. Travis had never shot a gun before, so a couple of the men showed him the basics and he did really well! I shared a devotional about the importance of following Jesus and becoming fishers of men. This was not just a great experience and a fun time, but an important time in the Word of God with the men in our lives. We are so thankful to God for our church!
Before our TBM Board meetings, we normally share a meal together with the Home Office families, the Board members and their families, and the missionary families who are in LaGrange. This year we realized at this meal that the missionary kids probably outnumbered the rest of us! It was a great time of fellowship leading in to our meetings. We are so thankful to be at the ground level of this wonderful mission where we get to see the growth that God is causing and the way He is changing lives!
What’s Coming Next?
There are a couple of things coming up that we would love for you to pray about. In September of 2020 we are going to travel to Spain for TBM’s All-Europe Conference in Barcelona. We are excited for this opportunity to see many of our missionaries that we don’t get to see often, but to also meet some that we’ve never met. In addition, this Summer we are planning a trip to visit some new churches and share our ministry at TBM. If there’s an opportunity to share in your Sunday School, small group, or congregation, we would love to come and minister any way we can. Please drop us a note at benandsarahcline@gmail.com if we could spend some time with you this summer, and let us know how we can be praying for you!
By His Grace!
Ben and Sarah