The Yost Post

December 2011

2011-12-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13

Heavenly Home for Christmas

Betty (Yost) Tetzlaff
1932-2011

On November 6^th we were shocked to learn that Paul’s mother, Betty, had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. She didn’t even have a chance to push the alarm on her medic alert bracelet. She was always so healthy and active, we thought she would live a long time yet. She lived alone on two and a half acres in the woods outside of Yosemite, taking care of her property herself. In fact, her favorite present we gave her in recent years was a backpack leaf blower!

She was an a amazing person who was constantly serving others in practical ways, as well as with her ministry of calligraphy name and scripture plaques she made and gave to everyone she met. We’ve received many e-mails and cards telling of her kindness and how she will be missed. Our kids have taken her loss especially hard. We’ll all be driving out after Christmas for a celebration of her life. Please pray for our trip, as well as for all the decisions that need to be made by Paul and his sister, Sherie. For those of you in the area, the service will be held at 2pm on December 31 at Groveland Evangelical Free Church.

Opportunities Abounding for ISP

Every month, through our website (www.isptrips.org), we receive requests from all around the world, asking our ministry to help them teach their children. Here are a few:

“I wish to invite the ISP to establishing an office in Nairobi [Kenya], and partner with me in this region. You are welcome in Africa. I want to be involved with ISP.”

“I am teaching young boys and girls to consider the Word of God as a means of learning moral values… My wish is to be in your Project in Peru, South America.”

“I was really excited to hear about what you offer. Here in Zimbabwe...the teachers are really struggling - not just financially but also spiritually. I would like more details on your curriculum.”

“I am running a school in Nigeria. I want to affiliate my school with your ministry. I will be very glad for your support to reach out to the Nigerian children.”

ISP receives requests such as these on a regular basis. In fact, we have similar requests from several more countries, including Ireland, Poland, Venezuela, and Kazakhstan. Thankfully, this year, the Int'l School Proj. was able to respond to a request from Taiwan and held its first conference there in July. We have more than 16 trips scheduled throughout 2012 to countries such as Armenia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, and Ukraine. And by God’s grace, we will begin working in three new countries—Albania, Grenada, and Honduras. We are so grateful for the financial and prayer support we receive that enables us to be a part of this strategic ministry. God is really blessing and expanding the impact of ISP around the world!

May God bless you and your family as you celebrate Christ come to earth!

October 2011

2011-11-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

ISP In the Middle East

We hope you’re having a beautiful fall. We continue to be blessed by all that God is doing through our ministry with the International School Project. Our recent ISP trips have been very fruitful so far. We’ve sent teams to Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, and Taiwan in the last couple of months, and hundreds of new teachers have now been trained in our Christian ethics curriculum and are sharing these truths with their students.

We currently have a team of experienced volunteers that just returned from a sensitive country in the Middle East, and recently received this report as they were finishing the first of two teacher trainings there:

Today was an absolutely wonderful end of our conference. To tell you the truth, they acted like they didn't want it to end. It was an extremely involved and highly attentive group of education-related personnel. We also had fantastic interpreters who came from a nearby school, many of whom had never spoken with a native English speaker before. The freshly translated (in the local language) curriculum was quite a hit, and it was considered a treasure to receive. Let me share a few quotes from these teachers, psychologists and social workers.

“I’m going to read this curriculum and put it into one hour a day for my students!”

“I’m going to the Ministry of Education and tell them that the teachers need this; this should be in the classrooms.”

Three teachers from our 2009 conference came back to get the new curriculum. They commented, “We are getting the whole curriculum. And we want it!”

We had interpreters from a nearby English School who helped us all three days. One exclaimed, "This was the greatest experience of my whole life."

We’re also excited about new doors that the Lord is opening for ministry. Our setup team just returned from Honduras, where we will have our first teacher trainings next summer. After meeting with the CCC National Director there, he remarked that "I have been the national director in Honduras for 30 years. After reviewing the ISP program, I have a renewed sense of hope that we can reach our country for Jesus."

We also have invitations from several other countries, so please pray that God will pave the way for us to train more educators in these new locations during 2012. We are so thankful for your financial investments and your prayers!

Grace & Peace,

Paul & Susan

September 2011

2011-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Bi-Annual CCC Staff Conference

Our staff conference in Ft. Collins this year was highlighted for us by the 20th anniversary of ISP. Fourteen key nationals from Russia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Guatemala joined about 170 staff and trip participants to reflect on God's faithfulness and blessings over the past 20 years. For me (Susan), I was greatly impacted by hearing the nationals speak. The Russian ladies especially touched my heart as they enthusiastically thanked us for coming to their country and bringing the Gospel to their teachers, students and families through the ISP curriculum. What may be just a 2 week trip for us, is life-changing for them. When you work in an office (Paul), arranging trips and fixing phone and computers, it's inspiring to hear the impact your work is having, first hand.

The main conference was amazing as well, with talks by Francis Chan, Rene Rochester and David Platt. You don't have to take our word for it, you can watch some of them yourself! Just go to www.ccci.org/csu/index.htm to see what's available. You won't be disappointed!

On the Home Front

Throughout the conference, we were also dealing with paperwork for the closings on the house we were selling, and the one we were buying. All went like clockwork for the house we sold, but there were delays on the one we were buying. God provided, however, as we were able to move in before we closed and basically got 2 weeks of free rent out of the deal! We are very happy to be in the country and are still painting and unpacking. Our favorite place to be is just sitting on the front porch watching the sun go down behind the mountains. The view seems to always be changing, with the variations of light, clouds, and sometimes some pretty exciting thunderstorms! We are looking forward to Susan's brother and sister-in-law staying with us for awhile as they look for jobs in Colorado Springs. Please pray that God directs them to just the right work situations.

Painting the laundry room

Matthew’s photo from our front porch

Aunt Christiana & Uncle David

Susan and Megan were able to fly out to California for her mom's memorial service. It was a good time of remembering and honoring her and visiting with extended family members. Megan fell in love with the Redwoods Susan grew up with and took lots of pictures for her photography class.

Prayer & Praise:
-> We are back in our routines of homeschooling, co-op, and AWANA.

-> Please pray that we can get the house in order soon so we can start our home group up again.

-> Pray for Michael and his schooling. He may have some learning disabilities. Praise the Lord that his Uncle David and Aunt Christiana, who are coming, have educational experience and degrees that should help!

-> Pray for Nathan to find a job.

-> Praise God for a successful ISP conference recently held for the first time in Taiwan.

-> ISP will have a team travelling to Vinnitsa and Khmelnitsky, Ukraine, October 12-29. Pray for the teachers there to be receptive to our team members and the message of Christ’s love in our materials.

-> The recession has hit us very hard this year. Pray that God will lead more people to partner with us financially and bless many of our former partners so they may begin giving again.

First pony ride!

First baseball game!

First time as a magician’s assistant!

ISP 20th anniversary banquet

Campus Crusade for Christ Is Changing the Name for Its U.S. Ministries

You may have heard on the news that our ministry is changing our name to “cru” as of next year. We wanted to give you a little background on how this decision came about.

“Why the name change?” Our name presented obstacles to our mission, mainly because the college “campus” is only a small part of our endeavors, and “crusade” can have a negative connotation to many people. Surveys showed that 20% of people willing to consider the gospel were less willing to listen after hearing our name. This was not an unexpected change. Our leadership spent over two years in prayer, study and interaction with people from all walks of life to determine a new name.

“So what does the new name cru mean?” This nickname has been in use on U.S. college campuses for over fifteen years; students almost automatically connect it with our ministry. Field testing has shown that it does not carry any of the negative connotations of the word crusade. Although the initials have no specific meaning, this term will come to mean exactly what Campus Crusade for Christ has meant over the years: a people and organization passionately dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you have heard the misleading and false discussions in the media that “Christ has been removed” from the organization. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We remain dedicated to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ so that everyone will know someone who truly follows Jesus. More information can be found on the web at www.ccci.org/cru.

“Will cru become the worldwide name for Campus Crusade for Christ?” No, the name change applies only to U.S. Ministries. Each country is allowed to choose its own name under the umbrella of Campus Crusade for Christ. ISP is part of the International Ministry (not the U.S. Ministry), so we are still the International School Project of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Thanks so much for partnering with us in this ministry. We could not dedicate ourselves full-time to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ without your sacrificial giving and your faithful prayers. We appreciate you more than you can know.

July 2011

2011-10-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)

Susan's mom went to be with the Lord she loved so much on May 27th. Susan was able to be with her for 2 days before, singing and reading Scripture to her. A couple months earlier she had called one of Susan's brothers to say she wasn't going to be around much longer and that she was ready to go. No matter how much the dementia progressed or how limited her physical abilities became, she never wavered in two things - her love for Jesus and her love for her husband and children. That pretty much sums up her life.

There will be a memorial service at First Covenant Church in Eureka, CA on Aug. 27th. It will probably be just Susan and Megan flying out for that. Susan's Dad will be moving to a nursing home near her brother Kevin, so be praying for his transition. It was great that he and Mom could share a room, but now he needs more frequent visits from family.

God has been very gracious to bring us a buyer for our house! It is pretty miraculous in this economy that we are getting more for it than we paid 4 years ago, though we still need to come to closing with money because of realtor's fees. Another miracle is that He saved the house we've been watching for 9 months! It is a short sale, but our offer was accepted in 4 days, on the day before it was supposed to be foreclosed on! It is 3000 sf. on 9 acres with 6 bedrooms, and $26,000 less than our current home! Of course, it's not pretty and needs some work, but it is fun to plan where the chickens will go, the gardens, the archery range, etc.

We are supposed to close on both houses July 27th, renting back this house a few days while we clean and move into the new one. The timing is all pretty tricky, because we get back from 11 days at Campus Crusade staff training in Ft. Collins the morning of the 27th! We need to have everything packed up before the conference, and maybe even some outdoor things moved over. Please pray that both closings will happen on the 27th and that we'll have enough help to move over the following 3 days.

While at the staff conference, we'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the International School Project! This strategy has had far more impact than we can even quantify, considering teachers who got the curriculum years ago and are still using it, as well as copying it for other teachers to use.

One of the ways ISP's impact is solidifying and expanding is by establishing Christian Teacher Associations. Currently, we have a team in Russia who are training Russian Christian teachers how to implement these groups. From these associations, we are seeing Bible Study Groups begin, successful evangelism efforts and changed lives. In other words, we are witnessing a movement!

May 2011

2011-10-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Two more Yost baptisms!

This Easter proved to be a very memorable one for the Yost family. Kyle had wanted to be baptized for some time, but didn't like putting his head underwater. He recently overcame that and was ready to go. Kayla had wanted to be baptized as well, but I, Susan, didn't have a good sense that she'd accepted Christ yet, even though she'd say she loved Jesus.

She and Megan were part of the Easter Children's Choir. After their first performance they had the kids listen to the sermon on a big screen in the room where they were waiting. When the invitation was given at the end, several children raised their hands to show they wanted to pray and receive Christ, including Kayla. I had a sweet time with her, explaining sin and how we are all sinners and need a Savior. She really seemed to understand and prayed with me. Then she melted into my arms for a long hug. She said, "My heart is beating really hard. Is that Jesus in there?" She got to be one of 66 unplanned baptisms that weekend - and the angels in Heaven were rejoicing! We have seen some very positive changes in her since then.

As the school year winds down, we finished up AWANA with an awards ceremony. Michael and Kayla each finished their first Sparks book and review, while Kyle proudly received a plaque for finishing all 3 Sparks books. Megan and Tyler also got awards for finishing their books. Paul, Tyler, Matthew and I were all leaders and are looking forward to working with the kids again next year.

Our house has been on the market about 6 weeks now, with 11 showings. The most recent have shown some interest in the house, so pray that that turns into offers. We have been watching a house with 9 acres for months now, and are praying that God keeps saving it for us. Matthew has been researching chickens and llamas (!) and can't wait to get started raising his own. So far we have said "yes" to the chickens, and "we'll see" to the llamas. Nathan would like to try his hand at making furniture with the woodshop Paul inherited, that would be set up in the large barn/garage building. Tyler wants an archery range, Kayla wants a bunny, Michael wants a chicken - and on it goes! I think it will be great for them to have some responsibilities and interests that take them outside. The house we're looking at has 6 bedrooms and is at least $20,000 less than our current house. Please join us in praying that this will all work out if it is God's will for us.

For keeping up with the Yosts on a more day-to-day basis, friend one or both of us on Facebook! There are a couple videos of the girls singing at Easter on my page.

Here are some of highlights of our ministry with ISP this year:

• An ISP team just returned from Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan is a country heading south financially. Their teachers are paid only about $45 a month. Students can barely afford pencils. The teachers are so grateful that ISP comes and shows an interest in their country. Our ISP curriculum is often tattered and torn with use. 33 schools around the capitol of Bishkek are using our curriculum and strategy. Teachers are being voices for Christ to their students!

• An ISP team just returned from the Ukraine – Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Randy, one the ISP delegates, worked as a Communications Specialist for the U.S. Air Force. Oleg, our ISP representative in the Ukraine worked as a Communications Specialist for the Soviet Army. Unbeknownst to them, Randy and Oleg were given similar intelligence tasks and were assigned to the same location – Central Europe. Same location, similar assignments – except they were enemies. Now both believers became acquainted. They had a good laugh at their former lives.

• A setup team just returned from arranging details of ISP’s 1st conference in Taiwan.

• Our Parenting curriculum was reviewed by an official team of Ukrainian educators.

• We are in the midst of planning: summer trips to Guatemala, Russia, Armenia, Taiwan and a country that we classify as “delicate” so I cannot mention the name.

• We’re also planning for the International School Project’s 20th anniversary to be celebrated July 16-18 just prior to the beginning of the Campus Crusade’s biennial conference in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

The former Campus Crusade for Christ Director of Russia recently sent us these unsolicited comments:

“When I reflect back on the exciting and turbulent years following the fall of the Soviet Union and evaluate Campus Crusade’s response to the spiritual openness, two ministries stand out as having had a profound impact. The “JESUS” Film campaigns reached more people with the truth of the gospel than perhaps any other ministry in the history of the Soviet Union. And the ministry that was the most effective at creating a long-lasting, transferable, reproducing, indigenous ministry was the work of The International School Project. Although it is not as well-known as a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, more than twenty years later it continues to produce fruit as a multiplying ministry; there are still teachers using the curriculum and introducing people to Christ. I think the primary keys to its success were a transferable curriculum that continues to meet a real need in society and effective training of Russians to use this material.”

March 2011

2011-10-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

ISP Is Celebrating 20 Years!

Here is what we did in 2010:

Last Month In Guatemala:

What would draw 65 North Americans to the modest-sized city of Quetzaltenango Guatemala to sit in meetings for a week or more? Many are retirees who choose to spend their golden years globetrotting with an eternal purpose. That purpose is to share the love of Jesus in a small group while teachers learn how to teach a morals and ethics curriculum based on the Jesus Film and receive training in leadership principles. With 86 teachers attending the leadership conference, and 445 at the convocation, the impact of these 65 delegates will be multiplied many times over as the teachers go back to their schools and influence large numbers of students over many years.

Becky D. had this to report from the 2nd day of the LDC (Leadership Development Conference): "One of the first discussions in our small group focused on what each of the teachers were doing in their classrooms related to moral education. The following is a partial list of their responses:

1) Setting aside time for the students to read in the Bible, including Psalms and Proverbs

2) Allowing students to pray aloud

3) Teaching lessons from the morals and ethics curriculum

4) Allowing their students to use art, drama, and writing to participate in these lessons

5) Sharing the STORY OF JESUS FOR CHILDREN DVD

When asked what the administrative and parental responses were to these activities, all of the teachers indicated that the response was overwhelmingly positive. Some gave examples of parents who thanked them after seeing improved behaviors and attitudes from their sons and daughters at home, as well as improvement in their school work."

Part of the training involves showing the teachers how to do an inductive Bible study. "The Bible study in Titus continues each day, and yesterday the groups moved from observation to the application phase.....a teacher of secondary and university students in Bob D's group, felt this study showed him that he was not spending enough time with his family. As a result, he called his wife, and together they decided that he would quit his third job so he could spend more time at home. This same teacher also feels he needs to have a 15 minute Bible study every day with his wife and young son. These are just small little 'happenings' here at the LDC of how God is moving in the hearts and minds of the teachers participating."

Prayer & Praise:

Ø Susan's mom had a stroke last month and it didn't look good. God chose to wake her up and she is back in the nursing home with Dad, no worse off than before the stroke!

Ø The whole family had a great celebration of the one year anniversary of Kayla and Michael's Gotcha Day. Keep praying, though, as the anniversary of the earthquake has stirred things up for them. Kayla is still not feeling totally at home here, and Michael loves it here, but deals with fear at being alone - like in his bed at night. (Translation - Susan is awakened anywhere from 1 - 3 times a night and needs to pray and sing him back to sleep, though it is getting better. She still needs extra sleep since the mono, so this has been hard.)

Ø We are in the final push to de-clutter and spruce up our house in order to get it on the market. Please pray that God sends us a buyer quickly. It will take prayer to be able to get what we owe on it. We really need to lower our mortgage and want to get on some land nearby. Our target date is March 18 to get it on the market.

Ø After 24 years on CCC staff and 27 years of marriage, we were finally able to make it to a Family Life marriage retreat this weekend! The speakers were very inspiring and personable and we recommend that if you ever get a chance to go, do it! We were blessed to have some wonderful friends who watched the younger kids, while the teens batched it one night and stayed with friends the next.

Ø Friends who are missionaries in Japan, Renee in Hirosaki, and the Caughlans in Tokyo, came through the earthquake well, but are finding food, electricity, gas, etc. being limited. Pleas pray for them and everyone affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Ø Pray for our teams going to Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine over the next few weeks. Kyrgyzstan March 19 - April 2, and Ukraine April 1-15. Pray that our delegates, some Western and some Ukrainian, will build quick friendships with the teachers that attend, that the teachers will be receptive and that many of our delegates will catch a vision for financially supporting future conferences in Ukraine.

November 2010

2010-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

Susan has Mono!

Please pray for the Yost family, for, as I (Susan) write this, I’ve been down with fever from mono for two and a half weeks, though very gradually improving. The doctor says it’s one of the worst cases he’s seen with jaundice, enlarged spleen, elevated kidney function, body aches, swollen glands, constant headache and itchy rash. I was in the hospital 24 hours while they ran tests to figure out what it was. It’s been hard on the kids not to have mom available and hard on Paul since he’s filling in everywhere and trying to work too. We have meals coming now and are really planning ahead so Paul and Matthew can still go on their week long hunting trip starting November 4th. Please pray that the fever ends and I can start recuperating!

Other Family News

Kindergarten for Michael only lasted 8 days. He was begging not to go and crying in the play yard. I guess it felt like punishment when everyone else stayed home. He’s been much happier doing school at home. Kayla is learning to read very quickly, doing 20 and even 30 pages in her workbook in a day!

One story about her – as just she and I were driving together she said she thought Jesus was talking to her in her heart. I said, “What’s He saying?” She said, “I don’t know. I don’t know English.” (That’s all she speaks now.) I told her Jesus knew Creole – He created all the languages. Then she said, “I think He’s telling me to be nice to my brothers and sisters.” I said, “I’m sure He is!” It makes me think she’s still thinking in Creole, though it rarely comes out.

Our whole family got to help pack food at a Feed My Starving Children event. They showed pictures of the dirt biscuits many eat in Haiti to fill their stomachs and I asked Kayla if they’d ever had them. She said they had and that they liked them. I asked if she liked her food better now and she smiled big and said “Yes!” The director took a picture of her with the picture of dirt biscuits.

Matthew and Tyler’s sports went well. Matthew ran on the cross-country team with Pine Creek High School. He overcame sore knees and ran a best 5k of 21:52 a couple of times. Tyler played with a local soccer team and scored a goal in one game, though he usually played goalie. At 6’1” he doesn’t even really need to jump to block balls – just stick his long arms up! Megan bought herself a 1950’s typewriter and loves to hear the tap, tap, tap when she writes stories. Kyle is enjoying Karate with his dad at our homeschool co-op and Nathan is a huge help driving everyone around for us in between his college classes.

ISP Teams

ISP’s work continues to saturate Ukraine as a recent team held a conference in Rivne – the first in that city and that oblast (like a state). A report from Rivne states that “Everyone watched the showing of the Story of Jesus for Children and had many positive comments. Some people were crying after the film. In many parts of Ukraine, teachers will tell us that they have seen the film before, but this seek was different. Most of the teachers told us it was their first time to see it. The teachers were also very excited to receive their Bibles and learn how to study them. By the end of the day, the groups were having so much fun together it became very difficult to end the conference!”

As she was leaving, one of the interpreters said, “There are three important reasons I am glad you (ISP) came. First, some of us (interpreters) have never spoken with native English-speakers and you have given us good experiences. Secondly, you have given us good materials. And finally, you have made me realize I must take Christianity seriously.”

We would appreciate your prayers for our current and up-coming teams travelling to:

Volzhsky, RUS (10/29-11/7),
Kherson, UKR (11/6-14),
Bulgan, Mongolia (11/3-22)

August 2010

2010-08-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Ukrainian Educators Have Impacted Two Million Students!

As Susan and I have each visited Ukraine, working with ISP teams, we found this report from our recent ISP newsletter to be very encouraging:

Despite many challenges in Ukraine, God is at work and the doors remain open. During the past three years, more than 5,000 teachers have received training in the ISP DreamMakers-DreamBreakers, a middle school program presenting biblical solutions to societal problems. Through the use of this curriculum, the gospel has penetrated every oblast (state) in the country and key leaders have been trained in three-fourths of them. A recent survey of Ukrainian educators revealed that more than two million students have been impacted through the ministry of ISP. The teachers indicated that each of them has shared the curriculum with an average of six others who in turn teach it in their classrooms. Nearly two thirds of the teachers also say that they are showing The Story of Jesus for Children to their students and 85 of them show it in their home.

Changing Lives in Guatemala

In a recent report from the CCC director of Guatemala, we learned that ISP has trained 2105 Guatemalan teachers so far this year! While working with an ISP team in Puerto Barrios, one of our volunteers shared about a 22 year old man with a Mayan background. He was not Catholic. He sat there with dark glasses and a baseball cap pulled down low all day….he didn’t write down anything during the workshop and did not participate at all. On Day 2, when we did the dramatization of the Prodigal Son, he was forced into playing the role of the prodigal by the rest of the group members, since he was the only male. After the drama, he told all of us that he wanted to get a Bible and start reading it that very night, because he needed forgiveness in his life, and he needed to start walking with the ethics we were teaching at this conference.

Another story of a changed life came from a teacher who attended the Leadership Development Conference a few weeks ago in Coban, Guatemala. This story is about an elementary student in the 4th grade. He was from a very poor family and had to work nights carrying sacks of vegetables. Perhaps this made him angry and aggressive towards the other students. His classmates hated him because he was very rude and even hit the other children. They gave him the nickname of ‘The Devil’s Child.’ One day when a classmate irritated him, he pulled out a knife and threatened to cut him. The classroom teacher decided to try the ISP curriculum in her class because of this incident. She started teaching values and to show love to her students. The teacher told this boy that he was a very special student and that God loved him. She explained that he was a special creation of God. She emphasized that his character should reflect that of God.

She began to notice a change in this boy’s behavior. The other students also noticed this change. They began to change their attitude about him. He became very cooperative and active in the classroom. He was selected by his fellow classmates to represent them in an activity at school called ‘The Day of Justice.’ He won the activity! Today he is a very respectful, kind and friendly student.

Family News

The Yost family started the summer off with a 3 week trip to California to meet up with all the Ponds (Susan’s family) for a memorial for Steve, which was a good time used of reminiscing about his life. God provided a 23 foot trailer from Craigslist (a wonderful invention!) that allowed us to camp our way from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park, Victorville, San Simeon, Greely Hill, Samuel P. Taylor, Richardson Grove, Fortuna, Lake Tahoe and back across to Colorado. It was great to be able to build some common family memories with the newest members of the family and to introduce them to all their grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins.

Highlights of the trip were the amazing red rocks at Zion, playing in the ocean, touring Hearst Castle (where Grandpa Pond used to work), getting a hands-on tour of Uncle Mike’s fire station and driving a power boat on Lake Tahoe for Paul’s birthday! We praise the Lord for no car problems and for time with all our immediate family, including cousins we hadn’t seen in 6 years!

Since then we have been busy getting our house ready to put on the market. We really need to get out of our 7% loan and are praying to be able to buy several acres nearby. We’ve also been getting the kids signed up for their various fall classes and sports – Cross country for Matthew, soccer for Tyler, public kindergarten for Michael, community college for Nathan, co-op classes for the rest and a program called College Pathways for Matthew. It is part-time and will prepare him for early college, even paying for the classes!

Another highlight this summer was finalizing our adoptions in Denver July 6th! There were more than 20 kids from Haiti being finalized together, so it was quite a celebration! Our agency has been so amazing to get this done so quickly when many we know aren’t even sure how to finish. God has truly worked a miracle for us to make Kayla and Michael permanent members of our family so quickly. It was only 15 months from when we started the process until finalization. Thank you for your prayers for our family as we’ve gone through this. Things are going so much better!

Bryce Canyon.

Running a lap on Westmont's new track.

Hearst Castle.

Playing in the surf.

Uncle Mike's fire station.

Family reunion at Steve's memorial.

Paul's birthday boat ride!

Gotchya Day for Kayla and Michael.

Nathan is ready to commute to college.

Michael headed to his 1st day of kindergarten.

Freedom has come!

2010-06-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Great news! Many of you may remember a prayer request we sent out back in 2007 for 41 national workers in Asia who were arrested—men and women ministering in the name of Christ. That fall, all were sentenced and imprisoned.

We just received word that all have finally been released! Some faced imprisonment for more than two and a half years. Rejoice with us in their freedom and pray as they continue to proclaim hope in a nation veiled in spiritual darkness.

Thank you for your prayers and partnership!

May 2010

2010-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Celebrating New Life!

We had a special Easter this year as we celebrated the Resurrection of Christ with our two new children. Coloring eggs and hunting for them was a new, fun activity for them, and we enjoyed our first meal all together at our new table that seats 10! The crowds at church reminded us that so many are seeking hope for their future. We can share with them this hope of the gospel. ISP and Campus Crusade continue to take the life-giving message of Jesus to many throughout the world.

Recently, ISP teams have returned from Russia and Ukraine. Both of these countries have hundreds of teachers who are using the ISP Bible-based morals and ethics curriculum in their classrooms. In fact, many of them continue to receive advanced training in teaching our advanced curriculum, by attending specialty workshops dealing with drugs, alcohol and AIDS, just to mention a few. Thousands of students every day are learning how they can build better lives with godly training in honesty, integrity and other moral character-building beliefs that will help shape the way they live and how they will affect their own countries.

One group returned from Kyrgyzstan last month, for which we are extremely grateful, due to the turn of events lately. The country has been in the news due to political unrest, but while our team was there we got to see firsthand how God is moving among students and teachers in this country. Also attending was a person of influence from another of the "stan" countries, returning hopefully to open a door in their own country.

One story shared was....The highlight of the day came in the morning when one of the teachers gave a testimony. She had attended one of our DreamMakers conferences in 2006 in Balychy, along with 7 other teachers. When asked her how she knew about the Karakol conference, she said that earlier in the month, Nurilya had been in Karakol on holiday and heard that we would be holding a conference there. So she returned and told the principal of the school, where she serves as vice principal, about the conference. The principal got excited and encouraged her to attend. Nurilya said that the 8 teachers who attended the 2006 conference donated their copies of the curriculum to the libraries. Now they have 10 schools, with 1,000 students and 69 teachers, using the curriculum. Not only that, they have been using the curriculum ever since the 2006 conference! As a result, she said that the rate of alcohol and drug abuse is significantly down.

New Names

Towards the beginning of April we gave Yrederline and Prince their new names, with an interpreter to explain how in the Bible, God changed people's names at big changes in their lives. They are now Kayla Arnell Yrederline Yost and Michael Paul Prince Luckmann Yost. Kayla and Michael both mean "who is like God?" They accepted their new names the first day, though it's taking time for us all to remember to use them.
Please continue to pray for our challenges with adjustment. Kayla is missing Haiti and the people there and is also pretty strong-willed. Megan and Kyle are closest in age and share rooms with them, so they are more stressed by the changes in our family.

A New Van
We received our 12 passenger van from Phil Long Ford this month and are so grateful for it! Our story was on the local news a couple times, though they cut out all reference to our faith. We'll be putting the van to good use at the end of May, as we drive to CA for Susan's brother's memorial service and to see all our family. Please pray that the new kids travel well!

Nathan James Yost

Class of 2010

Black Bear Academy
Home School Announces Its

Commencement Exercises With

Mountain Springs Home School

Support Group

Friday, May Twenty-first

Two Thousand Ten

Ten O-Clock

Mountain Springs Church

7345 Woodman Road

Colorado Springs, Colorado

February 2010

2010-03-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8

This past month and a half we have learned how true this verse is. When God called us to adopt from Haiti, we never could have imagined the ways He would use to accomplish it. We knew there were many things that could be road blocks in the process, yet had to continue with what He had called us to. For you who get our e-mail updates, you have shared the journey as it happened. I will attempt to condense it here for you who have not heard our story (I printed out 12 pages of e-mails and information of the story as it happened!).

Disaster! - On Jan. 12th, 2010 the Yosts’ world changed forever. Haiti experienced a devastating 7.0 earthquake and we spent several tense hours trying to get information on our children in Port-au-Prince. We found out all the children at the orphanage were safe, but didn’t know how long that would last with all the aftershocks. Four days after the earthquake we received an urgent request for prayer. The orphanage was running out of drinking water, food, formula, medicine, charcoal, IV fluids and diesel and one nanny had died. At this point we did not know if the kids would receive humanitarian parole visas and leave the country, or if the condition of the government would mean our adoption would be delayed indefinitely. It was a hard day, wondering if our kids would die for lack of water.

Finally, we heard that the Salvation Army had arrived with supplies for about a day and a half, though still no formula. Fox News and CNN began reporting from our orphanage, the one with all the babies in the back of a truck. Their coverage really helped our plight become known so more supplies could be brought. I (Susan) spent many hours on the computer and phone, contacting government officials and aid organizations, trying to get help. Slowly, the conditions improved and we got word that the kids would be granted humanitarian parole and would come to the U.S.! We still had no timeline and there were rumors it could take weeks to process them all and get them out.

These 12 days were about the hardest of my life. It seemed like such a spiritual battle, for us here, and for those trying to get the kids out. We were having trouble sleeping and I was almost having panic attacks. But then we would pray and the Holy Spirit would give us peace and it was amazing! The battle seemed the strongest when they were trying to get the kids to the Embassy. Soledad O’Brien, of CNN, went on the bus with them. They got stuck in traffic, the children started to overheat and throw up, and they decided to go back to the orphanage. They were worried some of the babies would die. The enemy was doing all he could to keep these kids from going to Jesus follower homes.

Miracle! - To make a long story short, after more delays, rumors, misinformation and much speculation about when and where our children would arrive in the U.S., we finally got the call Sunday, Jan. 24, to meet them at a hangar at Denver Int’l Airport around noon. Colorado’s Governor Ritter had arranged to have all the Colorado children flown to DIA, after some processing in Florida. We were amazed when the kids came off the plane, some pictures were taken and a packet of information was given, and they were ours! Yrederline pointed at the ground and said, “Daddy. Colorado?” We could finally tell her that yes, she had arrived in her new home.

We took them to a hotel for a little R&R before meeting the rest of the family. As I said in an e-mail about that day, “I know there will be tough times as we adjust to each other and work through the issues they may have from all they have gone through, but today was pure joy.” The following is from the first day with all the kids together:

“Had a good first day with all the kids. Kyle and Prince like to rub each other’s
hair. Y seems to like everything Megan does, which is exactly what she was wanting in a sister! Delighted smiles and laughter in their first warm bath! Amazement that the food comes out of the little box on the counter, hot! Eating every hour, it seems. A little fear of the dog, Chase, but it’s getting better. Seeing Y sitting stiff legged, but with a huge smile her first time on a swing. Taking something out of Y’s mouth 20 times a day. P loading up a string bag with a ton of his favorite things and trying to carry it around all day with a bunch of marbles in his pocket and pushing a stroller with a doll that coos inside. Y on Daddy’s lap. P on Mama’s lap, with others in between watching a movie. P getting in bed with Mama for a cuddle about 5:30. Y getting her 20 minute hug in the morning. Just a few snapshots from our day!”

Of course, since then the honeymoon has ended and the kids really feel comfortable and are acting out more. We expected this and have had training on how to deal with it. It is challenging, though, as it is like having two big toddlers who are very needy and don’t understand the dangers of their new world. Prince has played with the knobs on our stove a couple times and filled the kitchen with gas. We think we’ve gotten the danger of that across to him now.

Loss of our brother - This time has been made harder by the sudden death of Susan’s oldest brother, Steve, 54. A long distance truck driver with no wife or children, he had a heart attack at a truck stop in Denver and couldn’t be revived. Our kids all loved him and we are sad that Yrederline and Prince won’t have an Uncle Steve in their lives.

Though it has been hard, I have been amazed at how God’s promises have proven themselves to me over and over. He really will never leave me or forsake me or give me more than I can bear. His grace is sufficient for me in every circumstance. I know these things now, not just with my head. There have been so many practical ways God has shown up as well.

God’s Provision - Because of the suddenness of the children coming to us, we were not prepared with clothes, and especially a bigger van. Our Suburban has

8 seatbelts, but we thought it would be two more years before the new kids came home and Nathan would be at college and maybe even Tyler. Since we heard they were coming, a friend has been working on getting us a deal for a ten passenger van from a local dealer. They have brought the price down and will match whatever is raised to cover the difference! We are hoping to have it in the next week or so.

Our church family has blessed us so much with meals, clothes, gift cards and a seminar on integrating our Haitian children and friends from the same orphanage (about 16 children from Haiti are now at our church). We’ve also been blessed by the family leave Campus Crusade gave Paul, and the Show Hope grant we just got from Show Hope. Just shortening the adoption process and finishing it here in the next six months is reducing our expenses by thousands of dollars!

The first week of this year we spent fasting and praying with the rest of our church. At the top of my list was praying for the adoption – That the process would speed up, the money would come in and that it would actually be completed! I knew some of my friends adopting from Haiti were taking three years to complete, but I had a tiny bit of faith that God could bring our kids home by next Christmas, and that’s what I was praying for. One week later the earthquake happened… but it’s not my fault! God’s ways are so far above ours. I can’t claim to know what He has in store for Haiti. I can only pray that He will bring beauty from the ashes there, as he has done by getting all these kids to their Forever Families.

Please continue to pray for all of us as we adjust. Specifically pray:

that Yrederline and Prince pick up English quickly,
that they accept our authority over them and learn to obey,
that they would come to know Jesus at a young age,
for strength and wisdom for Paul and me (Susan),
for our birth children to be flexible and understanding with the new kids.

ISP Continues to Reach Students with the Love of Christ!

From a Delegate on a Recent Trip:
“On a visit to a local school in a Ukrainian city, we were able to interact with students of English. The teacher of the class asked us to tell the children about the ISP conference, so we explained the purpose (for being there). The teacher said she understood there were religious reasons for our visit too and would we please share about our faith. We were able to tell the students about a holy, loving God who sent his son, Jesus Christ…who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, so that we might have a personal relationship with God through faith in His son. What a thrill it was to share the Gospel with public school students in a public school system.”

We currently have a large team in Guatemala and two other teams preparing to go to Russia and Ukraine within the next month. Thank you for your prayers and support as we continue working through ISP, Global Media Outreach and our local church to reach the world for Christ!

Styling with her extensions!

1st time sledding.

A hike in the park.

Sisters!

Yrederline likes to help in the kitchen.

Kyle's 7th Birthday.

First visit to McDonalds - playdate with Haitian friends.

And no, we don't make them work for their supper. They just really want to help, sometimes.

Here is some more exciting information we have learned about what God is doing in the midst of the crisis in Haiti. The Jesus Film staff are seeing an unprecedented response to the gospel!

•   In the National Soccer Stadium, film teams are showing JESUS to the 6,000 homeless now living there.
•   Across from the National Palace, JESUS is being shown nightly, and 45-70 people are trusting Christ every night.
•   In the IDP (internally Displaced Person) camps, our teams show JESUS 3-4 times per night and they are seeing 20-25% response!

The first five days...

2010-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

Jan. 24
One little thing I forgot to share earlier from when we first got the kids at Denver International Airport. Yrederline looked at Paul, pointed at the floor and said, "Daddy, Colorado?" He was able to assure her that, yes, she had finally made it to Colorado. Last March when I was leaving for the airport to come back home, she had pointed at me, herself and Prince and said, "Colorado, Colorado, Colorado!" And I had to say "no, just Mama Colorado." I cried all the way through the ticket line, having to leave them behind like that.

Jan. 26
Had a good first day with all the kids. Kyle and Prince like to rub each other's hair. Yrederline seems to like everything Megan does, which is exactly what she was wanting in a sister! Delighted smiles and laughter in their first warm bath! Amazement that the food comes out of the little box on the counter hot! Eating every hour, it seems. A little fear of the dog, Chase, but it's getting better. Seeing Y sitting stiff legged, but with a huge smile her first time on a swing. Taking something out of Y's mouth 20 times a day. P loading up a string bag with a ton of his favorite things and trying to carry it around all day with a bunch of marbles in his pocket and pushing a stroller with a doll that coos inside. Y on Daddy's lap, P on Mama's lap, with others inbetween watching a movie. P getting in bed with Mama for a cuddle about 5:30. Y getting her 20 minute hug in the morning. Just a few snapshots from our day!"

Jan. 27
We've discovered that Prince is much more affected by the cold than Yrederline. We went on a short walk yesterday and forgot mittens. He was crying before the end of the walk and for a good while afterwards, because his hands hurt. We won't forget them again! Yrederline loves to play outside with Matthew and Megan. She is more adventurous than Prince, who is more drawn to our musical instruments. The new favorite food for both of them is peanut butter. Just put some on a spoon and they are happy campers! We let them eat whenever they want right now, which seems to be almost continuous! Should have their first experience in the snow tomorrow. What we have on the ground has been there a long time and is ice.

There have been times in this journey that I have doubted these things would ever happen. There seemed to be so many things that could happen to interfere with the adoption. We already have 5 children at home and needed special dispensation from the President of Haiti, there was a law in the works that would have prevented us from adopting because we had any children at home, two friends from church lost their kids when birth fathers that were previously unknown showed up and took the kids away, (our kids' birth fathers are unknown.) Then there was the reality that it was taking 3 years for our friends who were ahead of us in the process. We knew all this, yet God told us Haiti is where our children were. He told me specifically that He was watching and that He would accomplish His plans for these kids. Thank you to all who have been praying them home when it seemed Satan was putting up every roadblock he could. Please continue to pray for a couple families in our church who have not gotten their kids out of Haiti yet. Haiti changed the requirements after our kids came out.

Jan. 29
O.K., the honeymoon is over already! The kids really feel comfortable and are acting out more. We expected this and have had training on how to deal with it. As we establish boundaries, they don't want to submit, but are learning that we won't give in. We give them "time-in", sitting on one of our laps until they are calm and submitted. Prince picked the half hour Paul was away today to pitch his fit with me. It was quite a struggle to hold him as I spoke calmly and prayed over him. We had a good evening after it was all over. I really could feel your prayers as God gave me strength and wisdom today. We've been having a problem with Prince not liking his room (it's the bunk room with two sets of bunk beds and 4 boys.) We figure it reminds him of the orphanage and something about it is a trigger for him. Last night we moved him to Nathan's room upstairs and temporarily put Nathan back in the bunk room. He slept all night! I got 7 hours of sleep for the first time since the earthquake!

Another praise is that our friend's daughter arrived in the U.S. today! There are still about 20 kids at For His Glory's orphanage, plus another 40 they've accepted since the earthquake. They are planning on rebuilding on property in the country. Our friend who ran this orphanage for 8 years told us today that of all the adoptions she knew of that were expedited by the earthquake, ours was the most miraculous. Because of having 5 children already, she really thought the part of the process called IBESR would have been difficult for us, taking a year to a year and half to complete just that one part. She sees God's hand on our adoption from beginning to end, as do we.

We are considered our children's foster parents at this point. It looks like it should take 6 months to complete the adoption, with monthly visits by our agency. I'm sure things will look much differently by then, as our children learn English and heal from all the trauma they've experienced. We covet your continued prayers during this process!

In Christ,

Susan

Gotcha Day

2010-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

They're here!

In a large, cold hanger in Denver, we were united with our new children, Yrederline and Prince! It was an amazing experience to witness all the reunions going on around us! As we checked in to a nearby hotel and played in the indoor pool together, I, Susan, was thinking "there are no words to express the joy of this day!" I know there will be tough times as we adjust to each other and work through the issues they may have from all they have gone through, but today was pure joy. We also got to meet their cousin and his new parents, who live in Illinois. We exchanged information to keep in touch and they gave us pictures of Y & P's aunt and grandmother! We have no pictures of their mother, so it was great to have at least this.

There will be more stories and pictures in the future, but for now we want you to know how very grateful we are for all your support and prayers through the past 12 days. The frustration and fear of those days was well worth it. We give God all the glory for what He has done to bring all these kids home. We ask that you continue to pray for those not in the US yet. We just learned that Haiti has added another step to the process before the rest can leave, including the daughter of a couple from our church. Also, Florida says the parents must pick her up in Florida. We are thankful for Colorado's Governor Ritter for all he did to bring the CO kids to us. We were able to meet him and get our picture with him.

We ask also that you continue to pray for us and our family as we figure out our new normal together.

We're trying to be patient

2010-01-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

O.K., no flying today. 82 children have been cleared to travel, 25 more to go. Tomorrow is the day! Now the big question, and the one that has had us, (well, me, anyway), speculating and listening to rumors all day, is where will the kids land? We're told if it's a commercial flight, they could very well end up in Denver! How cool is that? But, if it's a military flight, they could end up anywhere! So, even though we've been tempted a couple times to book a flight to Florida, we're waiting until we have official word.

A friend who's a travel agent, (Laurie Strickland), has worked very hard this past week to get us free flights from Frontier to Fl, and she succeeded! If we were flying to Fl., all our families (in CO. Springs), would have had free flights. We so appreciate all her and Sherri VanDuzer's hard work on that. And maybe they still will be able to help us. It's just so cool to see people and companies coming together to help these kids! I am confident we will have our kids in our arms soon and am resting in the Lord, waiting to see His plan unfold. I've attached pictures, in case you haven't seen them yet. (Just continuing the inexplicable cuteness of the Yost children!)

Here are some quotes from today from one of our FHG people on the ground -

"Wow, it's crazy around here! We got diapers and lots of other supplies plus arrangements are being made for additional security. A pediatric anesthesiologist came today and took a look at the kids. Other than a couple of babies with diarrhea, he was amazed at how good everyone looks. Not was he was expecting.

Pierre has been invited by CNN to be interviewed for the Telethon for Haiti tonight by C Anderson Cooper broadcasting to an estimated 40 million people. Is God Good or What???? THIS IS REALLY FOR HIS GLORY!

We have three helicopters on stand by to fly babies to the airport if need be. God has provided and continues to provide amazing resources."

Thanks for bathing our children in prayer,

Susan

January 2010 - Some encouragement!

2010-01-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

I really needed some encouragement today. I had read on another orphanage's blog that their director was going to the Embassy to get visas and wondered if we could do this. Then we got this update -

Recent post from a staff member who is at the Orphanage:

"We went to the embassy and got right in. we did not take the kids. they stayed at the O. we needed pics of all the kids so we are doing this now and returning to the embassy in the morning. pray for safety at night and no more aftershocks. pray for a swift process tomorrow so we can return with the kids ASAP."

So maybe the kids will be walking to the Embassy tomorrow. Pray for them again. If he can get the visas tomorrow, maybe they'll be flying out tomorrow! I heard American Airlines has donated a plane to get them out. God, You are good!

The verses the Lord gave me today - Psalm 72:1,2 & 4. "Give Your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king's son. Help him judge Your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly...Help Him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors."

Please pray that Paul and I are able to sleep tonight. It has been getting harder and harder. Last night I slept 2 hours, Paul maybe 4.

Susan

January 2010 - No Safe Haven

2010-01-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

The JCICS has asked us to please stop calling our government officials. Apparently the State Department is not going to OK the safe compound for our orphans. They are telling our orphanages to send the children who are eligible for humanitarian parole with their paperwork to the embassy first thing this morning. This is not safe and there will not be supplies for them when they arrive. The embassy may not even let them in - they turned some orphans away two days ago. There they will be processed, one by one, before they can come to the US.

I had visions of the US Marines coming in to save the day, with a baby in each arm and guards surrounding them. My country has let me down. But my hope is in my Savior and my God who is far more dependable and loves these kids far more than we do. Please join me in praying a hedge of protection around them if they leave for the embassy today. They have to transport 26 babies plus their formula and supplies, not to mention the toddlers and older children. Pray that Pierre has wisdom about whether to go, when to go and that they are able to take all the necessary paperwork with them. Also, pray for the 15 children with no families assigned to them yet who may be left behind, I'm sure with nannies to care for them.

We do praise God that members of our adoption agency and For His Glory have arrived over the last couple days with formula and food. They will also be extra hands to carry babies. Pray that vehicles will be able to get through with the kids. The road is damaged on either side of the orphanage.

I keep hearing that the governor of Texas is really pushing to do something like what the PA governor did. The chairman of the board of our orphanage lives in Texas. Please pray that he is able to get them all out.

Disheartened, but resting in the peace and strength of my Lord Jesus,

Susan

January 2010 - Help came today...Evacuation pending!

2010-01-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

Many of you have seen the TV reports on Fox News, Geraldo and CBS that showed the plight of the children at the orphanage our kids are in. The following is from one of the other adoptive parents in our church after they were interviewed in one of these reports:

We just finished the interview with CBS and spoke with our girl (they saw a local interview we did yesterday and called from NY this morning). The Salvation Army just got there as we were talking to the reporter in Haiti . We talked to our daughter and several of the children. My heart is so full (of love for them all). The reporter said the ration they brought this trip seemed to be about enough for a day and a half; we need so much more…but God will provide it in his perfect time. -Sherri VanDuzer

Praise God the Salvation Army got through with some provisions for the orphanage. We have also just received word this evening that the orphanage now has 30 UN soldiers issuing medical care to the sick babies!

There is also a possibility that the children will soon be evacuated to the United States; however, they are currently saying that all adoptive parents will need to be approved as foster parents in accordance with the laws of our state. Please pray that they will expedite this added requirement so it will not add another expensive and time consuming delay for the children to reach their permanent placements.

January 2010 - Keep Praying. Things are not as good as they seemed.

2010-01-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

We just learned that the military only said they would check on the orphanage. They have one security guard and a policeman checks on them at night but they are experiencing robbers. They are running out of water, milk, formula, medicine and cash and one of the nannies has died at the orphanage.

Kim Harmon, the president of For His Glory Adoption Outreach is trying to reach the CNN News team in Port au Prince. Pray that CNN finds the orphanage and televises their situation.

The military has marked a field very close to the orphanage as an evacuation site where they can land a helicopter. Please pray that they decide to use it soon and move all the children to a secure site with provisions.

Jan 2010 - US Troops protecting our kids!

2010-01-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Got word last night the 82 Airborn was sending troops to secure and take provisions to the orphanage where our adoptive children are!

January 2010 - Haiti Earthquake Update

2010-01-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

We have received the following update from For His Glory Adoption Outreach, the ministry that runs the orphanage in Haiti that we are adopting from.

*Our US ministry director says: We purchased a satellite phone and have someone ready to travel to Haiti when the airport opens. Once we have established contact with the orphanage and can assess the situation we will be able to give out accurate information on the needs of the orphanage. We have people all over the country working to bring aid and relief. If the airport opens tomorrow we will have tow board members on the ground with a satellite phone.

(there has been no further info from the orphanage since just after the initial quake)

* Regarding the adoption situation, from our US director: "All Hatian adoptions will be impacted by this disaster. I have recieved news that the JCICS and the State Department are discussing possible solutions. Please be in prayer about this." (speculation is that they may expedite the adoptions under refugee status).

* Donations to help the orphanage can be made at:
http://www.forhisgloryoutreach.org/earthquake_relief

Aditionally, Susan and I have learned that the roof has collapsed at the US Consulate in Haiti so they have stopped processing all immigrant visas at this time. Consequently, the trip we were planning to take Jan. 31st has been cancelled. We are hoping the airlines will allow us to reuse our tickets at another time, possibly to bring the kids home if the government expedites the adoptions.

January 2010 - Earthquake in Haiti

2010-01-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

This afternoon (Tuesday, January 12) there was a 7.0 earthquake centered about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and the orphanage where Prince and Yrederline, the two children we are adopting, currently live. The website for the orphanage is reporting that at this time all the children are OK. One nanny/cook was injured when a wall fell on her.We do not know the extent of her injuries at this time, but please pray for her. We have also heard that Pierre Alexis, the director of the orphanage, was injured in the eye. There continue to be aftershocks in the area, so please continue to pray for the children and staff in the orphanage and people of Haiti. We have also had reports that there is damage to the orphanage building, but we do not have details on the extent of the damage at this time.

Susan and I (Paul) already have tickets to fly to Haiti February 1st. Please pray that we will still be able to sign the papers and make the court appearance that was scheduled for us so that our children's adoptions can continue to move forward. Thank you all for praying for our family.

November 2009

2009-11-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

Global Media Outreach

This summer at staff training we were able to hear more about the work of Global Media Outreach (GMO), the online missionary branch of Campus Crusade that Susan is involved with. For the first time, they saw over 1 million people indicate decisions for Jesus Christ in one month! Of those, 360,903 came through GMO's mobile sites. In a world of 480 million newspapers circulated daily, 850 million cable and satellite T.V. subscriptions and 1.4 billion internet users, it's no wonder that the newest strategy targets the 4 billion mobile phone users around the world.

We've recently put up a world map with pins marking the countries of the people Susan communicates with. In the past month these include Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, France, Algeria, Ghana, USA, Egypt, Tanzania and Turkey, as well as some others. Here's an e-mail from the middle of one conversation she had with someone from the Middle East. "Dear Susan, Please help me, i want to be christian but im afraid of my Muslim family, if they know that i want to be a christian im sure that they will kill me, i don't want to live as a muslim more, so help me please, what have i do?" Zana. You can imagine how she must pray for this person and rely on the Lord in her reply! Many others respond similar to V. from Seychelles - "I want to receive Christ in to my life right now as I need him to change my life. I feel the need to be nearer to him."

The explosion of popularity of these websites that share the Gospel means that GMO is looking for even more online missionaries to help clarify the Gospel for those who are seeking and to disciple the new Christians. They are especially in need of Spanish speakers to handle the huge volume from Spanish-speaking countries. If you're interested in joining us, go to www.GMOJoinUs.com to find out more.

ISP Around the World

An ISP team recently returned from 2 cities in Ukraine, one being Kamianets-Podilsky, where Susan went last year. One team member had the same interpreter as Ellie, from Susan's trip. She had this to say - "My interpreter had come to believe in God through a prior ISP conference. Her continued interest in ISP gives her opportunities for growth in her spiritual walk. Her mother also has developed a spiritual interest because of her daughter's involvement."

Another team member said, "the greatest joy was seeing 6 out of 7 receive Bibles for the first time and looking through them even before asked to do so. There was a very lively discussion during the Inductive Bible Study. Everyone contributed. They were hungry for the Word." One member of her group asked, "so you feel this book, the Bible, has helped you in your life?" She was able to share some specific ways it has and challenged them to start reading the Gospel of John.

Family News

Nathan reached a milestone in October as he turned 18. He had an enjoyable cross country season as a senior and is continuing his involvement in AWANA, both as an LIT (leader in training) with Sparks, and as a member of Journey, the high school club. He is doing well learning to drive and playing piano and scored very well on an entrance test for Pikes Peak Community College. He is also in choir in our homeschool co-op.

Tyler (15 1/2) is also continuing in AWANA as an LIT and in Journey. He's had to take a break from archery as he grew out of his previous bow and is building his strength to be able to use his present bow. He's passed us all up at 6' tall! He's very helpful around the house and made Susan the best chocolate cake ever for her birthday!

Matthew (13), played soccer this fall and accompanied Paul on their first hunting outings - once for pronghorn and twice for rabbits. They have yet to get anything, but are learning and planning for future trips. He is in the Jr. High club of AWANA, Trek, and is also part of a "Ninja" small group at church. He is also taking percussion lessons to learn to play the drum set we got him at a garage sale.

Megan (9 1/2) is our social butterfly, enjoying lots of play dates with friends. She is in the AWANA T & T (Truth & Training) club and is studying extra right now as part of their quiz team. She enjoys all kinds of crafts and is taking a sewing class at our co-op. She, Nathan and Kyle are also learning sign language at co-op and she's taking piano as well.

Kyle (6 1/2) is a 1st grade Sparkie in AWANA and is learning to read. He is really good at logic and puzzles, like his oldest brother, and also likes to help Paul fix things around the house.

Prayer & Praise

Susan's parents both ended up in the hospital one weekend in September - her dad with pneumonia and a heart attack, and her mom with a virus. They are sharing a room at Mom's nursing home now, which has helped Dad's spirits as he recuperates.
Our adoption dossier has been in Haiti for more than a month. Pray that it goes into IBESR quickly, the next step. Susan is working on a cookbook to raise funds for the adoption.
Another free airline ticket is allowing Paul to visit his mom next couple week. She has several projects she needs his help with.
We've had an interesting early winter with a couple of good snowstorms. Praise that the virus we've had has been quick and easy.
Pray that Nathan is able to find a job. He will soon need to be paying for car insurance!

August 2009

2009-09-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind of a summer for the Yost family! Between Paul and Matthew's mission to Haiti, trips to the mountains, Susan's visit with her parents in California, 4th of July at a friend's ranch in Nebraska, finishing up our adoption dossier, CCC staff conference in Ft. Collins and sharing our ministry in Texas at Highland Baptist in Waco and through a friend's church in San Antonio, we've barely had time to breathe! The kids are definitely glad to be home and don't want to leave for a long time. Except Matthew, who would go back to Haiti in a heartbeat!

Paul & Matthew’s Mission to Haiti

You wouldn't think Matthew would be so excited about Haiti after hearing the stories of spending the night in the Miami airport, being sick the first couple days and coming home sick, and getting stuck in a traffic jam for two hours in the back of a van where it felt like 130°, but something about Haiti, it's culture and it's people has captured his heart!

Maybe it was meeting his new brother and sister and playing with them in the pool. Maybe it was helping his dad put up mesh around wrought iron walls at the orphanage so the wild dogs couldn't get in and bite the toddlers. Maybe it was bouncing around town on the torn up streets in a tap-tap, or eating beans and rice with fish sauce. Maybe it was taking food to a village of 80 people living on a lot the size of one American home's lot and seeing the green water they had to drink, or seeing the emaciated babies at the woefully inadequate hospitals. It could have been having Vacation Bible School with the kids at the orphanage and seeing the joy on their faces. Whatever it was, God has put Haiti on Matthew's heart, and he can't wait to go back!

CCC National Conference

"The only person in the universe whose opinion counts delights in you."

This quote from Tim Keller at our Campus Crusade for Christ staff training this summer came from our very first session with about 5000 staff. His talk focused on how we present the Gospel and also how we live it. He stressed that it's not just about forgiveness, a negative, as when a judge pardons someone and they're free to go - they don't get the punishment they deserve. It's also about a positive, justification - you can come and enjoy my love. We often don't get that part, which is why I loved the illustration he used.

He told about an episode on T.V. of NCIS, a show about Navy lawyers. An older gentleman is accused of murder. He's a gruff, ornery sort, and the young MP’s leading him away aren't very respectful until a friend of the man reaches out and moves his tie, exposing a Congressional Medal of Honor. The MP’s immediately snap to attention and salute. Regardless of what the man has done or how he behaves, they are required to salute the Medal of Honor. When we have Christ in our life, we are as the very Son of God Himself and all the universe salutes. We may not have committed murder, but "all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags," Isaiah 64:6, and we are totally dependent on the grace of God.

The conference had many more challenging, encouraging and fun times that we wish we could share. Be encouraged that God is on the move around the world, even in countries you think may be the most closed. Technology is making it possible for the whole world to hear about Jesus, and new, creative methods are reaching many in post-Christian societies.

ISP Changing Lives in Guatemala

A recent report from a Leadership Development Conference in Guatemala City tells an encouraging story of how people’s lives are changed through the ministry of ISP.

One deputy director, Roxana, uses the curriculum in her schools, but also teaches parents of her students some of the lessons so the parents will know what the students are learning. The parents were so thrilled with the change in their children’s attitudes that they requested to be taught the lessons too!

One secondary teacher shared that students who were once violent and involved in gangs are now peaceable and teaching younger students to avoid gangs because of the morals they learned through the ISP curriculum.

The strategy of ISP is to reach students and their parents through reaching public school teachers. Clearly, this is happening in the country of Guatemala!

Prayer & Praise

Praise – for all our safe travels this summer and no car problems!

The rest of the money needed for the Haiti trip all came in, except for about $150!
Susan was able to use frequent flier miles for a quick trip to see her parents. Her dad is doing well, but her Mom really needs to work on physical therapy, which she doesn't like.
We are done with our adoption home study and dossier.

Prayer – God has put the Haitian village with green water that Paul and Matthew visited on our hearts. We'd like to take them some water filters. CCC's ministry GAIN, Global Aid Network, has some for $125 each. They say 2 filters should provide clean water for this community for 10 years. Pray not only for the money to buy the filters, but also the airfare to take them down and set them up.
Pray that we, and our paperwork, have favor with the Haitian government and speed through the process. There is a bill that may become law in Haiti someday that would prevent us from completing the adoption. Also, pray that we would receive some grants to pay for the adoption, now that we're able to start applying for them.

Summer 2009

2009-09-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

More photos from this summer:

Megan was the family fishing champ at Red Feather Lakes.

Taking a break on a hike near Red Feather Lakes.

Our welcoming committee at the orphanage.

First meeting with Yrederline & Prince.

Spending time together at the orphanage.

Riding in a Tap-Tap.

Members of our team praying for children at the hospital.

Matthew helping with VBS at the orphanage.

At "The Village" we brought enough food to feed each family for about two weeks.

We also gave them some French New Testaments.

WOW!

4th of July fireworks in NE.

Patriotic pals: Megan & friend, Kiah.

Susan & her dad in CA.

Worship with "Tenth Avenue North" during CCC conference at CSU.

Matthew, survivor of the great teen food fight during the conference.

Kyle, relaxing at our campsite at Ranger Lakes, CO.

The guys. Packed and ready for our first ever backpack trip.

Destination: American Lakes in State Forest State Park, CO. near Thunder Pass. Elevation 11,200'.

Swimming with friends in Texas.

March/April 2009

Susan’s Trip to Haiti

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” - Matthew 9:36-38

This was my reaction to the people and conditions of Haiti. And yet, unlike other mission trips, I didn’t have much contact with the general Haitian society. I mostly spent time in one walled, barbed-wire topped, rifle guarded compound…the hotel, or another…the orphanage. As this trip was sponsored by the orphanage for parents to meet their children, they gave me lots of time with them at the hotel.

Yrederline (the kids pronounce it Wederline) and Prince spent most of 5 days with me. It was great to be able to bond with them and see how well they’ll fit in our family. Yrederline is very social and affectionate, liking lots of hugs. Prince is more reserved and entertains himself well. He is a natural drummer and loves to be chased and tickled. They both like to sing and loved the pool, though they clung to me like leaches at first!

The moment I knew they were my kids came on our second night. God broke my heart for them in a supernatural way. The emotions were so strong I have a hard time believing it happened until I go back and read my journal. The first night when I heard Prince sing himself to sleep, I just thought it was sweet. The second night I pictured him lying all alone in his little bed in the orphanage singing himself to sleep because he has no mama to do it for him. I started crying big alligator tears and couldn’t seem to stop, while Yrederline was sleeping crosswise with her head on my stomach and Prince sang quietly. Then Prince’s hand bumped into mine and he held it, stopped singing and fell asleep. My heart hurt as I thought about him singing himself to sleep for another two years, maybe, as we go through the adoption process. Since I’ve come home, God has really given me peace about waiting and about leaving them in His care at the orphanage. There is so much more to tell, but I’m hoping the pictures will speak 1000 words.

Ready to swim – I think it was their 1st time!

U.N. guards in Cite Soleil

Fun in the hammock

Orphanage yard

The older girls braided my hair.

Making origami boxes

Yrederline & Annika

Annika was adopted from the same orphanage as a baby by the woman who now runs it. Linda goes to our church in Colorado Springs and makes many trips to Haiti. Yrederline already has a friend here waiting for her to come home!

March 2009

2009-03-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

(Double-click image for larger view)

ISP Around the World

Some of you might recognize this flyer that was sent out in January. It is our latest recruiting tool to help people understand how they can be involved with ISP and shows where most of our trips are this year. You can go to our website and sign up…it’s that simple. Our prayer is that the Lord would lay a particular country on your heart that He would guide you to personally reach out to this year.

Barbara, a first-timer to Mongolia, recently shared this story with her team:

"Ten minutes before the afternoon session on Day 2, my interpreter had not shown up for the day. I had severe problems with my stomach. Jenny R. and I prayed and asked the Lord for the interpreter to show up within five minutes and for my stomach to settle down. The Lord answered both prayers instantly. When my group was assembled, I shared with them what had happened. However, before that, Aourine, my interpreter, a Morman missionary to the US, asked me why I was happy all the time. I told her that I trusted and loved Jesus. I also said that I knew she did not believe as I do, but my relationship with Jesus was not a religion of do's and don'ts or rules and regulations. I told her that His love and salvation is a gift that cannot be earned, but must be a choice of receiving Him into her heart. And then I asked her if she would like to trust Him, accept Him and turn her life over to Him. She said yes and I then gave her the plan of Salvation and prayed with her."

It is a privilege to know that, going to work every day, we are making a difference in our world. Here are a couple of prayer requests. When you receive this letter, one of our groups will be ministering in Kyrgyzstan and another will be in Ukraine. Combined these teams will be training around 470 teachers with our Bible-based morals and ethics curriculum. Please pray that there will be open hearts and that the teachers and their students will be transformed by the Good News that they will receive.

With the airlines struggling and fewer flights available, travel continues to be the biggest challenge once a person signs up for a trip. Pray that we would be able to find good fares. Pray that the Lord will raise up more laborers to reach out to teachers in the six countries we are co-laboring with through our short-term mission trips.

Our Adoption Adventure

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27

Over the last five years or so, God has increasingly put “orphans” on our hearts. Whether by the death of their parents, lifestyle choices that make their parents unable to care for them, or because of extreme poverty, children are left without families to care for them and call them their own. We’ve gotten involved in ministries that help get these kids adopted by Christians and support those who are adopting. It has been on our hearts to take some of these kids in ourselves and give them a forever family. God has finally told us that now is the time!

After much prayer, we feel the Lord is leading us to adopt from an orphanage in Haiti that is run by a friend from our church. Watching the videos of the poverty in Haiti and the dirt biscuits they eat just to fill their stomachs made our hearts cry out to help. Then, seeing the light of Christ and the joy on the faces of the children in the orphanage, we knew it was a ministry we wanted to support.

Now, we are also in the process of adopting a brother and sister who were just brought to the orphanage last month. Yrederline, 7, and Prince Antoine, almost 4 ½, are two of the most adorable children! Susan is leaving March 23rd for a few days in Haiti to meet them. Paul and Matthew (12) will meet them in June when they travel to Haiti as part of our church’s mission trip.

We are just one family of many in our church adopting from this orphanage. Over the next two years, at least 25 children will be joining us here. We have a great network of support and the kids will have friends from their home country around them, as well as plenty of families that look like theirs.

All of our children are supportive of adopting, but Megan (9) is especially gung ho! She has wanted us to adopt a sister for her for several years. As soon as she heard we were moving ahead, she made a collection jar and dumped her savings in it to help pay for the adoption. Now she’s baking 12 loaves of bread a week, which she sells for $5 each, to help out even more. With the help that Campus Crusade gives and grants we will apply for, and Megan’s bread fund, we don’t expect to have very many out-of-pocket expenses, except for maybe our travel to visit the kids.

The hard part of all of this is that it can take two years to bring the kids home. Bonding for a few days in a hotel room, then leaving again, may be excruciating for all of us. But we will leave pictures and presents and they will have Papa Pierre, the wonderful nannies and their friends to bide their time with. We will also have pictures and memories of hugs and plenty to keep us busy here. Please join us in praying that the Haitian government speeds up this process so all these kids can quickly join their forever families!

October 2008

2008-10-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

Trusting God When Things Look Scary
I've never been one to enjoy being scared. Our family doesn't celebrate Halloween, but we know there are people who enjoy it and like being frightened. But what about when the fear is based on very real things that are happening now, or could happen in the near future? With the elections approaching and the trouble with the stock market, have you felt any fear? I have heard it in the conversations of my Christian friends and even felt some myself.

Last month, we found out about a couple friends who would have to stop supporting us financially because of the impact the economy was having on them. After hearing about the 2nd one so soon after the first, I realized this could be a trend that continues - that as people are affected by this downturn, we might be the first place they cut back. Before I could even quite get to the panicky stage, God reminded me that those people do not provide for us, He provides for us, and I immediately felt His peace. Within a week, another friend told us out-of-the-blue that they were going to be financial partners with us. But what really struck me was another supporter who said that his wife's oil wells were doing well and they were going to increase their giving! What a reminder to us that "He owns the cattle (and the oil wells) on a 1000 hills." Psalm 50:10 He is going to provide what we need and we are not to fear.

Whether you are fearful of the economy or of what our future leaders may do to our country, remember "The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.'" Psalm 91:14-15

Opening Armenia
Our Int'l School Proj. (ISP) team has returned from a very successful first-ever project to Armenia. This is a land of hot weather, mosquitoes and limited internet access, yet over 100 Armenian teachers attended our conference. One of our delegates was able to share about the death of her parents to her group through her life map. Two of the women in the group became very agitated. One shared that since her mother had died 20 years ago that she had carried a huge burden of guilt because she hadn't been as attentive to her mother just prior to her death as she felt she should have been. A second woman then shared a similar burden surrounding the death of her husband. It was an opportunity to provide a depth of prayer ministry that these women had never experienced and God lifted the burden of their lingering guilt. They loooked like new people afterwards! It was exciting to hear the teachers make plans to use the curriculum at the end of the conference. One woman in her group had already planned to use a lesson in the curriculum on the first day of school!

What a privilege to take our morals and ethics curriculum based on the life of Jesus to the public school teachers, who are instructing the next generation in this country! The Armenians feel that they will play a significant role in bringing Jesus to the Moslem nations surrounding them.

Prayer & Praise

Though we have now lost four financial supporters in a month, when we would normally maybe lose that many in a year, we are trusting God to make up the difference and to help us be frugal and wise with what He's given us.

This fall ISP has 7 groups going out to Russia, Ukraine, Guatemala and Mongolia. Pray for their safety and effectiveness.

Pray for our nation and for the elections coming up. Please vote!

Susan was able to attend the women's retreat this year. It was awesome to be in the mountains and learn more about being intimate with the Lord. God answered her prayer and gave her words for each of the ladies in her small group that were encouraging and meaningful.

We are all healthy and the kids are doing well with their various activities. Megan is still doing ballet, soccer just ended for Tyler and Matthew, and Nathan had his last cross country race last week. The week before he set another personal record by almost a minute and a half! He would like to make the varsity team next fall as a senior, so pray that he will run consistently the rest of this year.