Fall 2013

Thailand, Nepal, and a new school year on the horizon...

...equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ... (Ephesians 4:12).
The last three months have been a whirlwind of activity. There have been moments when we have woken up in the middle of the night unable to remember where we are. Its not surprising, considering weve spent the summer moving from place to place through Asia, specifically Thailand and Nepal. Now that were home from outreach and back in Turner Valley, life is not as transient, lorem ipsum dolor met set but we are still busy, preparing for quam nunc parum the next School of Biblical Studies, which starts on September 23rd. As we head into the next school year, wed love to share with you about what the upcoming months will look like for us. We have a very busy schedule ahead as we teach through the Bible this 2013/2014 school year. Wed also like to let you know about specific ways you can be praying for us as we teach and minister, equipping the saints - our new group of students - for the work of ministry. We also have some specific financial needs to bring to your attention. Of course, we want to share outreach stories and pictures with you as well; we cannot say enough about our time in Thailand and Nepal, and hope you will check out our blog, packardsprogress.wordpress.com, to get a fuller picture of our time and ministry in Asia. Wed also like to say thank you - if youre receiving this newsletter, its because youve been
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Packards Progress

Michael & Helen Packard, missionaries serving as teaching staff with YWAM Turner Valleys School of Biblical Studies.

a part of Packards Progress, whether that has been through prayer, encouragement, and/or financial gifts that have allowed us to serve with YWAM full time, and go on outreach this year. We are so thankful that in Gods mercy, He has given us this ministry, and we are blessed to share in that ministry with you. Praise God for all He has done and continues to do; we are so thankful to be a part of His work.

Table of Contents:
SBS 2013/2014 & Prayer Requests Financial Needs Update Stories from Thailand & Nepal Photos From Outreach

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School of Biblical Studies 2013/2014

As we look ahead to 2013/2014, we are excited for all God has planned for the year. The School of Biblical Studies (SBS) begins on September 23rd. At this point it looks like like we will have nine to twelve students, and that it will be a fairly international group, with applicants from Canada, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Great Britain, New Zealand and Korea. Were looking forward to everything the students will learn as they journey through the Scriptures this year, and everything we will learn as we study to teach the Word. Our hope for this year is that we will build relationships with our students. Last year was a year of adjustment for us adjustment to staffing as a couple, and adjustment to YWAM Turner Valley. This year we want to focus on ministering to our students, building friendships with them, and growing together as we pursue God. SBS is an incredible opportunity to invest in relationships - relationships with new friends who will be going out to the nations or back to their homes, ministering to others with a firm foundation in the Bible. What a blessing to be a part of what God will do through this new group of students! Please keep this new school and us as staff in prayer.

Our Fall Schedule:

Sept. 23rd: SBS begins! Sept. 30th - Oct. 4th: Helen teaches Titus Oct. 24th: Michael teaches Psalms Nov. 11th & 13th: Michael teaches 1 Corinthians Nov. 15th & 18th: Helen teaches 2 Corinthians Dec. 2nd - 3rd: Michael teaches Hebrews Dec. 16th: Helen teaches 1 Timothy Dec. 17th: Helen teaches Women in Ministry Lecture Dec. 23rd through Jan. 5th: Christmas Holidays

Prayer Requests:
1. Pray for our students. SBS is an intense school, with 40-60 hours of personal study each week. Students will read through the Bible approximately five times over the next nine months, observing, interpreting, and applying the text. Pray that as they adjust to their new schedule, they will depend on God for strength to focus on His Word. 2. Pray for the SBS staff! In the first three months of the school, we cover most of the New Testament; each staff member will teach several books. Pray that as we study to teach, God will change our hearts. Whether staff or student, the Word transforms us! Pray God would guide us as we prepare to teach and that we would be sensitive to His leading, as He knows what this group of students needs to hear. 3. Pray we will build meaningful relationships on this SBS. Pray that the students and staff would connect well, and that we would be unified as a school. Pray that we would be about glorifying God together throughout this school year.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Tax-Deductible Giving:
1. All cheques should be made payable to YWAM or Youth With A Mission (BC Society) - do not write our names on the cheque. 2. Enclose a separate note designating support for Michael & Helen Packard, with cheque in an envelope. 3. Send envelope to:

Financial Needs Update:

Over the last few months, our financial situation has changed. In June, we were receiving $835/month. YWAM Turner Valley suggests we raise $1000 in monthly support. As of July, we have been receiving $785/month, and in January 2014, our support will decrease to $685/month. We fully appreciate that the financial situation of our supporters changes, meaning that our support level can fluctuate. Because our support is under the $1000 mark, however, a change of $150 in monthly income is quite extreme for us. We are asking that you would a) pray with us about this situation, and b) prayerfully consider financially supporting our ministry on a monthly basis. God is faithful; we are confident He has called us to be full-time missionaries with YWAM Turner Valley, partnering with Him to equip students with a worldchanging knowledge of the Bible. When He calls, He provides; we are trusting Him for provision. We have seen God provide for us miraculously this year (we went on outreach!), and we trust He knows our needs better than we do. If you feel God leading you to contribute to our ministry financially, know you do not have to give large monthly gifts to make a difference. If 12 individuals/ families contributed $25/month, we would almost be at our goal of $1000 in monthly support! Any size of gift is welcome, whether $10 or $100. If you would like to give a one-time tax-deductible donation, please find instructions in the pink box to the left. If you would like to commit to monthly tax-deductible gifts, please contact us, and we will forward you the appropriate form. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
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YWAM Project Funding Office PO Box 57100 RPO East Hastings Vancouver BC V5K 5G6
4. Contact us! Wed really love to hear from you! Interested in monthly support? Email us at packardsprogress@gmail.com. We will forward you a short form to fill out, to which you attach a void cheque, and then mail to the above address. Its quick and easy, we promise!

Stories from Thailand & Nepal Building relationships...

One of the greatest moments of my time in Thailand was meeting an amazing young man named Dol. Dol spent time with our outreach team, practicing his English. A university student in the Maehongson province, he is a prominent part of the Christian group of students, and a natural evangelist. He also led his Buddhist roommate to the Lord. A great part of Dols story is that he was a Compassion Sponsor child, and an example of the success of these programs. I was so encouraged by his story and felt there was so much I could learn from him about how to bring the Gospel to the people of Thailand. I hope our paths will cross again.

Michael Packard

Investing in long-term ministry...

When we left Canada for Thailand, our plan was for our group of ten to split into two smaller groups, with Michael, myself, and two other team members spending three weeks in Maehongson. Upon arriving in Thailand, plans changed. Our smaller team of four would be in Maehongson for one week, and would then join the rest of our team in Napajat. Initially, this was a disappointment. We were not prepared to spend three weeks in a village, and were looking forward to city life as we ministered in Thailand. We were certainly not prepared to spend two weeks teaching English to 44 children in grades one through three! Though this was a surprise, and though we are not English teachers, it is exciting to know that God will use this unexpected time to expand His Kingdom. Our host, pictured with me above, works with OMF, but she is also extremely involved in her community, and with bringing the Gospel to the Shan people. As we taught English in schools near to her home, we had the opportunity to partner with her in her ministry. She hopes to set up Christian camps for children, and by teaching English in nearby schools, we were able to build upon her relationship with local families. She hopes to invite our English students to the Christian camps she establishes. There is only one Christian family in the village where we were teaching; Christian camps would be a wonderful way to change this statistic! Though our initial plan was not to teach English to 44 young children, we are blessed that we could participate in our hosts ministry. She opened her home to us, fed us extremely well (though I wasnt necessarily a fan of the deep-fried frog!), organized our ministry opportunities, and always had us laughing! My favorite part of this outreach was getting to know this amazing woman of God, seeing her heart for Christ, and all the hard-work she puts into reaching the Shan people with the love of Jesus. !

Teaching in Nepal:
After our time in Thailand, we had the great pleasure of going to Pokhara, Nepal, where we taught 1 & 2 Kings to the SBS there (pictured below). What a privilege to teach the nine students there, who just like our students in Canada, are spending nine months going through the Bible, observing, interpreting, and applying the text to their lives. While SBS remains the same whether in Canada or Nepal, the students in Nepal come from very different backgrounds than most of our students in Canada. Most of the nine students in Pokhara are from Hindu backgrounds, and in many cases are the only Christians in their families. They live in a nation with a Hindu worldview, extreme poverty, unreliable basic healthcare/sanitation, and little knowledge of Jesus. The church is growing quickly in Nepal, but Bible-teaching is desperately needed. We are so thankful for our time in Nepal, and very much hope God brings us back to this nation.

Helen Packard

Thank you for sending us!

It would not have been possible for us to go to Asia this summer without the support of so many people who prayed for us, and gave financially towards our trip. We were overwhelmed by how God used the body of Christ to provide for us; we had no idea where the finances for our outreach would come from, and God provided through so many of His people. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously towards our outreach. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and sent us messages of encouragement while we were in Asia. We are so blessed to be part of a body of believers!

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20).
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Thailand & Nepal, Summer Outreach 2013

What a privilege to go to the nations this summer! Clockwise from top left: Helen teaching English to our 44 students; our class of mischief-makers; snapshot of village life (motorcycles and chickens); clouds and pollution over Kathmandu; Michael teaching 1 & 2 Kings in Pokhara, Nepal; Michael prescribing glasses at one of our eye glass clinics. Thank you for being a part of Packards progress! We look forward to all God has in store as we continue

Equipping our generation with a world-changing knowledge of the Bible.

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