Phil & Andrea Bauman - SIM

Dear friends, 
We have some very big news to share with you: 
Earlier today it was announced that

Phil will be the next
SIM International Director

The following is the message that was sent to all of SIM earlier today (June 20).

Dear SIM
It gives me great pleasure to send you this email at the conclusion of the voting process for a new International Director.
 
The nomination of Phillip Bauman as the new International Director (ID) of SIM by the Board of Governors has been overwhelmingly affirmed by the Global Assembly and members of the mission. The Board of Governors will give a final ratification of this appointment in the next few weeks. Subject to this ratification, Phil will assume the role of ID of SIM on 1 March 2024.
 
We give thanks to God for His faithfulness and guidance through this whole process. 
Now as a Mission may we be praying

• for Phil in his humble willingness to take on this role; 

• for Joshua and Joanna as they have many meetings and travel in the next few months

• for Phil and Andrea as they have a time of sabbatical and preparation towards the end of the year.

 
With my warm greetings to you all.
 
Gillian Phillips
Chair, SIM Board of Governors

A brief Q&A in light of this news...

Will you need to move to take on this role?
We do not plan to move. SIM's International leadership and services personnel live in a variety of places around the world. The Board agreed there was no need for us to relocate as that would be additional upheaval to an already significant transition.

How are you feeling about being asked to take on this role?
SIM has a very robust search process so we have been prayerfully considering this for many months. The role is daunting and intimidating and Phil feels very inadequate but God has given us a very real sense of peace. We are trusting God to equip us for the journey ahead. 

What will Andrea do?
Andrea anticipates completely handing over her Middle East Personnel Coordinator role to a very capable colleague who has already taken on much of that role. Andrea anticipates continuing to work with Helen in supporting SIM's Personnel Coordinators as well as travelling with Phil.

How do your kids feel?
Our kids have been part of this journey and are very supportive.

Will you still need financial support?
Yes. SIM members raise financial support, regardless of their position. We anticipate increased support costs once Phil starts this role in March 2024. (SIM does cover our basic travel costs.) Your prayers for provision are appreciated.

Will you need to do a lot of travel?
Yes. SIM has a ministry presence in more than 70 countries around the world and so there is a need for the International Director to do significant travel. Given the amount of travel, the Board of Governors is asking that we travel as a couple where it is reasonable to do so.

For prayer...

Praise God

• For the International Director Search Committee that oversaw a very robust, confidential process that was immersed in prayer.

• For the strong affirmation of the nomination by the Bord of Governors as well as the global membership of SIM.

• For the support and encouragement of colleagues and close friends through the search and affirmation process.

• For a clear sense of peace knowing many challenges lie ahead.

• For Joshua and Joanna's leadership while Joshua has been ID for the last 10 years.

Pray

• That God would continue to guide us and grant us his peace as we prepare for this transition.

• That Phil can work effectively with Joshua and colleagues in the coming weeks and months to hand over responsibilities of his current role in preparation for sabbatical.

• For Andrea and her colleague as they hand over the responsibilities for the Middle East Personnel Coordinator role. 

Thank you for your prayers and interest.

About SIM...

• Comprised of 48 member entities in 10 global regions

• Overseeing ministry in 70+ countries.

• With ~4000 workers from 60+ nations

Charlotte Martin - Power to Change

On the road to Ottawa

I returned Tuesday night from my time in Ottawa to visit our Praxis mission trip. Here's how God answered our prayers.

For opportunities to serve and care:

• I got to chauffeur students and staff to different ministry activities as well as their mid-point retreat.

• I especially enjoyed helping one of the trip directors with transportation and childcare needs.

For good connections and conversations:

• I enjoyed a house dinner with the girls house one night.

• I got to have one on one conversations with all the staff during the retreat.

• I had great conversations while hiking and driving with the team.

For opportunities to experience ministry activities: 

• I joined the team for - 1) a prayer walk in a park that sees a lot of addiction activity and homelessness, 2) running a service for low income seniors, 3) learning about creation care and doing a hike in the Gatineau Hills.

For safety:

• I drove over 1000 km without incident.

Wallenstein, thanks so much for your partnership that enabled me to visit this mission trip. I came home encouraged by how God is at work in the lives of the student participations broadening their understanding of what it means to live on mission and be involved in his kingdom work.

Russ & Meredith Martin - Singapore

Friday Night Community Group
After a grueling week of work and late night calls with colleagues around the world, the last thing we often want to do on a Friday is have more people to care for and interact with in our home. However, by faith, we have stepped into leading a community group through the church plant we are involved in.

Each Friday 15+ adults squeeze into our tiny flat to enjoy a meal together and interact on God’s Word. We have recently been doing a series on gospel emphasis exploring how the gospel isn’t a philosophy, but a person.

It has been rewarding to watch our friends internalize that Jesus (through God’s Spirit) is with us in all moments and aspects of our life. This changes everything and makes his resurrection power available to us. We have seen the group really bond well together in gospel friendships.

Women's’ Discipleship Group
Piano notes and 12 ladies' voices filled our neighbour's homes every Tuesday at 9am as our women's' Bible study of Ephesians started with a song of worship. Meredith has been helping to champion the development of women's’ discipleship at church. 

This past year God gave us a wonderful flat, centrally located, with a wide living room and just the right furniture (2 couches, large table) to become a key hosting location for the new community. Beyond coffee and croissants we feasted on truths that Christ is the cornerstone, our identity is in him and of the Holy Spirit's available power to life in unity with others in God's Kingdom.

Heath’s Medical Emergency on a Ferry
Recently Heath has had some sudden and significant challenges breathing while we were out-of-country on a church retreat. (Since Singapore is an island, people often leave the country to go to a neighboring country for respite).

While we carry a variety of medical supplies for emergencies (Epipen, puffers, etc…), it was a tense situation. On the ferry return to Singapore, we were thankful to have two doctors (pictured above) from our congregation (one works in the emergency room) with us to monitor and advise. Upon arrival into Singapore Heath went to the children’s hospital and stabilized in about 4 hours.

We are thankful for the proximity to good medical care in Singapore and God’s protection of Heath.

WBC Friends, we are thankful for your prayer and financial support that enables us to use our home to be a blessing to others as we lead the next generation of missions in Asia.

Recent Highlights
A. Mother's Day cake by Gwenyth
B. Wyatt's Japanese Baseball League
C. Time with friends on a church retreat

Raul & Jessenia Espinoza - Guayaquil, Ecuador

Espinozas in Ecuador

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” 
1 Chronicles 16:34

Hello dear praying friends!

It’s been a while, so it’s time for an update! This new year has been a bit of a whirlwind; one with lots of changes and good things.

Firstly, the school year ended in February, and with it came the end of an era at the school as the only principal the school has ever had, retired. Her going away party, though sad, was also a fullfilling time of remembering how God has been faithful throughout the school’s existence.

The next months were very busy for Raul and the school board as they took on the role of organizing the school in the principal’s absence until a replacement could be found. Thank you for your prayers in this matter- at the beginning of May, the school board decided to offer the position to Maritza, a woman who has known the school since it’s beginning and has been working at our school this past year in a leadership role. She accepted and we are encouraged by her servant’s heart and eager desire to help in serving the children of Bastion. Our hearts are full, having seen God’s hand in bringing Maritza to leadership at the school and we are looking forward to what God has in store.

In March, our church held a VBS and many of our youth volunteered to help out. We were so encouraged to see them having fun serving together. In a neighbourhood where they could have been doing many unhealthy things during their school vacations, it filled our hearts to see them choosing to spend time with their church family. In doing so, they strengthened their friendships with each other and we hope that as we go into the new youth season here in June, these friendships will continue to grow and help ground these young people in the path they are choosing to stay on.

At the beginning of April, we were privileged to host the Wallenstein team who came to help out at El Faro Camp.  Due to Covid, visitors from Canada have been sparse for the last 3 years, and so it was so fun to once again be the bridge between Canada and Ecuador as we introduced our Canadian friends to our Ecuadorian ones. It was also good to be back at camp with the children and be reminded of how many of them come from difficult backgrounds and how the love they receive at camp is a blessing for them.

As soon as camp ended, we whisked our family onto an airplane with the Wallenstein team and headed to Canada for Jessenia’s brother’s wedding. Though colds made us have to cancel a few plans, we had a great time making quality memories with Jessenia’s family, and the highlights were definitely the wedding and seeing our children connect with their Canadian cousins. Also, our boys had their birthdays! We can’t believe we now have a 3 year old and a 1 year old in our family.

Now we are settling back into work here in Ecuador with hearts grateful for our support system up in Canada and ready to plug into life here again.

Prayer requests for what comes next:

• Safety- the gang situation in Guayaquil has grown concerning in the past year. We are saddened by how it has touched Bastion. Though we do not live in fear, we do find we need to take extra precautions when we do things, “just in case”.

• The new youth-group season is starting. Please pray that God would work in these young people’s hearts and they would make following Him their life’s purpose.

• That the school year would continue strong and that the teachers would keep Christ foremost as they teach.

Thank you for your prayers for the work here in Ecuador!

The Espinozas (Raul, Jessenia, Tiago, and Danilo)

Charlotte Martin (Power to Change)

On the road to Ottawa

As you receive this update I will be on my way to Ottawa to visit our PRAXIS mission trip which has seven students and four staff participating in the five and a half week trip.

This mission trip focuses on helping students grow as missional leaders by integrating spiritual formation with missional practice. The trip helps participants go deeper in knowing God by incorporating spiritual practices like sabbath and Examen into their weekly schedule as well as living out a communal rule of life together. For ministry activities, participants will be engaging with different urban ministries across the city that are serving vulnerable populations. 

I am looking forward to joining this group for a few days of ministry as well as their mid-point retreat. Here’s what a few students said in their applications about why they applied for this mission trip:

"I realized part of my initial reluctance to go on missions was rooted in my desire for control. I already had a plan that I wasn’t excited about redoing . . . I realized this trip was a unique opportunity to deepen my faith and gain valuable skills to better share Christ's light with those around me." 
Emily, 4th year
University of British Columbia
Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition, and Health

"I want to learn more about how to live missionally in my community. I will be finishing university at the end of this semester, and I want to see how to live on mission afterwards."
Alana, 5th year
University of Saskatchewan
Education

"I fell in love with missions during PRAXIS Edmonton [last year]. . . . This year I felt God calling me to Ottawa, but I was fearful of the unknowns. In response, God challenged me and asked: ‘Do you trust me?’. . . I let go of my perceived control and trust that God is guiding me. He reminded me that ‘growth does not happen in comfort.’ So, as a leap of faith, I am applying for PRAXIS Ottawa."
Jeneya, 3rd year
University of Alberta
Economics

Here are some prayer requests for my time in Ottawa, May 30 - June 5:

• Pray that I would see opportunities to serve and care for the participants and leaders. Pray for good connections and conversations and that I could be an encouragement to those I interact with.

• Pray that scheduling would work out so that I could experience some of the ministry opportunities along with the team.

• Pray for safety as I drive to and from Ottawa

Excited to serve Him,