KIDStory Training in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua

Finished 3-day training in Nicaragua with 117 amazing people who are ready to disciple kids for Christ. What a privilege!

Steve Nine

GRACE…  God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

TNSP has received an abundance of Grace in 2016.

Provision came in many shapes and sizes:  relief supplies for earthquake victims,  people ready to serve,  connections with churches and ministries, donations from so many of our partners, and most of all the faithful daily presence of the Holy Spirit.  Much has been said about how the Lord opened so many doors and placed 21 tons of relief supplies in our charge, but the miracle did not stop there.  Connections with dozens of pastors and churches (poor, isolated churches in small communities) all along the coast were brought about through the supplies.  Then we began KIDStory trainings with those churches.  Over 18 story clubs have begun as a result with more to come.  Ruben Espinosa has come on as part-time staff with us and is overseeing these new clubs in the north coast region.  Pray for these new seeds.

Thanks to our partnership with World Vision a similar project has begun in the mountains too.  We have a team of dozen young volunteers who have been trained in KIDStory and are now training others in their province.  They completed their first solo training in December and have 5 more scheduled in the next few months.  Our goal is to train the 700 indigenous churches of the province in effective children’s ministry.  Pray for the province of Chimborazo that an awakening of children’s ministry would break forth.

Another provision is Jorge and Antonella.  They came to Ecuador to be trained in KIDStory and have returned home to Venezuela to revitalize the 300 kids clubs they oversee.  They are also now part-time staff of TNSP.   Pray for Jorge and Antonella…  life in Venezuela is desperate.  Simple things like buying toilet paper and rice are challenging.

The community tent among the homeless victims of the Earthquake will be closing this month after being manned 5 days a week, 6 hours a day for the past 7 months…  PRAISE GOD and thanks to Reach Global for helping fund this project.  Pray for the families as they move into new homes and begin to work again.  Pray for the children who have been so displaced.

So much more to share but these are a few highlights.  Pray as I travel to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico in the next few weeks…  training others and inspiring them to reach children with the Word of God.

Without your love, prayers, and support none of this is possible.  But thanks to God’s outpouring of Grace through you so much has been possible!

Much Love and we wish you a Grace-filled 2017,

Steve and Jacky

The newest KIDStory Club on the North Coast. Their building was destroyed in the earthquake.

The community tent completes 4 months of daily service to the refugees.

Esmeraldas KIDStory..!!!

What a great week last week! We trucked 6 tons of food and clothing north to churches and feeding centers! Best part was sharing Christ with 60 kids. This week we return to train the churches. Keep us in prayer.

Leaving for Chamanga a little town of the coast one the affected zones of the earthquake of April 16 in Manabi and Esmeraldas, 92% of their homes are down and affected, 1000 people are being feed everyday by different donations, they don’t have drinkable water yet.
We are taking provisions, shoes, food and clothing for this location be praying with us for this location of Chamanga God will rise up this people.

Great time! Great connections of God! We declare blessings over the ministry for Chamanga, a small town of the coast that was severely damaged from the earthquake. 92% of the houses and buildings were destroyed.

July 23, 2016

Night of blessing together with Bless Music! Your presence, God, flooded our worship!

July 16, 2016

Multiplication, Wisdom, and Rest are the themes we keep hearing from the Lord. I believe these are themes for the entire TNSP family as well.

* Multiplication: “neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but God who gives the increase”. As we are unprofitable servants who do that which is our duty to do, God makes the seed grow and gives it the body He chooses. He alone is the source and cause of true increase. Be obedient and God will multiply.

* Wisdom: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”; “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”; “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy”. We want to do things God’s way and we want fruit that remains. Only Godly wisdom, not men’s ideas, can bring true results.

* Rest: Decide to rely on the finished Work of Christ, on the living Word of God, and on the Holy Spirit. Be anxious for nothing. Rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice!

Steve and Jacky Nine

May 16, 2016

One month has past since the earthquake… and what a month it has been! Sorry, I have not posted lately. So much has been happening I do not know where to begin.
I’ll share just one story of God’s faithfulness:
Two weeks ago the city placed the condemned notice on our church’s new administration building and blocked use of the sanctuary until we could demolish the damaged construction. The wait list for demo crews is weeks to months long… we had the crew of a dear brother on site two days later. and by Friday it was all gone. We didn’t miss a single service in the auditorium and although comparable buildings cost $20,000 to $30,000 to demolish ours was free of charge! The day after cleaning up we discovered the city had just issued a whole new series of steps in order to demolish a building. God in His mercy did not let us sit around and sulk about needing to demolish the building we have been investing in for the past three years… He put up that city ordinance and got us moving just in time. You have to love that about our Heavenly Father. All through scripture we see Him move decisively, with wisdom, understanding, and great power on our behalf. What an honor to serve Him! We, so often, like Samuel the prophet weeping for the demise of King Saul, want to sit and cry over the spilled milked of our lives or the “could have beens”. God, on the other hand, says, “Get up, quit your crying, I’m in charge here, and I have something much better in store.”

April 27, 2016

Monday: Drove 3 hours up the coast into the devastated small towns, Perdernales, Canoa, Jama. Met with the Vice-Minister of the Interior. Pray for favor and the permission to bring in containers.

April 26, 2016

Saturday night one of our young adults, Andy, asked me to join him for his weekly home church meeting. He leads a group of about 10 young men who have come to Christ this past year. Many of these youth used to mock Andy when he first surrendered to Jesus 3 years ago. Now, we stood in a empty lot a block from the bus terminal surrounded by debris and temporary shelters with 40 people (the families of these young men) who have gathered at 9:00pm to hear the Word of God. This is their third meeting this week because they keep asking Andy to come. Last meeting most repented and asked God for forgiveness, this time we began to cry out that God would show us His will and purpose for our lives so that we might follow and keep His commands. What joy!! God is building His city in the rubble of ours.

April 25, 2015

Amazing testimony from one of our youth: he was on the second floor of a third floor building that was his house and his mom’s business. When the earthquake hit he was on the second floor and collapsing on him and his cousin. They couldn’t see anything until he saw a Light that guided him to get out! Even that he was bleeding and had a nightmare in the hospital after, he gives thanks to God that he is alive! The building collapsed completely! What you see is third floor!

May 4, 2016

Jacky Nine

5 years ago today i posted this:
God says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows…” In other words, it is pointless to worry and lose sleep because the truth is, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
The Word of God is for all times!

April 22, 2016

Steve Nine

3 am. Awoke to the moonlight and sound of a lone dog barking. Here we lie, thirteen of us in a row on the porch. No one here is comfortable sleeping inside and so I joined their vigil. No sooner had I closed my eyes when a strong aftershock sent everyone scrambling to the open. Fifteen minutes of reprieve and another strong quake. Now I am understanding why sleep has been hard to find. I arrived home safely and with all my gear at noon yesterday and after reuniting with my family, I joined the work. We distributed small boxes of basic foods to 250 church families. Later, I spent the evening teaching five families in our neighborhood how to use the water filtration systems. These are extended families with 20 to 40 members each. Our neighborhood is close and peaceful unlike many in Manabi tonight. We are blessed to be on the front end of the relief effort. Many are still without power and drinking water. Keep them in your prayers. Thankfully no rain has fallen since the quake as the river continues to flow near flood stage. There is minor damage to the church, although the new building being built has more serious damage and will have to be inspected. Our house and those of Jacky’s family looks great, very minor damage.
Your gifts, love, and prayers have been overwhelming. Thank you!

April 21, 2016

Jacky Nine

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son for us to have everlasting LIFE!! He meets us wherever we are…! The counseling for a sister in the faith when she lost her house (house/business building) from which she couldn’t recover anything…
She receives the peace that establishes her soul. Counseling that only is of our God!! He is doing that in Portoviejo!

Refief supplies coming in.

April 21, 2016

Jacky Nine

Today just saw something that i will never forget. A 13 year old boy came to the place where we were giving things for those in need after the earthquake.  He came because he lost his house and everything. He is now only with his grandma!
If you want to help, in any way, please do! There are many áreas of need.

April 19, 2016
Jacky Nine
We only trust in our Father God, Creator of Heaven and Earth!
This tragedy is so overwhelming that there are no words to describe what we had experience in these couple days. In the middle of everything the strength comes back from Our God and to share this strength with those who have suffered the most! From a mother that lost her husband and baby under half of their house pulled to the river! with other people! to many more.

We went looking for drinking water to a place that before they used to sell water in big bottles. We spend three and plus hours just looking for drinking water…

April 18, 2016
Earthquake in Ecuador
Dear Friends,

God is so good and amazes me continually with His greatness and wisdom. I am sitting in a room in Dallas, when I would rather be with my family.
I was at a event in Portland, Or. with Kids Around the World about to walk on stage and share my piece of the evening with the over 250 people present when someone said there has been an earthquake in Ecuador. That began a process of 48 crazy hours. Dozens and dozens of you who I have been with in Portland and Dallas have rallied around me in prayer. Hundreds more online. Ideas, money, connections have been pouring in. Water filters, solar lamps, medical teams, I have spent hours on the phone, email, and facebook accomplishing tasks that would have been impossible from ground zero. And now I see “why” I am here while my children sleep outside and though it is breaking my heart… what has also broke my heart is all the love you are sending us.
Scores of people died on our streets, in their homes, in cars driving downtown… My family is safe. How can I be anything but thankful?

Pray for my return Wednesday-Thursday; Pray that it does not rain hard (flooding); Pray the power comes on soon; Pray for those who have lost so much; Pray that the church rises to action.

With much love,
Steve Nine

What a privilege!!!  We have the honor of sharing Jesus (Savior, Healer, Best Friend) with others, so let’s do it!

Teaching the Word of God at summer camp.  My life was changed at summer camp.  Praying these young lives are too.

We had the privilege of joining with Kids Around the World to build two playgrounds this past week.

Visiting some dear brothers in Cocha Loma where we helped XRC build a church (background) five years ago.  Altitude over 12,000 ft.