What Christmas Is All About

Photo credit: aconnel73170


MetroBeat
Vol. 1, Issue 3

Holiday Thoughts

The city is bedecked with Christmas lights. After spending so many years in Senegal where seasonal reminders are low-key and scattered haphazardly, the sheer volume of electricity coursing through countless colored bulbs, animated reindeer, super-sized snow globes, and musically-synchronized displays is still overwhelming to me.

A few blocks away from us here in the suburb of Yukon blinks the western metro's biggest Christmas attraction: the electrified city parks. In the evenings the cars line up outside the entrances for the chance to slowly snake through the incredible light show that the city puts on to celebrate the season. But as beautiful as the thousands upon thousands of lights are, Christmas is not about the lights. Christmas is about the Light.

Our tree this year seems to be supported by the mountain of packages under it. One of the perks of having a big family is that everyone gets plenty of presents. The downside, of course, is that buying presents for every member of the family can thin out the wallet pretty quickly. Still, we look forward to the annual madness of shredded wrapping paper and colorful clutter of opened boxes if only to see the expressions on a loved one's face when they open up one of our carefully selected gifts. But as exciting as it is to give and receive, Christmas is not about all the gifts. Christmas is about the Gift.

We are blessed this year to have all of our children with us for the holidays. Katie and Brad moved to Oklahoma City this summer and so are now local. After a trip back to Arizona last month to spend some time with family there, they ended up being with us for Thanksgiving and will also spend much of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here in Yukon. We love our kids and love the fact that they can all be with us this year. But as wonderful as the love for family is, that's not truly what Christmas is about either. Christmas is about God's love for us.

For the Light of the world was given to us in the form of a baby, the gift of God's only son, Jesus Christ, as an expression of the Father's unparalleled love for all of mankind.

Merry Christmas

A Korean Christmas Present

I received an early Christmas present last week of a new ministry opportunity. Beginning January 4th, I will start teaching a group of Korean college students twice a week. I will be attempting to perfect their use of English while incorporating biblical truths in the lessons and in our follow-up communications outside of class. The students consist of a combination of Christians and non-Christians, which is the perfect blend for this type of ministry. When everything works, the Christians grow in the Lord and help lead the non-Christians to Christ through the invaluable partnership they bring as cultural insiders. We used this method successfully in Japan, and so we know firsthand that it works. Please pray this will be a fruitful ministry.

Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for the Friday night Bible study here in Yukon. Chandra is currently doing an excellent survey of the Bible that is bringing in several families, including a new one from the island of Tobago. I am hoping to do more one-on-one work with the international participants.

Please pray for one of my ministry partners, Kimily Waldron, and me as we work on forming some culture and ESL classes as an outreach to Chinese and other internationals at UCO.

Continue to pray for my progress in Chinese. I passed my first course with an A and begin level two next month. Xie xie nimen ("thank you" in the plural form).

Pray for Joyce as the new school term approaches and the extra work that will be coming her way as she manages the demands of two households while I'm in Edmond much of the week.

Finally, continue to pray for our finances and for the Lord to provide more support for our ministry.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

Immersion

MetroBeat
Vol 1, Issue 2

The Strategy

Greetings! The cooler weather has arrived and finds us immersed in this new ministry that God has opened us for us in the Oklahoma City metro area. A lot of things have come together since our last newsletter, including a specific action plan for ministry here. So if you have been wondering just what steps we are taking to reach and disciple internationals in this new field, the plan below should be helpful:

The Action Plan

1. Engage in redemptive relationships with internationals in the Oklahoma City metro area. The initial groups and areas targeted are as follows: Asians in the suburb of Edmond; Africans and East Indians in the suburb of Yukon.

2. From these relationships and other contacts with partnering organizations, begin to have Bible studies with interested individuals and couples.

3. Target key individuals in the Bible studies who seem to be interested in outreach. Disciple them towards that end and then work at providing opportunities for them to minister to others in local ethnic ministries or even in a foreign missions context such as with short term trips.

4. Augment or establish new international fellowships comprised of people from the Bible studies, developing a strong missions/outreach focus and discipleship training within them.

5. Help local churches develop vision and strategies for reaching out to internationals in their community.

The Plan in Action

It may be great to have a plan, but what does all that planning look like when put into practice? Here's what's happening so far as we begin this work:

Four days a week I travel to the northern suburb of Edmond to make contact with the plethora of internationals living and studying in this university town. The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) is the state's oldest institution of higher learning and also happens to be my alma mater. This year saw around 60 new Chinese students enroll to join the already large population of their countrymen and other Asians attending the school. In response, a new Chinese fellowship was established in late August pastored by a Chinese-American. In one service last month alone they had 45 people show up, and five Chinese came to Christ! I'm taking a Chinese class on campus, partnering with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and am planning on starting an ESL/Bible study with hopefully some of the new converts and other interested internationals in the spring. I am currently developing redemptive relationships on campus and in Edmond with individuals from Japan, the Philippines, Myanmar, Taiwan, China, Mexico, Spain, and even Senegal!

In the western suburb of Yukon where we live I am partnering with Chandra Rudrapathi, an East Indian missions pastor, to reach internationals here. There are many people from India living in the area, and I am currently co-leading a Bible study for them and other international or internationally-focused individuals on Fridays. Chandra is leading a team to India in February to help people here to catch an even greater vision for ministry among Indians in the area, and together we are working toward starting an international fellowship in the spring on the campus of First Baptist Church of Yukon. I am also developing redemptive relationships locally with individuals from Haiti, Kenya, Vietnam, and Mexico.

More opportunities and partnerships are appearing on the horizon as I get further into the ministry here. Please pray that I will be sensitive to the Spirit over which ones He wants me to pursue.

And now a word for our sponsors...

You may have noticed that the support figure needed this time is much greater than that listed on the last prayer letter. This was because the updated commitments of the move from Senegal to the US had not yet been calculated at the time of printing. The loss of the stipend from Dakar Academy alone had a tremendous effect on our budget. Many of you know that I loathe talking about money, and rarely mention finances in prayer letters. However, we would ask you to pray greatly over this matter. We know God has called us to ministry here, and while the Kingdom potential is great, much additional support is needed for us to be able to do it effectively.

Other Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for Joyce in her ministry of providing care for my parents and our children plus managing the nitty-gritty work of two households while I am at the university, leading a Bible study, etc. None of this would be possible without my life partner backing me up.

Thanks for praying for our son-in-law Brad's job situation. He is now working at UPS and enjoying the challenge of so much heavy lifting. Pray for his wife, our daughter, Katie, though, as she has been sick for quite awhile now.

Continue to pray for open doors in some of the many redemptive relationships I have formed. Space limits me to only listing their pseudonyms for this issue and no stories, but God will know who you are talking about as you pray for them. So please pray for "Al" and "Sarah" (Japan), "Debbie" (Myanmar), "Jerry" (Philippines), "Marc" (Haiti), "Joey" (Vietnam), "Linda" (China), "Timothy" (Kenya), "Amanda" (Mexico), "Penny" (Spain), "Gabriel" (Taiwan), and "Nancy" (Senegal).

Thanks for praying for my progress in learning the language and culture of China. I just received a 100% on my mid-term exam. Please continue to pray for me as I try to practice what I'm learning. My friend "Gabriel" believes in using the complete immersion method of Chinese when speaking with me, introducing me to friends, etc. (Boy, does my head hurt afterward!)

Your support and prayers are much of what keeps us going. Thanks again for your partnership in this work.

Yours By his Grace,

John for the rest of the Ropers

A New Venue

MetroBeat

Vol 1, Issue 1

A season of firsts...

Welcome to the very first issue of MetroBeat, our new prayer letter that is replacing Dakar Diary, the chronicle of our ministry in Senegal. Now that we have moved to the Oklahoma City metro area, our missives needed a new look and a new name. Other than the obvious allusion to newspaper reporting on city matters, the name also signifies our spiritual heartbeat for the internationals working, studying, and living in Oklahoma's capital city and its suburbs.

Speaking of firsts, for the first time ever I (John) have developed blood clots in my leg from travelling. The trip back to Senegal and the subsequent sorting and packing caused one of my feet to start swelling. After we returned to the States an ultrasound confirmed that the cause for my discomfort were two, well-placed blood clots in the calf of my right leg. While the risk of them breaking off and travelling into more dangerous areas of my body are slim, I am now on a six- month round of blood thinners and am restricted from extended times of sitting. Hence, I'll need to hold off seeing some of you for awhile until I can once again drive long distances safely.

Another first when we got back came in the form of a serious problem. After all, who would have thought that a termite infestation could lead to ministry? One of the final tasks needing to be done before closing on the house we bought next to my parents' was the replacement of some siding that had been badly termite damaged in the past. The crew members in charge of the repairs were Mexican, and I had a chance to talk to a few of them. The result (other than new siding and fresh paint) of their time here is that I will soon start teaching at least one of them English as a ministry outreach. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

I have also made some important first contacts with other internationals over the last few weeks, and I have been amazed at the openness that I'm experiencing in our conversations. Since the Internet is so public, and some of the individuals come from restricted access countries, I have changed the names and am being deliberately vague on the details of how I met these people in order to protect their identities. God knows who they are, though, so please pray for my developing relationships with them.

"Marc" is from Haiti and has his own business. I drop in at his place of work periodically to chat with him in French, which is enjoyable for both of us as there are few people around here who speak the language. We have talked a little about missions and Christianity already. Please pray for our talks to get deeper as we get to know each other more.

"Jack" and "Jill" are university students from mainland China. Both are extremely outgoing and friendly. They will also talk your ear off, and talking with them brings back fond memories of some of my former students. Please pray for more and better opportunities for me to interact with them.

"Gloria" is also a university student but comes from Thailand. Her sister wants her to stay here, but she misses her home. She will be in the area for at least another year and a half, though, as she finishes up her studies. Please pray that her discontent with her situation will lead to an openness to God's peace in her life.

"Joey" is from Vietnam but has lived here for eight years working in a family-run business. He says that while many people know his name from overhearing it from others, he doesn't know the names of most of his best customers because no one has ever bothered to introduce themselves to him other than me. Please pray for our developing friendship and that I someday will be able to introduce him to an eternal friend: Christ.

I am very excited about the first steps to ministry that the Lord is revealing here among the international communities. Please pray that I will faithfully follow the path He has for me among them.

Other prayer requests:

I start a course in Chinese at one of the local universities on August 17th to not only learn more about the language and culture but also to provide an opening to meet more internationals. Please pray that I will be successful in both areas.

Pray for Joyce as she continues to juggle the demands of two households.

My parents are stable but still have some major medical concerns. Please continue to pray for them and for us as we work as their caregivers.

Our daughter, Katie, and her husband Brad have moved to Oklahoma. Katie is working in one of the malls across town, but Brad has yet to find work. What possibly looks like a great job for him is opening up next week, though. Please pray that he'll land the position if that is what the Lord has for him.

Your prayers and continuing support are a vital part of our ministry. May you be truly blessed in the days to come.

Yours By His Grace,

John for the rest of the Ropers

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