Tuesday, March 1, 2005

January--February 2005 Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,

Wow, where should I begin? Much has happened since my last letter!! In January I was able to present my burden for Romania to Country Baptist Church in Lytle, TX. This is one of my parents supporting churches and I can remember visiting there many times when I was younger. The church family there was so sweet and welcoming to me and I had the added blessing of finding out just a week later that they had decided to take me on for support!! Praise the Lord!!

At the end of January I was able to be at one of my supporting churches--Windsor Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City--for their annual missions conference. I was able to take my dad and two of my sisters with me for the conference and we really enjoyed the fellowship with the church family. The conference was focused on Israel and its present situation in the Gaza Strip. Please pray for Israel and God's chosen people!!

Upon my return from the conference in Oklahoma I was able to present Romania to the people of Beautiful Gate Baptist Church in San Antonio, TX. I was a bit nervous, as this is mostly a Spanish church and my Spanish is a bit rusty, but the church family was very gracious.

Also in February, through a series of circumstances, I was able to give my testimony at two other churches--even though I was just visiting!! The people at Victory Independent Baptist Church in Somerset, TX and at Helotes Independent Baptist Church in Helotes, TX were all very welcoming to me and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to present the field I love to them!!

In February also, my family headed off to Mexico. They have settled in the town of Moctezuma, near San Luis Potosi. My dad has already started heading out to the ranchos with the other missionaries and my mom and my youngest two siblings seem to be settling right in. The migration of the Seale family to various parts of the world has begun!! Please be in prayer for my family in Mexico, as well as for my brother Steve as he heads off for Korea in May, my brother John as he heads off for basic training with the Air Force soon, and me as I head off for the mission field!!

Praise the Lord!! I now have 3/4 of my needed support and am hoping and praying that the rest comes in soon!! I am so anxious to get over to Romania before the summer camp season begins...please pray with me that I will be able to do that!! I have the money in hand for my airfare, but still need to gather the last of my supplies and come up with the shipping costs for my small crate.

Prayer requests:
*That I will be able to continue lining up meetings and that the remainder of the support will come in.
*That my poor car will keep on keeping on until I leave for the field!!
*That the needed supplies and shipping funds will come in.
*That as my family scatters out again, that we all will stay safe!!
*That I will be able to get to Romania before the summer camp season begins!!
*That people in the churches will have their hearts stirred for missions and that people will be saved.
*That God will be glorified in all that I do!!

Thank you so much for all your continued prayers and support and may God bless you in all that you do!!

All for Him,
JULIE SEALE

Saturday, January 1, 2005

November--December 2004 Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,

The holidays are always such a busy time, with people bustling here and there, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on their list. There are parties, gift exchanges, family get-togethers, and the list goes on. I hope that in the midst of all the hustle and bustle that you were able to stop and reflect on the reason behind all the celebration--the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!!

These last two months have gone by so quickly, and yet they were so full!! My sister and her husband and baby came the last week before Thanksgiving and have been staying with us since. They will be living in and making repairs to the house once my parents and younger siblings are back on the field. My dad plans to be down in Mexico by mid-February and has already rented a house and taken some things down. The extra three people make the house quite full, but we are loving the chance to spend some quality time with them before the family scatters out again!! By scattered out I mean that not only do mom and dad and the three youngest leave soon for Mexico and I leave soon for Romania---but my brother Steve leaves for Korea with the Army in May and my brother John just joined the Air Force and will be starting basic soon!!

It has been a busy two months!! I began in November to help out in my church's youth group--and got to chaperone and join in the hilarity of the youth Christmas party in December. I look forward to being able to help out in the youth group as much as my schedule will allow between now and when I leave for Romania. Also, during the first two weeks in December my family and I were able to participate in a Christmas Village. This was a free outdoor walk-through performance of the birth and life of Christ. It was such a blessing, though at times it did get quite cold!!

In December I had the added blessing of being able to present Romania to the people of McCauley Avenue Baptist Church in San Antonio, TX. This is a small church, but you could just feel their love for missions. I really enjoyed being able to give my testimony there and the church family there was so sweet!!

Now I come to the hard part...my least favorite thing to include in these letters. How I would love to just keep ya'll up to date on all the good stuff and never have to mention needs!! But here it is...the time is rapidly approaching when I will need to have the funds for airfare and my small crate in hand and all my supplies ready to go. If you dear people could just keep me in prayer...that the Lord will get it all worked out before my departure date rolls around, I would so appreciate it. It looks as if it may be late spring before I will be able to leave, as I still need to raise the remainder of my support, but I dearly hope that I will be able to arrive in my adopted country and be able to be settled before the busy camp season begins. If you would keep this all in prayer, it would be so appreciated!!

Prayer requests:
*That I will be able to continue lining up more meetings and that the remainder of the support will come in.
*That my poor car will keep on keeping on until I leave for the field!!
*That the needed supplies and the funds for airfare and shipping will come in soon.
*That I will be able to have everything taken care of stateside and be able to be in Romania as soon as possible!!
*That people in the churches will have their hearts stirred for missions and that people will be saved.
*That God will be glorified in all that I do!!

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support and may God bless you in all that you do!!

All for Him,
JULIE SEALE

Monday, November 1, 2004

September--October 2004 Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,

Well, these past two months have flown by so quickly and yet so much has happened I really don't know where to begin!!

My family returned home from Peru the first week in September. My dad was able to have another angioplasty and have two more stints put into his heart and we are praising God that he is doing much better now!! It looks as if my family will now be heading down to Mexico this coming March to work in the town of Moctezuma with missionary Bob Smith in the work there. As you may recall from my last newsletter, this is the town my church went to on a mission trip back in July--when I was privileged to work in several Vacation Bible Schools. The change of fields will work out well for my family, as my dad has no intention of retiring from missions, but he does need to be a bit closer to the US and the doctors here.

As far as my deputation goes, in September I was able to present my testimony and burden for Romania to the people of Anchor Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. Pastor Vickery and the people of the church made my sisters and I feel very welcome. In early October I headed up to northern Indiana for a meeting at Portage Avenue Baptist Church in Portage, Indiana. I was able to not only give my testimony in the service there, but also to speak to both the teen Sunday School and the Children's Church classes. My dad was able to go with me on this quick trip up to Indiana and the church family was very welcoming to both of us.

After making a quick stop in Crockett, Texas to see my sister, her husband, and my adorable nephew, I returned to San Antonio just in time for my church's annual missions conference and school of missions. This is always a time of great messages and great fellowship. We had Pastor Gary Coleman of Lavon Drive Baptist Church in Garland, Texas as the keynote speaker and also heard many great testimonies from many different missionaries--including missionaries from Iraq who are going back to Iraq to start churches--such a blessing!!

Please keep me in prayer as we head into the holiday season--that I will be able to get more meetings set up between now and March and that the support will come in. I really do hope to be able to leave for the field by no later than mid-March so that I will be able to be settled in and ready for the 2005 camp season when it rolls around!!

Prayer requests:
*That I will be able to line up more meetings and that the support will come in.
*That my car will be able to keep on keeping on until I leave for the field.
*That the needed supplies will come in and that I will be able to be on the field soon.
*That people in the meetings will have their hearts stirred for missions and that people will be saved.
*That God will be glorified in all that I do!!

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support and may God bless you in all that you do!!

All for Him,
JULIE SEALE

Wednesday, September 1, 2004

June--August 2004 Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,

Much has happened in these past three months. I have been keeping busy! The summer has rushed by so quickly! I was able to spend some time sorting through 28 years worth of accumulated belongings--deciding what to store, what to get rid of, and what to take to Romania. This helps me know what all is still needed for Romania. I also spent some time contacting pastors for meetings and investigating airfare and shipping costs. My pastor is also keeping me busy at the church...helping to keep it clean and going out on visitation, among other things!!

In July I went with a group of people from my church, along with people from two other churches, on a mission trip to Mexico. We based ourselves out of Moctezuma, Mexico and from there we went out into the pueblos to conduct Vacation Bible Schools. It was so exciting to see the children singing along to the choruses they were taught and reciting their memory verses. It was also great to see them get excited about their craft projects and to watch them as they swarmed around my pastor for Kool-Aid and cookies!! One day we went into San Luis Potosi and passed out literally thousands of tracts. That same evening we went into another pueblo and were able to show a Christian film in the open air to a large crowd of people. It was a great trip with several salvations and at least two people from our group surrendered to missions on their return home. It was an especially interesting trip for me as I hadn't really been back to Mexico since being a missionary kid there (and my family left Mexico in 1989)!!

In July I also had a meeting at Grace Baptist Church in Alice, Texas. This is one of my parents supporting churches. It is a small church, but the church family made me feel very welcome. I spoke to the children's class during the Sunday School hour and was then able to give a report on my parent's ministry in Peru as well as present my burden for Romania during the morning service.

My vehicle still is not in running condition. My home church has loaned me the use of an old suburban for getting around San Antonio with, but please pray for this situation, as I will be heading back out on the road soon.

I would really ask for your prayers for my dad. He has been in the ministry for almost 30 years, as a missionary in the countries of Mexico, Romania, and Peru, but is now having health problems so bad that my family is having to return from the field this September. His heart is enlarged and his blood pressure is dangerously high. He has had heart problems before, but never this bad. Please keep him in your prayers.

I head back out on the road in mid-September to visit more churches. I would ask that you pray for safety traveling, and that the support would come in. Praise the Lord that I am already at 2/3 ($650) of my support right now...and I just started deputation in September of last year. If it is the Lord's will I truly hope to be on the field by early March of next year.

Prayer requests:
*That my dad's health will improve.
*That I will be able to line up more meetings and that the support will come in.
*That my vehicle problems will be resolved and that I will have safety traveling alone.
*That the needed supplies will come in and that I will be able to be on the field by next March.
*That people in the meetings will have their hearts stirred for missions and that people will be saved.
*That God will be glorified in all that I do!!

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support and may God bless you in all that you do!!

All for Him,
JULIE SEALE

Tuesday, June 1, 2004

March--May 2004 Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,

A lot has happened in the last three months!! The Lord has truly blessed!! I am now at 62% of my support and am looking forward to getting on the field by this coming March. I have already been looking into airfares and have been able to find a flight for March 2nd--this is my planned departure date.

This March, while still up in Indiana, I had the priviledge of presenting my burden to the people of Crossroads Community Church in Bedford, Indiana. The Lord blessed and laid it upon the heart of a couple there to personally support me. I was also able, while at Shepherd's Bethel, to have all the missionary children over several times for some food, fellowship, and children's videos.

In April, I headed down to Crockett, Texas for a few weeks to stay with my sister Melody and her husband Michael at the birth of their first child. I was able to be present for the birth of my nephew Josiah Cordero and am so excited to be an aunt!! He is a little sweetheart and I look forward to spoiling him as much as I can before leaving for Romania!! While in Crockett I was able to help my sister and her husband move and to visit with my mom--as she was up from Peru for the birth of her first grandchild.

I finally arrived back in San Antonio in May. I have been keeping busy here also. My pastor is having me work around the church and school while not out on the road. I will be heading down to Mexico on a missions trip with the youth department in early July. Please be in prayer for this trip...that the Lord will bless and souls will be saved.

I am also in the process of lining up more meetings to fill up the fall and winter months. Please pray that as I contact churches, that God will impress upon the hearts of pastors...that they will give me the opportunity to present my burden for the people of Romania.

Prayer requests:
*That I will be able to get as many meetings as possible lined up for this year.
*That people in the meetings will have their hearts stirred for missions and that people will be saved.
*That my vehicle problems will be resolved easily and inexpensively.
*That I will have safety traveling alone!
*That the support will come in--38% to go!!
*That I will be able to gather all needed supplies quickly and easily for shipping to Romania.
*That I will be able to meet my goal of being on the field by March 2005.
*That God will be glorified in everything I do!!

Thank you for all your continued prayers and support and may God bless you in all that you do!!

All for Him,
JULIE SEALE

PS. From here on, I will be mailing out a prayer letter every two months, but for those churches who have email I will be able to also send out a bi-weekly email update. Please be sure to email me if you would like the email updates.

Monday, March 1, 2004

January--February 2004 Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,

Though I began visiting churches in September of 2003, I did not begin full-force on deputation until January of this year. This will be my first official prayer letter. I will be mailing out a prayer letter every two months, but for those churches who have email I will be able to also send out a bi-weekly email update. Please be sure to email me if you would like the email updates.

Since starting deputation I have had the privilege of being in five missions conferences and one other meeting. My first conference was at Western Hills Baptist Church in Victoria, TX. It is a small church with a big heart for missions. While there I was blessed when a young teenage girl went forward and surrendered to be a missionary to Romania! Since then I've been able to become a sort of mentor to her--sending her Romanian language tapes and encouraging emails and receiving an abundance of letters in return! Please be in prayer for Maggie Kline--that the Lord may work through her in a mighty way!

I was able to be in three other conferences in late October. My home church of Town East Baptist Church in San Antonio, TX works in conjunction with several other Independent Baptist churches in the San Antonio area to have their conferences at the same time. In that way they can share their missionaries around between the churches. The two churches that I was in during that conference time, besides my home church, were Faith Bible Church in San Antonio, TX and New Life Baptist Church in Converse, TX. All three churches were very welcoming and the missions school classes and missions messages were a real blessing.

The next conference I was in was during the last week of January at Windsor Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK. I really enjoyed my time at this conference--getting to know many different missionaries and a lot of the church members. I was able to speak to three Christian school classes and a Sunday School class, besides giving my testimony. I received such a blessing from being there, as the members saw to my every need and just loved on me! I also had the added blessing of being taken on for support by this church that has a great heart for missions and missionaries!

Since the conference I have been able to stay in missionary housing at a place called Shepherd's Bethel in southern Indiana. It is a place for Independent Baptist missionaries to stay while on deputation or furlough. While here at Shepherd's Bethel I have been able to spend more time on contacting pastors to line up meetings and on preparing my presentation. I have also been able to be in one meeting during this time. I was able to give my testimony at Grace Baptist Temple in Bloomington, IN, and to speak to their ladies class and Children's Church.

I am hoping to line up a few more meetings within a day's drive of Shepherd's Bethel between now and the end of April. At that time I will be heading back down to Texas to report back to my home church and to be near my little sister and her husband when their first child (my first nephew) is born! Then I will be heading out to churches once again!

Prayer requests:
*That I will be able to get as many meetings as possible lined up for this year.
*That people in the meetings will have their hearts stirred for missions and that people will be saved.
*That I will be able to come up with a presentation, as my slide projector has recently bit the dust!
*That my vehicle will keep on keeping on and won't develop any major mechanical problems.
*That I will have safety traveling alone (in the aforementioned vehicle)!
*That the support will come in--I am at 50% of my needed support at this time.
*That I will be able to meet my goal of being on the field by March 2005.
*That God will be glorified in everything I do!!

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support and may God bless you in all that you do!!

All for Him,
JULIE SEALE

Tryazon Strictly Briks Party

In the middle of all the busyness that was the month of November I was chosen to host a Tryazon party for Strictly Briks. We got our party k...