Thanks for checking in with us again. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
We're down in California enjoying time with family and friends. We look forward to posting some photos and a recap of our time when we return to Portland the first week of January. We're also planning a little flashback to our summer before school starts up again for Matthew on January 14th. God Bless!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Summer Roadtrip Flashback
When we started this blog in September it was in the hopes sharing some of our amazing summer with all of you but as the semester got going I never got around to posting anything from our summer. So we're going to go ahead and post a few highlights now, six months later.
Among other things we took an amazing road trip in August. On August 4th we left Portland, OR to head for Spokane, WA home of the Bunkers and our first stop. From Spokane we drove to Priest River, ID where we stayed with Matthew's Aunt and Uncle Mike & Ruth for two days that included visiting the church Mike pastors and a drive up to Priest Lake to see our friends the Vancils who had just begun a ministry there.
Us with Mike & Ruth Brooks (top) and Ted & Kathy Vancil (bottom)
From Priest River we headed east across Idaho and Western Montana to visit our friends Matt Reed and Annie Masscorro in Missoula, MT. We got to spend an afternoon and evening with them a few months before they left the country for Africa. From there we went further east to beautiful Yellowstone. We camped in Yellowstone for three nights and were able to see a lot of the park. Including the famous geysers...
Amazing wildlife...
and spectacular scenery....
On our way out of the park we drove through the majestic Grand Teton Range, where we took in more of God's amazing creation and even saw a Moose (though we didn't get a picture).
From there it was back to Idaho but this time to the South East corner of the state to visit our friends David and Andrea Zimmerman who had recently moved to Soda Springs, ID from Portland. David has begun serving as a pastor in this small mining town and it was wonderful to see them and learn more about how God has been taking care of them.
David, his sister (to his right) , and Andrea (2nd from right) pose with Emily in front of their home
From Soda Springs it was off to California for 10 fabulous days with friends and family in he Sacramento area. But since it was only going to be an extra 30 to 40 minutes we decided to stop in Salt Lake City, UT on the way. We drove through downtown and took a brief tour of the Mormon Temple before heading west on I-80 across the Great Salt Flats and traversing the Nevada desert on our way home.
We really enjoyed our visit in California as well. It was wonderful to see our parents, siblings, niece and nephews, and many old friends. We thanked God for the time and money to be able to take such an awesome road trip recognizing that most people don't have these kind of opportunities and that we may not have another one for a long time.
All told we traveled through eights states, logging nearly 3500 miles over tree and a half weeks of summer fun and adventures. What a trip!
Among other things we took an amazing road trip in August. On August 4th we left Portland, OR to head for Spokane, WA home of the Bunkers and our first stop. From Spokane we drove to Priest River, ID where we stayed with Matthew's Aunt and Uncle Mike & Ruth for two days that included visiting the church Mike pastors and a drive up to Priest Lake to see our friends the Vancils who had just begun a ministry there.
Us with Mike & Ruth Brooks (top) and Ted & Kathy Vancil (bottom)
From Priest River we headed east across Idaho and Western Montana to visit our friends Matt Reed and Annie Masscorro in Missoula, MT. We got to spend an afternoon and evening with them a few months before they left the country for Africa. From there we went further east to beautiful Yellowstone. We camped in Yellowstone for three nights and were able to see a lot of the park. Including the famous geysers...
Amazing wildlife...
and spectacular scenery....
On our way out of the park we drove through the majestic Grand Teton Range, where we took in more of God's amazing creation and even saw a Moose (though we didn't get a picture).
From there it was back to Idaho but this time to the South East corner of the state to visit our friends David and Andrea Zimmerman who had recently moved to Soda Springs, ID from Portland. David has begun serving as a pastor in this small mining town and it was wonderful to see them and learn more about how God has been taking care of them.
David, his sister (to his right) , and Andrea (2nd from right) pose with Emily in front of their homeFrom Soda Springs it was off to California for 10 fabulous days with friends and family in he Sacramento area. But since it was only going to be an extra 30 to 40 minutes we decided to stop in Salt Lake City, UT on the way. We drove through downtown and took a brief tour of the Mormon Temple before heading west on I-80 across the Great Salt Flats and traversing the Nevada desert on our way home.
We really enjoyed our visit in California as well. It was wonderful to see our parents, siblings, niece and nephews, and many old friends. We thanked God for the time and money to be able to take such an awesome road trip recognizing that most people don't have these kind of opportunities and that we may not have another one for a long time.
All told we traveled through eights states, logging nearly 3500 miles over tree and a half weeks of summer fun and adventures. What a trip!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christmas Break
Matthew is done with his semester which means he is finally updating this blog. Sorry, we've been so lame about keeping this current but we're going to renew our efforts.
Although Matthew's semester is done the next few weeks are still pretty busy, but with mostly fun stuff. This morning we had brunch with our seminary friends and this afternoon worked the nursery for our church's Christmas program. This week we will be baking, working on Christmas letters, celebrating Matthew's birthday, cleaning and packing before leaving for California after church on the 23rd.
We will be in Roseville through January 2nd. We're looking forward to seeing family and celebrating Christmas and New Years down there. Check back here after January 3rd for pictures and news from our trip. Between now and then we also hope to post some old stuff from this summer that never got put up.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Although Matthew's semester is done the next few weeks are still pretty busy, but with mostly fun stuff. This morning we had brunch with our seminary friends and this afternoon worked the nursery for our church's Christmas program. This week we will be baking, working on Christmas letters, celebrating Matthew's birthday, cleaning and packing before leaving for California after church on the 23rd.
We will be in Roseville through January 2nd. We're looking forward to seeing family and celebrating Christmas and New Years down there. Check back here after January 3rd for pictures and news from our trip. Between now and then we also hope to post some old stuff from this summer that never got put up.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Prayer Update Fall 2007
September 12, 2007
Dear praying friends,
God continues to bless us in answer to your faithful prayers. Our summer was truly amazing and the new school year is off to a good start for both of us.
Summer Adventures
Recognizing that this might be our last summer off of work/school together, we did our best to make the most of it. After Matthew took two summer school classes and Emily’s family visited, Emily went to Spain to study Spanish and travel. Meanwhile, Matthew did class work, hung out with friends, helped out at VBS and prepared to preach. (He was able to preach 3 times this summer, and all went well.) With the exception of one horrible travel day, everything came together beautifully for Emily’s trip. She learned a lot, visited many new places, and had many opportunities to talk to people about what it means to be a Christian. Matthew was also well taken care of by friends and God helped him make good use of his time. Thanks for praying!
After 10 days together in Portland we hit the road, traveling almost 3500 miles over three weeks. We had valuable, deep visits with many friends and family and an amazing time camping in Yellowstone. God kept us safe and provided time for us to relax. We both felt ready for the new school year when we arrived home, and your prayers were a big part of that!
Back to School
The school year is already well under way. Matthew is glad to have just four academic classes: Preaching Epistles, Galatians (a Greek class), Spiritual Warfare, and Contemporary Theology and Ethics. We’re both excited that Emily is able to audit Spiritual Warfare. In addition to academics, Matthew continues his internship responsibilities at Central Bible Church and seeks to learn all he can from our Senior Pastor. He also hopes to be looking and applying for ministry jobs.
Emily is teaching three levels of Spanish (1, 2, and 3) at Beaverton High and is very grateful to have the same materials for levels 1 and 3 (for her first time as a teacher!). She is still serving on the Student Wives Fellowship board, helping Multnomah students' wives connect and receive spiritual input. Emily is feeling excited and thankful to have more opportunities for spiritual meat this semester through a women's Bible study at church and the Spiritual Warfare class. Do pray for us both to have wisdom in managing our schedules.
Approaching the Unknown Future
We have really enjoyed our first two years here in Portland and are looking forward to making the most of the year ahead, but even just entering this final year we feel the unknowns of post-graduation future approaching faster than ever. We know what our lives will probably look like between now and July 1st of next year (when we must be out of on-campus housing), but there are so many questions about what comes after that: Where will we live? What will Matthew do for work? Will it be God’s timing for us to start a family? We’re excited about what God has in store for us but also a little bit nervous. We would very much appreciate your prayers as this time of unknowns draws closer.
Praise Updates:
☼ Praise God for enabling Emily to both learn from and enjoy her time in Spain.
☼ Praise God for sustaining us spiritually and emotionally while we were apart.
☼ Praise God for protecting us on the road and blessing our time with friends and family.
☼ Praise God for working it out for us to take Spiritual Warfare together.
☼ Praise God for an encouraging start to a busy school year.
Prayer Requests:
☼ Pray for Matthew to be disciplined and wise in using his time.
☼ Pray for Emily to balance her priorities and set limits to not get overloaded this semester.
☼ Pray for God to provide the right ministry job at the right time.
☼ Pray for God’s perfect timing for us to start a family.
☼ Pray for peace and joy as we look ahead to the unknowns in our future.
Staying Connected
As always, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to call or e-mail us at any time. We’ve also started a blog at MandEmBrooks.blogspot.com. This is another way you can stay connected by reading and commenting as we share what God is doing in our lives. You can also find both of us on Facebook or Matthew on MySpace if you use those services.
Gratefully yours,
Matthew and Emily
Dear praying friends,
God continues to bless us in answer to your faithful prayers. Our summer was truly amazing and the new school year is off to a good start for both of us.
Summer Adventures
Recognizing that this might be our last summer off of work/school together, we did our best to make the most of it. After Matthew took two summer school classes and Emily’s family visited, Emily went to Spain to study Spanish and travel. Meanwhile, Matthew did class work, hung out with friends, helped out at VBS and prepared to preach. (He was able to preach 3 times this summer, and all went well.) With the exception of one horrible travel day, everything came together beautifully for Emily’s trip. She learned a lot, visited many new places, and had many opportunities to talk to people about what it means to be a Christian. Matthew was also well taken care of by friends and God helped him make good use of his time. Thanks for praying!
After 10 days together in Portland we hit the road, traveling almost 3500 miles over three weeks. We had valuable, deep visits with many friends and family and an amazing time camping in Yellowstone. God kept us safe and provided time for us to relax. We both felt ready for the new school year when we arrived home, and your prayers were a big part of that!
Back to School
The school year is already well under way. Matthew is glad to have just four academic classes: Preaching Epistles, Galatians (a Greek class), Spiritual Warfare, and Contemporary Theology and Ethics. We’re both excited that Emily is able to audit Spiritual Warfare. In addition to academics, Matthew continues his internship responsibilities at Central Bible Church and seeks to learn all he can from our Senior Pastor. He also hopes to be looking and applying for ministry jobs.
Emily is teaching three levels of Spanish (1, 2, and 3) at Beaverton High and is very grateful to have the same materials for levels 1 and 3 (for her first time as a teacher!). She is still serving on the Student Wives Fellowship board, helping Multnomah students' wives connect and receive spiritual input. Emily is feeling excited and thankful to have more opportunities for spiritual meat this semester through a women's Bible study at church and the Spiritual Warfare class. Do pray for us both to have wisdom in managing our schedules.
Approaching the Unknown Future
We have really enjoyed our first two years here in Portland and are looking forward to making the most of the year ahead, but even just entering this final year we feel the unknowns of post-graduation future approaching faster than ever. We know what our lives will probably look like between now and July 1st of next year (when we must be out of on-campus housing), but there are so many questions about what comes after that: Where will we live? What will Matthew do for work? Will it be God’s timing for us to start a family? We’re excited about what God has in store for us but also a little bit nervous. We would very much appreciate your prayers as this time of unknowns draws closer.
Praise Updates:
☼ Praise God for enabling Emily to both learn from and enjoy her time in Spain.
☼ Praise God for sustaining us spiritually and emotionally while we were apart.
☼ Praise God for protecting us on the road and blessing our time with friends and family.
☼ Praise God for working it out for us to take Spiritual Warfare together.
☼ Praise God for an encouraging start to a busy school year.
Prayer Requests:
☼ Pray for Matthew to be disciplined and wise in using his time.
☼ Pray for Emily to balance her priorities and set limits to not get overloaded this semester.
☼ Pray for God to provide the right ministry job at the right time.
☼ Pray for God’s perfect timing for us to start a family.
☼ Pray for peace and joy as we look ahead to the unknowns in our future.
Staying Connected
As always, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to call or e-mail us at any time. We’ve also started a blog at MandEmBrooks.blogspot.com. This is another way you can stay connected by reading and commenting as we share what God is doing in our lives. You can also find both of us on Facebook or Matthew on MySpace if you use those services.
Gratefully yours,
Matthew and Emily
Prayer Update Summer 2007
Dear praying friends,
Thank you for your prayers over the past few months. God has been more than faithful in bringing us through the end of a difficult school year and preparing us for some exciting opportunities this summer as we look ahead to our final year at Seminary.
Finishing the School Year Well
After some serious struggles in February, Matthew faced an uphill battle completing his 4th semester at Seminary. Thanks to the grace of God (and of a few professors) he was able to complete his classes with high grades. His Spring semester ended May 8th, giving him time to rest and prepare before summer school. (He finished the second of two summer classes last week). Completing those will lighten his load for next year to just 26 units, compared with 31 units each of the first two years.
Emily’s semester at Beaverton High School didn’t conclude until June 18th. With about two weeks to go, she felt overwhelmed, so we sent out an emergency prayer request. Thanks to your prayers and a day with a substitute so she could grade at home, things turned around quickly and the final week of the semester turned out to be Emily’s best ever.
Exciting Summer Plans
Our summer got off to a running start with a wonderful visit from Emily’s immediate family this past Thursday through Sunday. Since their departure, we’ve been soaking up as much alone time as we can in the midst of preparing for Emily’s trip to Spain. She leaves tomorrow for 3 ½ weeks studying the Spanish language and how to teach it. She’ll have two weeks in Barcelona and one in Granada. Between classes she hopes to see the sights in these cities as well as Madrid, Seville, and perhaps elsewhere.
While Emily is soaking up Spanish language and culture, Matthew will keep busy finishing course work from summer classes and helping out at Central Bible Church (CBC). He’s been given the opportunity to preach at CBC on July 8th, and at Hillcrest Alliance Church in Roseville on August 19th. In addition to sermon preparation, he’ll be leading a class at CBC’s Kid’s Camp (VBS equivalent) the 3rd week of July and continuing his internship work there. Meanwhile, he’ll try to get caught up on household responsibilities, prepare to apply for ministry jobs in the fall, and hopefully work in some “guy time” with friends while he’s a bachelor.
We are already looking forward to reuniting when Emily returns on July 24th. We’ll then enjoy 10 days together at home for rest, our 3rd anniversary, and road trip preparations. On August 4th we hit the road with stops in Spokane, WA, Priest River, ID, Missoula, MT, Yellowstone National Park, and Soda Springs, ID before arriving in Roseville, CA on August 14th. We’ll then spend a little over a week visiting family and friends in California before making our way back north in time for us both to start school on August 27th.
Looking to Fall and Beyond
Even with so much happening this summer, we’re beginning to peek ahead to our final year here. It’s hard not to wonder what comes next. We’d appreciate your prayers for God’s peace and clear guidance as we begin to look at what life for us might look like after seminary. Since ministry positions often take months to apply for and fill, we plan to begin the process this fall in the hopes that something might be settled by the time we have to move next June. We’re excited about where God might be taking us next but we want to be open and patient as we wait on His leading and timing.
Praise Updates:
☼ Thank you for praying! Matthew’s semester ended well personally and academically.
☼ Emily’s second school year was much easier and more enjoyable than the first.
☼ After a discouraging hunt Tuesday, God provided a great place for Emily to sleep her first night in Spain.
☼ We thank God for the privilege of two months off together to see family, friends, and new places.
Prayer Requests:
☼ Pray for Emily’s time in Spain, that she would keep consistent quiet times, stay safe, and make the most of the opportunity.
☼ Pray for Matthew’s time alone, for discipline in sticking to a schedule and staying active.
☼ Pray for Matthew as he prepares his sermon, and for God to use it effectively.
☼ Pray for our fellowship with God and others (as well as safety) during our road trip.
☼ Pray for God’s guidance and peace as we begin looking at life after seminary.
Love in Christ,
Matthew and Emily
Thank you for your prayers over the past few months. God has been more than faithful in bringing us through the end of a difficult school year and preparing us for some exciting opportunities this summer as we look ahead to our final year at Seminary.
Finishing the School Year Well
After some serious struggles in February, Matthew faced an uphill battle completing his 4th semester at Seminary. Thanks to the grace of God (and of a few professors) he was able to complete his classes with high grades. His Spring semester ended May 8th, giving him time to rest and prepare before summer school. (He finished the second of two summer classes last week). Completing those will lighten his load for next year to just 26 units, compared with 31 units each of the first two years.
Emily’s semester at Beaverton High School didn’t conclude until June 18th. With about two weeks to go, she felt overwhelmed, so we sent out an emergency prayer request. Thanks to your prayers and a day with a substitute so she could grade at home, things turned around quickly and the final week of the semester turned out to be Emily’s best ever.
Exciting Summer Plans
Our summer got off to a running start with a wonderful visit from Emily’s immediate family this past Thursday through Sunday. Since their departure, we’ve been soaking up as much alone time as we can in the midst of preparing for Emily’s trip to Spain. She leaves tomorrow for 3 ½ weeks studying the Spanish language and how to teach it. She’ll have two weeks in Barcelona and one in Granada. Between classes she hopes to see the sights in these cities as well as Madrid, Seville, and perhaps elsewhere.
While Emily is soaking up Spanish language and culture, Matthew will keep busy finishing course work from summer classes and helping out at Central Bible Church (CBC). He’s been given the opportunity to preach at CBC on July 8th, and at Hillcrest Alliance Church in Roseville on August 19th. In addition to sermon preparation, he’ll be leading a class at CBC’s Kid’s Camp (VBS equivalent) the 3rd week of July and continuing his internship work there. Meanwhile, he’ll try to get caught up on household responsibilities, prepare to apply for ministry jobs in the fall, and hopefully work in some “guy time” with friends while he’s a bachelor.
We are already looking forward to reuniting when Emily returns on July 24th. We’ll then enjoy 10 days together at home for rest, our 3rd anniversary, and road trip preparations. On August 4th we hit the road with stops in Spokane, WA, Priest River, ID, Missoula, MT, Yellowstone National Park, and Soda Springs, ID before arriving in Roseville, CA on August 14th. We’ll then spend a little over a week visiting family and friends in California before making our way back north in time for us both to start school on August 27th.
Looking to Fall and Beyond
Even with so much happening this summer, we’re beginning to peek ahead to our final year here. It’s hard not to wonder what comes next. We’d appreciate your prayers for God’s peace and clear guidance as we begin to look at what life for us might look like after seminary. Since ministry positions often take months to apply for and fill, we plan to begin the process this fall in the hopes that something might be settled by the time we have to move next June. We’re excited about where God might be taking us next but we want to be open and patient as we wait on His leading and timing.
Praise Updates:
☼ Thank you for praying! Matthew’s semester ended well personally and academically.
☼ Emily’s second school year was much easier and more enjoyable than the first.
☼ After a discouraging hunt Tuesday, God provided a great place for Emily to sleep her first night in Spain.
☼ We thank God for the privilege of two months off together to see family, friends, and new places.
Prayer Requests:
☼ Pray for Emily’s time in Spain, that she would keep consistent quiet times, stay safe, and make the most of the opportunity.
☼ Pray for Matthew’s time alone, for discipline in sticking to a schedule and staying active.
☼ Pray for Matthew as he prepares his sermon, and for God to use it effectively.
☼ Pray for our fellowship with God and others (as well as safety) during our road trip.
☼ Pray for God’s guidance and peace as we begin looking at life after seminary.
Love in Christ,
Matthew and Emily
Prayer Update Spring 2007
Dear friends,
It seems like it has been longer than three months since the last time we wrote you all a letter. A lot has happened as winter has turned to spring!
Spring Break:
This past week we have been on Spring Break. We decided to stay in Portland this year and spend a couple days seeing some local sites that we haven’t made it to yet, like the Portland Zoo and OMSI (the local science museum). We had a wonderful week of play and rest. We had good times with friends and alone, and were also able to spend some time catching up on life and preparing for a busy end to our school year.
Getting to Spring Break:
This year we felt the need for a break badly. March was especially challenging. Matthew's internship is going full-swing and his academic semester is his most demanding one yet. Matthew also went through a period of depression that caused him to feel overwhelmed and seriously cut into his productivity for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Emily found herself in a backlog of grading and also very tired. Although it was a very difficult time we are grateful for what God has taught us about ourselves, our need for Him, and how great He is. We have been leaning heavily on your prayers- thank you!
During this time Matthew was blessed with wise counselors and much encouragement (from Emily and others) and was able to continue with his responsibilities depending on God’s grace to face one thing at a time. He also learned a lot about his tendencies toward depression, the contributing factors, the importance of personal transparency, and how to remain faithful even when depression sets in. God gave Emily the grace to know when to listen, when to speak, when to comfort and when to challenge, all the while recognizing that God was in control and she could not be. She also gained new insight into the realities of depression and that even Christians, and especially those in ministry, can be vulnerable to it. Through it all we both learned a lot about how to trust God more and love each other more.
We praise God that Matthew is feeling like his old self again and although the rest of the semester will be challenging for both of us we are feeling encouraged. We continue to be blessed by our church family and the close friends we have made here at Multnomah, and we see ways that God is preparing us for the next phase of our lives.
Looking to Summer:
Summer plans are quickly falling into place! It's going to be another busy one. Matthew is taking two summer school courses so that his academic load will be lighter next year. He'll also be preparing to start looking this fall for a place of ministry that will fit us after he graduates. Emily is going to Spain for 3½ weeks to take classes in Barcelona and Granada (2 weeks in Barcelona are designed for teachers of Spanish) and have a few days to see other parts of the country. This may be our last summer in the Northwest so we’re planning a road trip for August to see friends in Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and camp in Yellowstone for a few days. We’ll also spend about a week in the Sacramento area – we are already looking forward to seeing you who are there!
Praise Updates:
· Praise God for helping us both to have consistent Bible and prayer times.
· Praise God for the peace and unity he’s given us regarding our plan for when to start a family.
· Thank you for praying for Emily that she'll have assurance of worth from God rather than other people. Situations still come up where she feels outside pressure, but they are less frequent and more quickly turned over to God.
· Thank you for praying for Matthew's time management and transparency. God has shown himself faithful and Matthew is growing. Please continue to pray for him in these areas.
· Thank you for praying for our current responsibilities. Matthew is really enjoying his internship and benefiting greatly. Emily is enjoying teaching and was able to reduce the amount of time she spends working each week (by about an hour).
Prayer Requests:
· Please pray for peace as we anticipate our next stage of life, including when we might start a family. We're already starting to wonder what life will look like after graduation in May 2008.
· Please continue to pray for Matthew's semester. His finals are May 7-8.
· Please continue to pray that we would be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. Pray that we would take in God's word and apply it.
· Please pray for the Christian staff at Beaverton High School. We are trying to meet weekly for prayer, but have run into many obstacles. Praise God that the school administration (none are Christians) has not come out against it. Pray that people would come and that we would influence our campus.
· Please pray for “Nexus”, a new ministry Matthew is responsible for at Central Bible Church. The goal is to help visitors get connected with people and ministries in the church.
How can we pray for you?
Thank you for staying in touch with us! We love being connected with you and being able to pray specifically when we pray for you.
United under our big God,
Matthew and Emily
P.S. If you’ve changed addresses (email or physical) recently, please let us know so we’re able to stay in contact with you. Thanks! (mattrbrooks@yahoo.com or cell phones M: 971-678-0375 E: 971-678-0357)
It seems like it has been longer than three months since the last time we wrote you all a letter. A lot has happened as winter has turned to spring!
Spring Break:
This past week we have been on Spring Break. We decided to stay in Portland this year and spend a couple days seeing some local sites that we haven’t made it to yet, like the Portland Zoo and OMSI (the local science museum). We had a wonderful week of play and rest. We had good times with friends and alone, and were also able to spend some time catching up on life and preparing for a busy end to our school year.
Getting to Spring Break:
This year we felt the need for a break badly. March was especially challenging. Matthew's internship is going full-swing and his academic semester is his most demanding one yet. Matthew also went through a period of depression that caused him to feel overwhelmed and seriously cut into his productivity for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Emily found herself in a backlog of grading and also very tired. Although it was a very difficult time we are grateful for what God has taught us about ourselves, our need for Him, and how great He is. We have been leaning heavily on your prayers- thank you!
During this time Matthew was blessed with wise counselors and much encouragement (from Emily and others) and was able to continue with his responsibilities depending on God’s grace to face one thing at a time. He also learned a lot about his tendencies toward depression, the contributing factors, the importance of personal transparency, and how to remain faithful even when depression sets in. God gave Emily the grace to know when to listen, when to speak, when to comfort and when to challenge, all the while recognizing that God was in control and she could not be. She also gained new insight into the realities of depression and that even Christians, and especially those in ministry, can be vulnerable to it. Through it all we both learned a lot about how to trust God more and love each other more.
We praise God that Matthew is feeling like his old self again and although the rest of the semester will be challenging for both of us we are feeling encouraged. We continue to be blessed by our church family and the close friends we have made here at Multnomah, and we see ways that God is preparing us for the next phase of our lives.
Looking to Summer:
Summer plans are quickly falling into place! It's going to be another busy one. Matthew is taking two summer school courses so that his academic load will be lighter next year. He'll also be preparing to start looking this fall for a place of ministry that will fit us after he graduates. Emily is going to Spain for 3½ weeks to take classes in Barcelona and Granada (2 weeks in Barcelona are designed for teachers of Spanish) and have a few days to see other parts of the country. This may be our last summer in the Northwest so we’re planning a road trip for August to see friends in Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and camp in Yellowstone for a few days. We’ll also spend about a week in the Sacramento area – we are already looking forward to seeing you who are there!
Praise Updates:
· Praise God for helping us both to have consistent Bible and prayer times.
· Praise God for the peace and unity he’s given us regarding our plan for when to start a family.
· Thank you for praying for Emily that she'll have assurance of worth from God rather than other people. Situations still come up where she feels outside pressure, but they are less frequent and more quickly turned over to God.
· Thank you for praying for Matthew's time management and transparency. God has shown himself faithful and Matthew is growing. Please continue to pray for him in these areas.
· Thank you for praying for our current responsibilities. Matthew is really enjoying his internship and benefiting greatly. Emily is enjoying teaching and was able to reduce the amount of time she spends working each week (by about an hour).
Prayer Requests:
· Please pray for peace as we anticipate our next stage of life, including when we might start a family. We're already starting to wonder what life will look like after graduation in May 2008.
· Please continue to pray for Matthew's semester. His finals are May 7-8.
· Please continue to pray that we would be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. Pray that we would take in God's word and apply it.
· Please pray for the Christian staff at Beaverton High School. We are trying to meet weekly for prayer, but have run into many obstacles. Praise God that the school administration (none are Christians) has not come out against it. Pray that people would come and that we would influence our campus.
· Please pray for “Nexus”, a new ministry Matthew is responsible for at Central Bible Church. The goal is to help visitors get connected with people and ministries in the church.
How can we pray for you?
Thank you for staying in touch with us! We love being connected with you and being able to pray specifically when we pray for you.
United under our big God,
Matthew and Emily
P.S. If you’ve changed addresses (email or physical) recently, please let us know so we’re able to stay in contact with you. Thanks! (mattrbrooks@yahoo.com or cell phones M: 971-678-0375 E: 971-678-0357)
Christmas 2006
Wow! We can hardly believe another year has already gone by, and such a busy one at that. Here are a few of our highlights:
January- We crammed 30+ people into our tiny downstairs for a progressive dinner dessert
February- Inspired by Multnomah's missions conference we decided to build a prayer team
March- Enjoyed a wonderful Spring break trip visiting the Oregon coast and Seattle
April- Emily's position as a Spanish teacher at Beaverton High School was made permanent
May- Enjoyed a wonderful retreat at the Oregon coast with Matthew's Grad year classmates
June- Emily began a month-long ministry to visiting students from the Basque region of Spain
July- Celebrated the 50th anniversary of Emily's grandparents with a family reunion in Eureka
August- Experienced the beauty (and pain) of hiking to the top Yosemite's half dome
September- Tackled new challenges (Hebrew, Internship, Spanish 3) as school started back up
October- Visited family and friends on a trip to Roseville for Matthew's high school reunion
November- Began 6 weeks of driving a fancy rental car as our car had body damage repaired
December- We get to write and send this letter to all of our favorite people! :-)
This Christmas marks the halfway point of Matthew’s MDiv program at Multnomah as he has just completed the third semester of six. We also realized recently that we have now spent more than half of our married lives here in Portland; no wonder it’s starting to feel so much like home! It’s nice to be on Christmas vacation together. We're enjoying our Christmas tree, the fattening sweets we've been baking, and various holiday events here in Portland. We're also looking forward to seeing our families and some old friends during a weeklong stay in Roseville, CA over Christmas.
We are so thankful to God for his provision to us this year. Please join us in praising him for his amazing blessings! 2006 was another great year, highlighted by a 3½ week summer trip to visit family and friends all over California – we appreciate what a rare opportunity that was. Back in Portland, Emily's job is now permanent. She's enjoying the new adventure of teaching Spanish III and continues to grow as a teacher. Matthew survived taking Greek and Hebrew simultaneously and is learning a lot about ministry both from his classes and his internship at our church. His internship mentor, our senior pastor, is a great man of God and is encouraging Matthew in developing his character and learning new skills.
God has blessed us with wonderful friends in both our Multnomah and church communities, and Emily is beginning to connect more with some of her colleagues at Beaverton High. We often enjoy spontaneous meals with our neighbors on campus. We value the close relationships we are building within our Life Group, and we both get to serve at our church in areas we love. We don’t know what the future holds, and if we move after Matthew finishes seminary it will be difficult, but we are treasuring this time in our lives. We are both enjoying the responsibilities God has given us for this season of life (studying and teaching).
We are excited to see God's work in our own hearts as well. We have been so encouraged as family and friends tell us they are praying for us – and we see God directly answering those prayers! We especially asked for prayer for Matthew's discipline in time management and transparency; Emily comments frequently that he has grown a lot in this area over the past year! We also asked for prayer for Emily as God teaches her to overcome an inappropriate need for approval from others; God has been compassionate, gentle, and persistent in teaching her that true validation comes from Him. It's wonderful the way that God gives each of us a perfectly individualized plan for growth! (As an educator, Emily can only dream about doing the same for her students.)
Please know that we count you among our blessings this Christmas! We are overwhelmed by how many people God has put in our lives to care for us. As always we would love to hear from you if you get a chance.
We are praying for you, that God may bless you and your family this Christmas and in the coming year!
Love,
Matthew and Emily
January- We crammed 30+ people into our tiny downstairs for a progressive dinner dessert
February- Inspired by Multnomah's missions conference we decided to build a prayer team
March- Enjoyed a wonderful Spring break trip visiting the Oregon coast and Seattle
April- Emily's position as a Spanish teacher at Beaverton High School was made permanent
May- Enjoyed a wonderful retreat at the Oregon coast with Matthew's Grad year classmates
June- Emily began a month-long ministry to visiting students from the Basque region of Spain
July- Celebrated the 50th anniversary of Emily's grandparents with a family reunion in Eureka
August- Experienced the beauty (and pain) of hiking to the top Yosemite's half dome
September- Tackled new challenges (Hebrew, Internship, Spanish 3) as school started back up
October- Visited family and friends on a trip to Roseville for Matthew's high school reunion
November- Began 6 weeks of driving a fancy rental car as our car had body damage repaired
December- We get to write and send this letter to all of our favorite people! :-)
This Christmas marks the halfway point of Matthew’s MDiv program at Multnomah as he has just completed the third semester of six. We also realized recently that we have now spent more than half of our married lives here in Portland; no wonder it’s starting to feel so much like home! It’s nice to be on Christmas vacation together. We're enjoying our Christmas tree, the fattening sweets we've been baking, and various holiday events here in Portland. We're also looking forward to seeing our families and some old friends during a weeklong stay in Roseville, CA over Christmas.
We are so thankful to God for his provision to us this year. Please join us in praising him for his amazing blessings! 2006 was another great year, highlighted by a 3½ week summer trip to visit family and friends all over California – we appreciate what a rare opportunity that was. Back in Portland, Emily's job is now permanent. She's enjoying the new adventure of teaching Spanish III and continues to grow as a teacher. Matthew survived taking Greek and Hebrew simultaneously and is learning a lot about ministry both from his classes and his internship at our church. His internship mentor, our senior pastor, is a great man of God and is encouraging Matthew in developing his character and learning new skills.
God has blessed us with wonderful friends in both our Multnomah and church communities, and Emily is beginning to connect more with some of her colleagues at Beaverton High. We often enjoy spontaneous meals with our neighbors on campus. We value the close relationships we are building within our Life Group, and we both get to serve at our church in areas we love. We don’t know what the future holds, and if we move after Matthew finishes seminary it will be difficult, but we are treasuring this time in our lives. We are both enjoying the responsibilities God has given us for this season of life (studying and teaching).
We are excited to see God's work in our own hearts as well. We have been so encouraged as family and friends tell us they are praying for us – and we see God directly answering those prayers! We especially asked for prayer for Matthew's discipline in time management and transparency; Emily comments frequently that he has grown a lot in this area over the past year! We also asked for prayer for Emily as God teaches her to overcome an inappropriate need for approval from others; God has been compassionate, gentle, and persistent in teaching her that true validation comes from Him. It's wonderful the way that God gives each of us a perfectly individualized plan for growth! (As an educator, Emily can only dream about doing the same for her students.)
Please know that we count you among our blessings this Christmas! We are overwhelmed by how many people God has put in our lives to care for us. As always we would love to hear from you if you get a chance.
We are praying for you, that God may bless you and your family this Christmas and in the coming year!
Love,
Matthew and Emily
Prayer Update October 2006
Hello again everybody. We’re sorry that this update is a month late. We had a wonderful summer and getting back into the swing of things this fall has been a bit of a tough adjustment. We are busy as always but are enjoying what God is doing in our lives and Portland is feeling more like home all the time.
Summer Fun
We had quite a summer. Emily finished her teaching year in mid-June. Matthew took a Biblical counseling course over the summer and not only developed his knowledge and skills as a counselor to others but was challenged by God to become more transparent in his relationships and has already seen much growth in this previously unrecognized area of weakness. Matthew was also able to work for a couple weeks through a temp agency.
Our big event for the summer was our three and a half week trip to California to visit family and friends. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of Emily’s grandparents with a family reunion in Eureka. We spent most of our time in Roseville, staying with Matthew’s parents and getting lots of time with Emily’s parents and all of our siblings as well. We also reconnected with friends and visited various aunts, uncles, cousins and all of our living grandparents along the way. On our side trips, we hiked Half Dome in Yosemite, celebrated our 2nd anniversary in Reno, escaped the heat with a day-trip to San Francisco and saw license plates from 43 states and 5 Canadian provinces along the way. It was an amazing trip! Thank you for praying. We had no transportation issues.
Changes this Fall
This fall has brought new challenges for both of us, and God continues to answer prayers. Emily is teaching Spanish 3 for the first time. She is also sharing classroom space with other teachers, carrying her teaching supplies on a cart. While this has presented many challenges, God has given Emily both grace to be more organized and effective in her teaching and additional support (such as a laptop computer on loan and smaller class sizes – only 27-30 students!) to cope with these challenges. Emily is also involved in ministry at Central Bible Church and as a member of the Student Wives Fellowship Board at Multnomah. Pray for her as she balances these responsibilities with work and home life.
Over the past few months, God has been revealing relational sin in Emily’s life that is affecting her daily life. God’s Spirit is helping her to recognize the situations and thought patterns that tempt her to wrongly seek approval from people through performance, needing to be liked, and take thoughts captive. The biggest felt need now is knowing what God wants her to replace it with!
Thank you for your prayers for Matthew’s internship. An area of ministry presented itself and he is taking on the “Shepherding Ministry” under the leadership of his mentor, our Senior Pastor David Stevens. This ministry matches people in the church who aren’t involved in small groups or Sunday School with mature Christians who will pray for and encourage them and help them stay connected to the church. Please pray for this ministry and wisdom for Matthew in how to effectively lead in this role. Additionally, Matthew is looking forward to learning more about all aspects of ministry, including personal devotion to God, during his time with Pastor David (a man we both greatly respect). Pray that God would use this internship to prepare him for what’s next.
In addition to his internship, Matthew is taking Biblical Leadership, Biblical Theology, Greek 2 and Hebrew 1. While this is actually a lighter load than last year, taking two languages has been a challenge, as has time management. These classes meet only once a week with three of them (9 hours of class) on Mondays. This leaves most of the week relatively unstructured and Matthew has been struggling with staying disciplined in the use of his time and balancing his various classes with home life and internship/ministry responsibilities. There is plenty of time to get everything done, but only if Matthew uses it well. Please pray for grace and wisdom in this area.
Prayer Requests
· That God will continue to transform our character during this time of preparation for ministry
· For time management and the recognition of God’s priorities in our day-to-day lives
· For the Shepherding ministry at Central Bible Church and Matthew’s leadership there
· For Emily to teach effectively and Matthew to learn all he can in his classes
· Praise God for a wonderful trip and successful ministry with Basque students this summer
· Praise God for answering your prayers for Emily’s teaching and a clear internship for Matthew
· Praise God for his continuing work on our character, transforming us to be more like Christ
New Phone Numbers
We’ve joined the 21st century and have gotten cell phones, but we ditched our landline to cut costs. Matthew’s number is 971-678-0375. Emily’s is 971-678-0357. As always, we’d love to hear from you!
Love In Christ,
Matthew and Emily Brooks
Summer Fun
We had quite a summer. Emily finished her teaching year in mid-June. Matthew took a Biblical counseling course over the summer and not only developed his knowledge and skills as a counselor to others but was challenged by God to become more transparent in his relationships and has already seen much growth in this previously unrecognized area of weakness. Matthew was also able to work for a couple weeks through a temp agency.
Our big event for the summer was our three and a half week trip to California to visit family and friends. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of Emily’s grandparents with a family reunion in Eureka. We spent most of our time in Roseville, staying with Matthew’s parents and getting lots of time with Emily’s parents and all of our siblings as well. We also reconnected with friends and visited various aunts, uncles, cousins and all of our living grandparents along the way. On our side trips, we hiked Half Dome in Yosemite, celebrated our 2nd anniversary in Reno, escaped the heat with a day-trip to San Francisco and saw license plates from 43 states and 5 Canadian provinces along the way. It was an amazing trip! Thank you for praying. We had no transportation issues.
Changes this Fall
This fall has brought new challenges for both of us, and God continues to answer prayers. Emily is teaching Spanish 3 for the first time. She is also sharing classroom space with other teachers, carrying her teaching supplies on a cart. While this has presented many challenges, God has given Emily both grace to be more organized and effective in her teaching and additional support (such as a laptop computer on loan and smaller class sizes – only 27-30 students!) to cope with these challenges. Emily is also involved in ministry at Central Bible Church and as a member of the Student Wives Fellowship Board at Multnomah. Pray for her as she balances these responsibilities with work and home life.
Over the past few months, God has been revealing relational sin in Emily’s life that is affecting her daily life. God’s Spirit is helping her to recognize the situations and thought patterns that tempt her to wrongly seek approval from people through performance, needing to be liked, and take thoughts captive. The biggest felt need now is knowing what God wants her to replace it with!
Thank you for your prayers for Matthew’s internship. An area of ministry presented itself and he is taking on the “Shepherding Ministry” under the leadership of his mentor, our Senior Pastor David Stevens. This ministry matches people in the church who aren’t involved in small groups or Sunday School with mature Christians who will pray for and encourage them and help them stay connected to the church. Please pray for this ministry and wisdom for Matthew in how to effectively lead in this role. Additionally, Matthew is looking forward to learning more about all aspects of ministry, including personal devotion to God, during his time with Pastor David (a man we both greatly respect). Pray that God would use this internship to prepare him for what’s next.
In addition to his internship, Matthew is taking Biblical Leadership, Biblical Theology, Greek 2 and Hebrew 1. While this is actually a lighter load than last year, taking two languages has been a challenge, as has time management. These classes meet only once a week with three of them (9 hours of class) on Mondays. This leaves most of the week relatively unstructured and Matthew has been struggling with staying disciplined in the use of his time and balancing his various classes with home life and internship/ministry responsibilities. There is plenty of time to get everything done, but only if Matthew uses it well. Please pray for grace and wisdom in this area.
Prayer Requests
· That God will continue to transform our character during this time of preparation for ministry
· For time management and the recognition of God’s priorities in our day-to-day lives
· For the Shepherding ministry at Central Bible Church and Matthew’s leadership there
· For Emily to teach effectively and Matthew to learn all he can in his classes
· Praise God for a wonderful trip and successful ministry with Basque students this summer
· Praise God for answering your prayers for Emily’s teaching and a clear internship for Matthew
· Praise God for his continuing work on our character, transforming us to be more like Christ
New Phone Numbers
We’ve joined the 21st century and have gotten cell phones, but we ditched our landline to cut costs. Matthew’s number is 971-678-0375. Emily’s is 971-678-0357. As always, we’d love to hear from you!
Love In Christ,
Matthew and Emily Brooks
Prayer Update June 2006
Greetings from Portland! A lot has happened since we last wrote, and we're excited about how powerfully God has answered your prayers for us. The end of the school year went well for both of us. We had a wonderful Spring Break visiting the Oregon coast and Seattle (the first time for both of us). We have continued to develop friendships at church and in our student community. Matthew had a great class retreat in May (Emily went for the first couple of days).
Answered Prayer
First of all, thank you for your prayer support! We have been encouraged by your notes and phone calls. We are excited to report that our first letter resulted in commitments from 111 people to pray for us regularly. We have already noticed tangible results! Read on....
We asked you to pray about our summer plans including a possible missions trip for Emily. God closed doors for a trip but has provided Emily with other ways to keep working on her Spanish and the opportunity to minister to Spanish-speaking Basque students here in Portland (see below for more details). God also worked out our summer schedules so that we could spend three weeks in California visiting family and friends, Matthew could complete a required class at Multnomah, and Emily could have time to plan and prepare for the next school year. Even with all of that, we are both finding time to work on projects that are hard to get to during the school year, and we still have time to relax and enjoy some time off.
We also asked you to pray that God would provide Matthew with a good internship for the fall, even though we didn't have any clear sense of what might be a good fit for both Matthew and our church. God has been at work! Pastor David Stevens, our senior pastor at Central Bible Church, is available to be his mentor, as well (he has lots of experience as a pastor and mentor to others in this role). There appears to be a need for leadership in an area of ministry that Matthew is really excited about taking on. Look for more details in our next update.
You have been praying for Emily's teaching, as well, particularly her 5th period class. We have great news! The school year is over. The temporary position she had in March was made permanent (hooray!!) in April, meaning that she is tenure track now and has job security and summer pay. While talking with the other Spanish I teachers, Emily found that all the Spanish I classes had a high failure rate (one of Emily's had 11 Fs at the end of the year), but her fifth period class only had 2 Fs. Praise God for turning this class around! Thank you for your prayers.
Prayer Requests
· For safety, good rest, and valuable times with family and friends as we travel this summer.
· That God will help Matthew balance his schedule for the fall (study time, internship, etc.).
· Praise God for improving relationships with colleagues at Beaverton High for Emily.
· Praise God for our new friendships and his leading with regard to Matthew's internship.
· Praise God for his answers to your prayers, including our summer plans and Emily's teaching.
Contact Information
We’ll be in Portland until July 21st and again after August 14th (503-262-8058). We won't have cell phones in our summer travels, but you can reach us at Matthew’s parents' house (Tim and Kathy: 916-786-3432) or by email (mattrbrooks@yahoo.com). We’d love to hear from you!
Love In Christ,
Matthew and Emily Brooks
Answered Prayer
First of all, thank you for your prayer support! We have been encouraged by your notes and phone calls. We are excited to report that our first letter resulted in commitments from 111 people to pray for us regularly. We have already noticed tangible results! Read on....
We asked you to pray about our summer plans including a possible missions trip for Emily. God closed doors for a trip but has provided Emily with other ways to keep working on her Spanish and the opportunity to minister to Spanish-speaking Basque students here in Portland (see below for more details). God also worked out our summer schedules so that we could spend three weeks in California visiting family and friends, Matthew could complete a required class at Multnomah, and Emily could have time to plan and prepare for the next school year. Even with all of that, we are both finding time to work on projects that are hard to get to during the school year, and we still have time to relax and enjoy some time off.
We also asked you to pray that God would provide Matthew with a good internship for the fall, even though we didn't have any clear sense of what might be a good fit for both Matthew and our church. God has been at work! Pastor David Stevens, our senior pastor at Central Bible Church, is available to be his mentor, as well (he has lots of experience as a pastor and mentor to others in this role). There appears to be a need for leadership in an area of ministry that Matthew is really excited about taking on. Look for more details in our next update.
You have been praying for Emily's teaching, as well, particularly her 5th period class. We have great news! The school year is over. The temporary position she had in March was made permanent (hooray!!) in April, meaning that she is tenure track now and has job security and summer pay. While talking with the other Spanish I teachers, Emily found that all the Spanish I classes had a high failure rate (one of Emily's had 11 Fs at the end of the year), but her fifth period class only had 2 Fs. Praise God for turning this class around! Thank you for your prayers.
Prayer Requests
· For safety, good rest, and valuable times with family and friends as we travel this summer.
· That God will help Matthew balance his schedule for the fall (study time, internship, etc.).
· Praise God for improving relationships with colleagues at Beaverton High for Emily.
· Praise God for our new friendships and his leading with regard to Matthew's internship.
· Praise God for his answers to your prayers, including our summer plans and Emily's teaching.
Contact Information
We’ll be in Portland until July 21st and again after August 14th (503-262-8058). We won't have cell phones in our summer travels, but you can reach us at Matthew’s parents' house (Tim and Kathy: 916-786-3432) or by email (mattrbrooks@yahoo.com). We’d love to hear from you!
Love In Christ,
Matthew and Emily Brooks
Prayer Update April 2006
Greetings from Portland! As you probably know, Matthew is in the middle of his second semester at Multnomah Biblical Seminary, and Emily is teaching first- and second-year Spanish students at Beaverton High School just west of Portland. God has truly blessed us here. We have a beautiful home on campus and an incredible church we love. We’ve already become involved in ministry here and made many new friends. Most importantly, God has been working our lives to teach us and draw us closer to him.
One example of this work is the missions conference that we recently participated in. As we heard from people serving the Lord in many ways around the world, we were reminded of the importance of prayer support for any ministry, and were challenged to live missionally every day and not think that our ministry starts after graduation. With this in mind, we felt compelled by the suggestion that we recruit a group of people to pray for us regularly as we work for God here and prepare for future ministry. We are writing to ask you to be part of this prayer team.
We are confident that God has called us to be here until at least May of 2008 when Matthew hopes to complete his degree. We don’t have any clear expectations as to what God’s will might be after that, but we have committed ourselves to prayerfully choose where and how we will live based on how God calls us to minister to others. This may mean seeking a paid ministry position or a “secular” job that will maximize our potential for ministry. We’re prepared to move anywhere God calls us within the U.S. or overseas. We are confident that through prayer God will guide us to the situation where we can best use our gifts and abilities for his glory.
Whatever God calls us to do, we will need prayer to be effective. We also need prayer now, both for God to prepare us for and direct us to the ministry he has in store for our future, and to effectively minister for Christ right now in our local church and community.
We’re amazed at the number of wonderful believing friends and family members God has given us, and we know that many of you already pray for us on a regular basis. For that, we thank you! We can testify that God has blessed us through your prayers, but we desire for God to do great things in and through our lives. We believe that we will not be able to have the impact for God that we desire whether now or in a future ministry without continued, and even increased, prayer support. For this reason we are asking you to consider supporting us by making a specific commitment to pray for us daily, weekly, or monthly.
Enclosed, you will find a prayer commitment card. We would love for you to return it so that we can know exactly who is praying for us. This card will also let us know how we can best keep in touch with you. We will be sending out a quarterly prayer update and would be happy to send it to you either by e-mail or on paper. Please, write your name on the enclosed card, mark the box indicating any prayer commitment and how (or if) you would like to receive our prayer updates, including either a mailing address or an e-mail address. Then just drop it in the mail.
In addition to helping us keep track of whom to send updates to it will be a great encouragement to receive your cards. We will no doubt be amazed at the number of people God is using to lift us up in prayer. Your card also provides accountability. As you partner with us you help make sure that we are living in accordance with God’s call on our lives. This will motivate us to intentionally live in a way that advances God’s kingdom. Finally, when God answers prayer we can report back to you and tell others how many people have been praying with us! This will glorify God and show everyone that he accomplished these things, not us.
If your prayer schedule doesn’t allow you to make a commitment to pray for us regularly, but you’d like to know what God is doing in our lives, we’d still love to send you our updates. If you don’t want to receive them please return your card anyway so that we know you received this letter. For those who decide to partner with us through prayer, we’d appreciate it if you would start today. We especially desire prayer for God’s direction as we consider how to use our summer. Some options include short-term missions, working, summer school for Matthew, and visiting family. Also, please pray for Emily as she strives to be the best teacher she can be. Pray for her students to be motivated- especially her 5th period. Finally, please pray that God will direct us to just the right areas of ministry at Central Bible Church, our new church home.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter and consider our request. We appreciate you and believe that God will continue to use you to help and encourage us. We’d like to know how we can be praying for you as well! Please feel free to contact us with prayer requests, questions, or just to chat. You can reach us by phone at 503-262-8058 (before 9pm). You can also email us at mattrbrooks@yahoo.com. May God richly bless you.
In Christ’s Love,
Matthew and Emily Brooks
One example of this work is the missions conference that we recently participated in. As we heard from people serving the Lord in many ways around the world, we were reminded of the importance of prayer support for any ministry, and were challenged to live missionally every day and not think that our ministry starts after graduation. With this in mind, we felt compelled by the suggestion that we recruit a group of people to pray for us regularly as we work for God here and prepare for future ministry. We are writing to ask you to be part of this prayer team.
We are confident that God has called us to be here until at least May of 2008 when Matthew hopes to complete his degree. We don’t have any clear expectations as to what God’s will might be after that, but we have committed ourselves to prayerfully choose where and how we will live based on how God calls us to minister to others. This may mean seeking a paid ministry position or a “secular” job that will maximize our potential for ministry. We’re prepared to move anywhere God calls us within the U.S. or overseas. We are confident that through prayer God will guide us to the situation where we can best use our gifts and abilities for his glory.
Whatever God calls us to do, we will need prayer to be effective. We also need prayer now, both for God to prepare us for and direct us to the ministry he has in store for our future, and to effectively minister for Christ right now in our local church and community.
We’re amazed at the number of wonderful believing friends and family members God has given us, and we know that many of you already pray for us on a regular basis. For that, we thank you! We can testify that God has blessed us through your prayers, but we desire for God to do great things in and through our lives. We believe that we will not be able to have the impact for God that we desire whether now or in a future ministry without continued, and even increased, prayer support. For this reason we are asking you to consider supporting us by making a specific commitment to pray for us daily, weekly, or monthly.
Enclosed, you will find a prayer commitment card. We would love for you to return it so that we can know exactly who is praying for us. This card will also let us know how we can best keep in touch with you. We will be sending out a quarterly prayer update and would be happy to send it to you either by e-mail or on paper. Please, write your name on the enclosed card, mark the box indicating any prayer commitment and how (or if) you would like to receive our prayer updates, including either a mailing address or an e-mail address. Then just drop it in the mail.
In addition to helping us keep track of whom to send updates to it will be a great encouragement to receive your cards. We will no doubt be amazed at the number of people God is using to lift us up in prayer. Your card also provides accountability. As you partner with us you help make sure that we are living in accordance with God’s call on our lives. This will motivate us to intentionally live in a way that advances God’s kingdom. Finally, when God answers prayer we can report back to you and tell others how many people have been praying with us! This will glorify God and show everyone that he accomplished these things, not us.
If your prayer schedule doesn’t allow you to make a commitment to pray for us regularly, but you’d like to know what God is doing in our lives, we’d still love to send you our updates. If you don’t want to receive them please return your card anyway so that we know you received this letter. For those who decide to partner with us through prayer, we’d appreciate it if you would start today. We especially desire prayer for God’s direction as we consider how to use our summer. Some options include short-term missions, working, summer school for Matthew, and visiting family. Also, please pray for Emily as she strives to be the best teacher she can be. Pray for her students to be motivated- especially her 5th period. Finally, please pray that God will direct us to just the right areas of ministry at Central Bible Church, our new church home.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter and consider our request. We appreciate you and believe that God will continue to use you to help and encourage us. We’d like to know how we can be praying for you as well! Please feel free to contact us with prayer requests, questions, or just to chat. You can reach us by phone at 503-262-8058 (before 9pm). You can also email us at mattrbrooks@yahoo.com. May God richly bless you.
In Christ’s Love,
Matthew and Emily Brooks
Christmas 2005
2005 by the Numbers
2: Minutes it takes to walk to our new church
3: ‘Permanent’ addresses we had in a five-day period in August
8: Ribbons draped around Emily’s neck at graduation from Sac State
9: Gallons consumed Thanksgiving week, while Hallstens were visiting
10: Lame ideas we had to try to express our appreciation for Hillcrest with a number
11: Combined pounds we gained in our 3½ days in New Orleans in January
12: Nights Matthew slept at home in June (business trip, camping, visit to OR, …)
32: Categories in quality evaluation procedures Matthew wrote while at Health Net
52: Schools Emily called looking for work on the days teachers reported back
90?: Jars of jam produced during Emily’s visit to Grandpa and Grandma Hallstens’
191: Students Emily has in Spanish classes at Beaverton High School
223: Cloudy days in an average year in Portland (only 37.5 inches rain)
3518: Pages of required reading in Fall 2005 for Matthew
Merry Christmas! God has blessed us with another exciting year full of change and answered prayers. Emily completed her student teaching and earned her teaching credential in May. She also led a girls’ Bible Study and was a counselor one week at summer camp. Matthew moved from Customer Service to the Quality Assurance department at Health Net, which gave him lots of opportunities for professional writing, training of other employees and a business trip to Virginia. We both enjoyed participating in a small group at Hillcrest, camping in Lassen with Emily’s family, and a wonderful trip to New Orleans (just the two of us) in January.
The biggest change for us was our move from the Sacramento area to Portland, OR. After much prayer and counsel Matthew began the process of applying to seminaries. We applied to four schools in the four corners of the U.S. (New York, San Diego, South Carolina, and Portland). We prayed that God would make his choice clear, that he would provide just the right place for us to live, that he would provide Emily with a good teaching job, and that he would lead us to a church where we would be challenged and blessed.
First, by late May we were both convinced that Multnomah Biblical Seminary was the place God was calling us to. Second, upon our arrival in August, God worked out a minor miracle that enabled us to get into a wonderful on-campus townhouse even though we thought we were going to have to live off campus for the first several months. Third, Emily was still without a teaching job five days before classes started, but got a long-term sub position teaching Spanish at Beaverton High. Emily loves the school, and just received a contract through June (with benefits!) on Friday 12/16! Finally, we had given ourselves until Thanksgiving to find a new church, but by October we were sure that Central Bible Church was exactly where God wanted us. We love the strong biblical teaching, humble but bold leadership of the pastors, and intergenerational fellowship that we are enjoying there. (Being less than two blocks away is nice, too!) We look forward to building relationships and becoming more involved in ministry.
God has continued to answer our prayers and meet our needs faithfully all year long. Matthew has been challenged by his studies but counts it a great privilege to be able to dedicate himself to studying God’s word is excited about what he has been learning. Emily sees growth in her teaching on a regular basis. We both have enjoyed getting to know fellow seminary students (and spouses) and feel certain that we are in the early stages of forming lifelong friendships. We’re continually amazed at the blessing of marriage and the way God works in our lives to help us become more like Christ. We praise the Lord this Christmas as we are more aware of his goodness to us than ever and can’t wait to see what He will do in 2006!
Merry Christmas and God bless!
Love, Matthew and Emily
2: Minutes it takes to walk to our new church
3: ‘Permanent’ addresses we had in a five-day period in August
8: Ribbons draped around Emily’s neck at graduation from Sac State
9: Gallons consumed Thanksgiving week, while Hallstens were visiting
10: Lame ideas we had to try to express our appreciation for Hillcrest with a number
11: Combined pounds we gained in our 3½ days in New Orleans in January
12: Nights Matthew slept at home in June (business trip, camping, visit to OR, …)
32: Categories in quality evaluation procedures Matthew wrote while at Health Net
52: Schools Emily called looking for work on the days teachers reported back
90?: Jars of jam produced during Emily’s visit to Grandpa and Grandma Hallstens’
191: Students Emily has in Spanish classes at Beaverton High School
223: Cloudy days in an average year in Portland (only 37.5 inches rain)
3518: Pages of required reading in Fall 2005 for Matthew
Merry Christmas! God has blessed us with another exciting year full of change and answered prayers. Emily completed her student teaching and earned her teaching credential in May. She also led a girls’ Bible Study and was a counselor one week at summer camp. Matthew moved from Customer Service to the Quality Assurance department at Health Net, which gave him lots of opportunities for professional writing, training of other employees and a business trip to Virginia. We both enjoyed participating in a small group at Hillcrest, camping in Lassen with Emily’s family, and a wonderful trip to New Orleans (just the two of us) in January.
The biggest change for us was our move from the Sacramento area to Portland, OR. After much prayer and counsel Matthew began the process of applying to seminaries. We applied to four schools in the four corners of the U.S. (New York, San Diego, South Carolina, and Portland). We prayed that God would make his choice clear, that he would provide just the right place for us to live, that he would provide Emily with a good teaching job, and that he would lead us to a church where we would be challenged and blessed.
First, by late May we were both convinced that Multnomah Biblical Seminary was the place God was calling us to. Second, upon our arrival in August, God worked out a minor miracle that enabled us to get into a wonderful on-campus townhouse even though we thought we were going to have to live off campus for the first several months. Third, Emily was still without a teaching job five days before classes started, but got a long-term sub position teaching Spanish at Beaverton High. Emily loves the school, and just received a contract through June (with benefits!) on Friday 12/16! Finally, we had given ourselves until Thanksgiving to find a new church, but by October we were sure that Central Bible Church was exactly where God wanted us. We love the strong biblical teaching, humble but bold leadership of the pastors, and intergenerational fellowship that we are enjoying there. (Being less than two blocks away is nice, too!) We look forward to building relationships and becoming more involved in ministry.
God has continued to answer our prayers and meet our needs faithfully all year long. Matthew has been challenged by his studies but counts it a great privilege to be able to dedicate himself to studying God’s word is excited about what he has been learning. Emily sees growth in her teaching on a regular basis. We both have enjoyed getting to know fellow seminary students (and spouses) and feel certain that we are in the early stages of forming lifelong friendships. We’re continually amazed at the blessing of marriage and the way God works in our lives to help us become more like Christ. We praise the Lord this Christmas as we are more aware of his goodness to us than ever and can’t wait to see what He will do in 2006!
Merry Christmas and God bless!
Love, Matthew and Emily
Christmas 2004
Top 10 Signs You Might be a Newlywed
10. You sometimes giggle when you see your name in print.
9. Your disdain for the phrase “Good night” melts away because it only means
rolling over in bed.
8. You find yourself analyzing your spouse’s dishwashing, toothbrushing,
shoe-tying, … techniques.
7. “Home” only refers to your parents 10% of the time.
6. Doing the dishes is a privilege you fight for.
5. You have lengthy discussions about the proper way to store leftovers. (“You
put pizza in Ziploc bags???”)
4. You prefer a Saturday morning at home to a Friday night out.
3. You haven’t mastered the distinction between what’s cute and what’s annoying.
2. Your spouse’s shoulder in the most comfortable pillow in the whole house.
1. You think your marriage is interesting enough to make a Top 10 list!
We continue to be amazed at how wonderful marriage can be. God’s design for human relationships is so glorious – from the simple truth in Ecclesiastes 4:11, “On a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other.” (One blanket is enough, even in December), to the deeper, more meaningful aspects of marriage: trust and vulnerability, mutual accountability, exhortation and encouragement. Even as real life becomes more real, we are excited by how God has already used us in each other’s lives.
In less sappy news, Matthew continues to do customer service for Health Net. Emily just finished the second semester of three in the Teaching Credential program at Sac State. She has a full-time internship teaching Spanish this spring in El Dorado Hills. Our involvement at Hillcrest Alliance Church continues: Matthew preaches occasionally and looks forward to leading the youth group
again in January. Emily is leading a teen ladies’ Bible study and plans to serve
this year as fellowship coordinator. We are still reveling in how tremendously
God blessed us with our apartment and everything in it! It’s a wonderful thing to be so close to our families, able to see them at least once a week!
We thank God for filling our lives with so many blessings, including each
of you. We pray that you will be filled with his joy this Christmas and that he
will bless you in the coming year. Praise be to God!
Love, Matthew and Emily Brooks
10. You sometimes giggle when you see your name in print.
9. Your disdain for the phrase “Good night” melts away because it only means
rolling over in bed.
8. You find yourself analyzing your spouse’s dishwashing, toothbrushing,
shoe-tying, … techniques.
7. “Home” only refers to your parents 10% of the time.
6. Doing the dishes is a privilege you fight for.
5. You have lengthy discussions about the proper way to store leftovers. (“You
put pizza in Ziploc bags???”)
4. You prefer a Saturday morning at home to a Friday night out.
3. You haven’t mastered the distinction between what’s cute and what’s annoying.
2. Your spouse’s shoulder in the most comfortable pillow in the whole house.
1. You think your marriage is interesting enough to make a Top 10 list!
We continue to be amazed at how wonderful marriage can be. God’s design for human relationships is so glorious – from the simple truth in Ecclesiastes 4:11, “On a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other.” (One blanket is enough, even in December), to the deeper, more meaningful aspects of marriage: trust and vulnerability, mutual accountability, exhortation and encouragement. Even as real life becomes more real, we are excited by how God has already used us in each other’s lives.
In less sappy news, Matthew continues to do customer service for Health Net. Emily just finished the second semester of three in the Teaching Credential program at Sac State. She has a full-time internship teaching Spanish this spring in El Dorado Hills. Our involvement at Hillcrest Alliance Church continues: Matthew preaches occasionally and looks forward to leading the youth group
again in January. Emily is leading a teen ladies’ Bible study and plans to serve
this year as fellowship coordinator. We are still reveling in how tremendously
God blessed us with our apartment and everything in it! It’s a wonderful thing to be so close to our families, able to see them at least once a week!
We thank God for filling our lives with so many blessings, including each
of you. We pray that you will be filled with his joy this Christmas and that he
will bless you in the coming year. Praise be to God!
Love, Matthew and Emily Brooks
Old Updates
So we figured we'd start by posting some of our old Christmas letters and prayer updates. That way if anyone has lost touch with us you can catch up on the major happenings pretty quick. So the next few posts will be these old letters posted in chronological order.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Welcome
Welcome to our Blog!
It seems to be the thing to do these days. The idea sounded a little out there to us at first, but the more we thought about it the more we decided it was a good idea. After all, we have really enjoyed keeping up with some of our friends and family members through their blog posts - why couldn’t we do the same? Besides, God has blessed us with so many people who care about us, pray for us, etc. that we just can’t keep up with them all through telephone or even e-mail. What better way to share the things that God is doing in our lives with all these precious people?
So here it is: our initial posting! We hope to post more soon, including updates on the adventures we had this summer and perhaps some of our past prayer updates, but for now this is here to say “welcome” and “we hope you visit us again”. We’ll try our best to post updates frequently but we also know that life can get away from us sometimes so we ask you in advance to be patient.
Well, that’s all for right now. Thanks for visiting. :-)
Joyfully, Matthew & Emily
It seems to be the thing to do these days. The idea sounded a little out there to us at first, but the more we thought about it the more we decided it was a good idea. After all, we have really enjoyed keeping up with some of our friends and family members through their blog posts - why couldn’t we do the same? Besides, God has blessed us with so many people who care about us, pray for us, etc. that we just can’t keep up with them all through telephone or even e-mail. What better way to share the things that God is doing in our lives with all these precious people?
So here it is: our initial posting! We hope to post more soon, including updates on the adventures we had this summer and perhaps some of our past prayer updates, but for now this is here to say “welcome” and “we hope you visit us again”. We’ll try our best to post updates frequently but we also know that life can get away from us sometimes so we ask you in advance to be patient.
Well, that’s all for right now. Thanks for visiting. :-)
Joyfully, Matthew & Emily
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