Holding the Rope in DC

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (HCSB)

Hello Family and Friends! Our time at FPO is coming to a close. We have been busy learning as much as we can to be effective on the field. We are very excited about being closer to our final destination and working with the people God has burdened our hearts for and called us to.

We were able to take a trip to Washington, DC to experience some cross-cultural awareness. We got to ride the Metro (subway) which Lee and Emma Grace had never done. We will have to take public transportation in Russia while living in the city so this was a very helpful experience. We encountered several different nationalities, heard lots of languages we couldn’t understand and got to witness to people who do not have a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Two in our group were able to lead a young lady and gentleman to Christ. PRAISE THE LORD!!! We were able to see many things in our nation’s capital. Emma Grace was so funny when she saw the Washington Monument. She said, “Whoa! That thing is huge!” We were able to prayer walk from the White House to the Capitol Building. Our county’s leaders need our prayers.

FPO ends October 2 (next Tuesday) and we will begin our journey back to Mississippi to await travel arrangements. We are still waiting for our Letter of Invitation from the Russian Baptist Union so we may obtain visas. Continue to pray for this situation even though we know everything will work out in God’s timing. Pray for discernment for us as we make final decisions on what to pack.
Thanks for Holding the Rope,
Roberts Family (Marty, Suzanne, Lee & Emma)
Philippians 4:13

Sow & Reap/Pizza Hut

Papaw and Nanney took the time to plant some seed several weeks ago. Mississippi went through a time of drought this year and each day Pop would go out and water his garden. The harvest went well.....especially the "sweet taters."

Galatians 6:7-9 Don't be decieived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.(HCSB)

How was your spiritual garden this year? Were you able to pick any fruit for the kingdom? Please pray that we will have boldness to broad sow the Gospel ever where we go.
Let me share with a short story. Last Saturday the family and I had a day off and we drove up to VA Beach and spent the day. We stopped by a local Pizzan Hut for supper. Several college kids [15 or 20 of them] came and sit at a long table next to us. One young man had on a blue and white shirt that read, "Got Jesus?" After I had paid for the meal Suzanne and the kids went out to the van. I walked up to this young man and in a very stern voice asked him this question, "What gives you the right to wear that shirt in here?" I was wondering if I was going to get out alive. He looked straight at me and stated, "I wear this shirt because Jesus loves me and I have Him in my heart and He loves you also." WOW!!! If only more college 26 yr olds loved Jesus like that. This young man loved the Lord and was unashamed to sow the Gospel.

Well, our conversation turned friendly and encouraging at this point. They then asked if they could pray for our family. I went out and got Suzanne and the kids. Those 15 or 20 college kids surrounded us in Pizzan Hut laid hands on us and prayed heaven down.........out loud and ferverently. God bless those young people. Many people in Pizza Hut that night heard the name of Jesus proclaimed. If we are expecting a harvest then we must be busy planting.

Have you planted anything this week? God bless my Pizza Hut friends..........each one of you was an encouragment to our family.

FPO Week 7/Prayer

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, Praise be to you, O Lord, God our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the spledor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours O Lord, is the kingdom you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

WOW!!! What a blessing to be able to talk to God. Can you imagine talking to some unknown spirit in hopes of your prayers being answered? Maybe, if you tied a prayer cloth to something it might work? Look at the picture above closely. All those pieces of fabric represent prayers that have been offered up to some false spirit. Please pray for the Small peoples of the North. God's desire and our hearts desire is for them to know the true and living God as Lord and Savior so that they can expereince true praise to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Thanks for Holding the Rope!

Because you can why not just stop right now and give God PRAISE, He is worthy! After your praise session go and tell someone about His love, goodness and grace.

Showtime

Lee and Emma have experienced many new things during ILC. Who would have thought that "Red" would have been salsa dancing twice a week? Emma Grace has turned into a complete animal lover. Each week they have many reptiles, fur and feathered friends that visit their class. Of course she always states, "Mommy, I want one." We are currently in week 7 of our training. We have about 13 days before our session in VA is over. We will be home for a couple of weeks before we ship out. Thanks for holding the rope, "keep a good grip."

Scenic Backyard

Kamchatka is a place that is full of beauty for the outdoorsman. Please pray that God's message will spread and His beauty and hope will be the greatest attraction in Far East Russia. Thanks for Holding the rope!

Why Hold the Rope?

Our basic means of understanding and fulfilling God's mission is learning how to hold the rope.

Holding the rope undergirds God's work in the world.

Holding the rope enables us to discern His priorities and the development of His strategies for carrying out His work within a given people group.

God has chosen to accomplish His purposes in this world in response to the "rope holders" of His people.

Holding the rope can work with all nations and peoples in this world.

Everyone can help Hold the Rope.

Holding the rope is hte most crucial work a person can be doing.

Oswald Chambers once stated, "Prayer does not just fit us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work."

Thanks for holding the rope. Keep up the good work!!!

FPO Week 4

Well, we're half way there. We've completed four of eight weeks of orientation. We have stayed so busy the time has really passed quickly.

Friday August 24 we got our first round of shots. Everyone did pretty well, other thatn Lee getting a bit pale on us. He gave all the medical team some entertainment. We have out next round of shots August 31.

Marty completed ESL which means he is certified to teach English as a Second Language. This is quite ironic for the man who hated English in high school.

Lee went on a field trip to two foreign markets: Asian and European. He bought Russian chocolate at the European market. They ate at a Mediterranenan restaurant. He enjoyed the food.

Emma Grace had some visitors in her classroom: exotic birds and scorpions. She has learned a lot about other cultures and the song "God is so Good" in Taiwanese.

We has another "special meal" Thursday. The meal was typical of South Asia and the Pacific Rim. We had curry chicken, rice and all kinds of toppings: diced tomatoes, pineapple, peanuts, coconut, raisins and some type of sour fruit preserves. It was good.

Bible study has continued to be very good as we continue through the book of Acts. We are using SPECKA which means you look at the verse to see if they have: Sin to confess, a Promise to claim, an Example to follow, a Command from God, Knowledge to understand,and Application to life.

Ways to hold the rope:
Language teacher for when we arrive in Russia
Letter of invitation and visa process
Eveni and Koryak Tribes
Rachel possible teacher for Lee and Emma

Tight Rope News:
Praise God for answered prayers. We have a teacher for Lee and Emma Grace for the time we are in full-time language school. We also get to by-pass Moscow and go straight to Kamchatka.

Thanks for holding the rope!!!