Merry Christmas 2010

As I (Delilah)walked into the house I was warned with what I would see in the next room. But I was not prepared to see this woman, bruises all over her face and arms. As I quickly caught my breath, I started praying furiously, please Lord please show me how to share Your story with this lady. As I talked to her the next couple hours, I was happy to see her smile. I am also happy to share that she is open to hearing about God's Word. Instead of asking what we are getting for Christmas, maybe we should ask ourselves what we are giving. We serve a God that came into this broken world in a barnyard, gave all of His time and resources for others, and loves us so much that when we were/are at our absolute WORST He gave all (Romans 5:8). All of us have heard the Christmas story and all of us ponder it for about 5 minutes as we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, but do we really? As soon as the story is over (depending on your personal tradition) we're off to open the things we get. Here's the reality of what we, as believers, get. We get eternal happiness, we get to walk on streets of gold, we get everything rightly belonging to a son or daughter of God because we are heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14-17). So what does that mean for unbelievers? It means that whether they know it or not, they are absolutely desperate for what only we, as believers can give. Are we giving to a lost and dying world or are we constantly seeking what we can get? Well many of you knew Joel and I were interested in going to the Philippines, it seems as if that door may be closing for us. But we are so excited to share the new direction we feel God is leading us,southeast Africa. We have 6 more days of classes, then our 1st semester is over!! Wow, that was fast. Joel's Mom will be here for Christmas this year with us. The boys will be taking part in the Christmas program at the church we are attending. Aiden will be a wise man and Alton a sheep! The girls have been keeping busy with school and friends and creating doll clothes :) Joel in his free time has enjoyed learning how to trap. So far he has "trapped" three raccoons, 6 possums, and 1 red squirrel and a turkey vulture toe!! Can you believe 2010 is coming to a close?? It has been a busy year for us, gradating from Bible school and now in training to be missionaries. God has blessed us so much this year. We are so thankful for those who have spent so much time encouraging,praying and giving financially to us. If you have anything you'd like us to pray for let us know. We love hearing from you, and our family would love to pray for your needs too. Enjoy your Christmas!! Joel, Delilah, Alexis, Alyssa, Aiden, Alton
SUPPORT/ INFO Partnership gifts can be sent to: New Tribes Mission 1000 E. 1st St. Sanford, FL 32771 **please include a memo indicating gift is for Joel & Delilah Spears CONTACT INFO Joel & Delilah Spears 134 Main Drive Roach, MO 65787 Joel's cell 630-608-3379 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 630-608-3379 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Delilah's cell 630-608-3245 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 630-608-3245 end_of_the_skype_highlighting	OUR CLASS!!	Prayer request Future people who will want to partner with us. For the lady Delilah is sharing God's love with, pray that she will want to have a relationship with Jesus. Joel will be preaching at a church here in MO on Sunday the 26th and Jan. 16, pray for him that he will speak clearly what God has laid on his heart to share. For continued opportunities to share God's love with people in our ministry outreaches.

MORE OCTOBER FUN

JOEL AND I TEACHING A CLASS IN

FOUNDATIONAL BIBLE TEACHING

(Joel did most of the teaching)

JOEL DOING WORK DETAIL


CAN YOU FIND THE BALD EAGLE?
I CAN'T EITHER, I THINK I MISSED THE SHOT :)

THE LIZARDS HOME!!

THE BOYS ENJOYING THE HARVEST PARTY

OCTOBER FUN

FUN STUFF IN OCTOBER

DELILAH & ALTON MAKING BUBBLES

ALYSSA & JOEL LOOKING FOR LIZARDS

JOEL & AIDEN ENJOYING THE HAYRIDE!!

MOM, ALEXIS & AIDEN ON THE HAYRIDE

OTIS

SEPTEMBER 2010 UPDATE

Dear Friends and Family, 9-19-10

MTC is finally off to a good start. The first week of school was complete orientation to the training. The second was Field Fair week which is a group of missionaries from around the world. They came to tell us about opportunities in different areas.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the week was different seminars on Creative Access into countries that are closing their doors to missionaries. Despite Satan’s many attempts to derail the “Great Commission” (Matt. 28:16-20) there are several other legitimate and totally legal ways to enter these countries for the work that we are all to be a part of.

The last two weeks have been regular classes and it finally feels like we are getting some sort of a schedule in place. PRAISE THE LORD!

A few of you have asked about what our classes look like, so here it is. The focus here is relationship building, with a biblical emphasis, so keep that in mind as there are NO Bible classes.
1. FBT (Foundational Bible Teaching): The focus is on chronological teaching, beginning with creation, or God’s foundation for all we know. Also how to develop the teaching, how to answer questions or not answer them etc.
2. Communication Skills: How to not only be an effective teacher, but a learner as well
3. Learning Styles: Literally understanding the 4 basic styles of learning people fall into and how to identify them to be a more effective teacher.
As a side note, Delilah and I have finally figured out that we are literally exact opposites. (Nuff’ said)
4. Worldview analysis: Developing a relationship with someone despite the fact that they will probably see the world through a different lens than I do. Also, confronting my own worldview in light of Scripture and changing as necessary.
5. Stewardship: Time, money, people, possessions, etc.

That’s it for now, Please begin/continue to pray for us that the Lord will raise up individuals that will want to partner with us in the financial support of our ministry. Love, The Spears

ENJOYING THE LAKE OF OZARKS :)

Just some pictures of the kids enjoying the benefits of their new home :)

New Home

Well we made it to Missouri!! The kids are enjoying the lake and the new home. I have finished unpacking.... still have two more boxes to unpack. So thankful to be here. Enjoying the last couple weeks of summer, but looking foward to begin our training. Hope you enjoy the pictures

3-15-2010

We had an awesome weekend, back in IL, great time visiting family, and fellowship with friends. It was also great to be back and worship, at our home church.
We are still keeping busy studing God's word, also busy with parenting. Aiden is still wrestling, Alexis playing basketball.

Christmas Break

Wow , it has been way too long, I am going to try to post here again monthly. To catch up a little..... this Christmas we spent our time with Joel's family in Virginia. It was fun a many good memories. The kids got a visit from "Santa" one night. Joel went to his first Chicago Bears game, with his dad and brother. We all got to enjoy Virginia Beach, Alton and Aiden ended up soaked hm................. I know....... I know.... not a big surprise. But The beach is still beautiful, even when it is a chilly December day :). There was another day,when the boys & Joel went to Uncle Craig's house to work, and me and the girls and Grandma Jan went to Buckroe beach, and went seashell searching. That was a lot of fun!!

In the next week we will post again, an update on our schooling, an update on the kids, an update on our praises and prayer request. Thanks again for your prayers!!

The Spears Family

UPDATE FROM 10-31-09

Dear Friends and Family, We are now into our 4th block of the semester. We just finished up Family Relationships, Romans, and 1 & 2 Peter. Romans had been going since the beginning of the school year and is now over. It was very informative and explains very well the inheritance that belongs to Christians. Family Relationships was also really good. It dealt more with being "others centered". Whether as a single or a married, with kids or without, with fellow believers or with the unsaved. 1 & 2 Peter went smoothly as well, but Peter throws a lot of theological things in there, so more independent study will prove beneficial. New classes are Pneumatology (study of the Holy Spirit), Angels/Demons/Satan, and Soteriology (study of Salvation). They have been going really well for the first few days now and we are excited to learn God's plan for His Church more each day. The kids have been falling like domino's to colds. The Academy that Alexis, Alyssa, and Aiden attend actually shut down for 3 days because more that 75% of the school was out due to illness. Delilah and I have had mild head colds but nothing major and little Alton has had the worst of it. All the kids took turns getting a high fever. Alton was second to the last to get it and then he was healthy for about 5 days (or so it seemed) and now he has a very high fever again and croup. So with all that going on Delilah has had quite a bit of time out of the classroom. Prayer requests: Health and perseverance; That God will use these circumstances (although mild) to build our faith and dependence on Him; Even though it is about 2 and 1/2 years early please continue to be in prayer about our support raising. Love in Christ, The Spears

september 09

Hello Friends and Family,


Well summer for Delilah and I has come and gone and we are now back in school for our second and final year here at NTBI Jackson. The kids are still out of school as they don't go back until the day after Labor Day.

Summer turned out to be good for work and money for school bills. I had a chance to see many of you and give more detailed updates on how life is here. For the ones that I did not get a chance to see, maybe next time we can get together.

Delilah and I cannot say thank you enough to those of you who support us with your prayers and/or money. God is an awesome and faithful provider, whether that is through family or friends or even strangers sometimes, when out of the blue you receive a note of encouragement and prayer.

Our hearts are being constantly broken for the vast amount of work that needs to be done around the world in bringing the "Good News" of Jesus to a lost and dying people. As you can imagine there are numerous stories that go around of work that is being done, people that are getting saved, people that are rejecting the message, etc. One of the more recent ones involved a man in a tribe in New Guinea that received Christ as his Savior (praise) but along with his great joy of finding Christ he was immediately reminded of the generations of family members before him that went to a Christless eternity. The tribesman reflected for several minutes by saying "...my brother is in hell, my father is in hell, his father before him is in hell, his father before him is in hell...etc."

Delilah use to have a saying on her Facebook page that said "Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart". That has almost become our families motto. Whether at home or abroad we pray that it will continue to be, or become your motto as well.

Love,

The Spears family

September update

Cornerstone family, Hello again. We are doing awesome. Some classes are reaching their end once again. I have picked up an additional elective called "The Love of God". I am two classes into it and just like the rest of the classes it has not disappointed at all. The girls are in the full swing of things at school. Alyssa (sissy) got accepted 2 days before it started, so that was a huge answer to prayer. All the kids are doing well outside of school as well. Aiden is the strong boy on campus. He's 4 and can do 5 pull-ups now. If he gets picky when he's eating, all we have to tell him is that it's protein and will make him stronger and it's as good as gone. He dead-lifted 60 lbs. and bench pressed 45. By the way, I'm struggling with pride a little bit. Alton is N-A-U-G-H-T-Y. Him and Aiden have pre-school right here in the building so when he gets out of control, the teacher comes to get me. She holds a sign up at the door that says "SPEARS"on it. One side of the sign is blue and one side is pink. Pink is Delilah and that means consolation, Blue is me and that means beat this kid. He's averaging 2-3 times a week. Yesterday he was dancing around and decided to push a girl over. I told Aiden if he ever saw that from Alton to tell him no and protect the little girls from the evil Alton. Soooo last night the kids are playing in the hallway with the neighbor kids. I happened to be in the kitchen by our front door, when I heard Aiden yell and Alton came sliding head first past the front door. Alton shook it off and marched right over to Aiden and smacked him in the back of the head. So here I am breaking up my adorable boys while laughing the whole time and when I got done, I noticed the visible look of concern on some neighbors faces. I asked what happened and Aiden said that Alton pushed yet another helpless little girl. So I gave Aiden a high five and asked Alton if he had a soul. Now a story about Alexis and Sissy but more about Alexis So a couple days ago, Delilah picked the girls up from school. She decided to play a little trick on them. She told them that this college thing was way to hard and she was going back to Illinois to stay but I was going to remain. Of course she hammed it up a lot more than that but anyway........she asked who they wanted to be with. Side Note: Delilah is famous (or infamous) for these ridiculous scenario's. She also takes great pleasure in others uncomfort. She has done things like this before to the girls and they ALWAYS want to stay with mom. anyways..... Alexis answered first and said, "I want to stay here with dad". Then Sissy said "I would cry every day, but I also want to stay here with dad" Delilah being in total shock (no really, she was dumbfounded), asked why, and that is when Alexis said "Because it's not about us mom, it's about God" Kids get it people. They maybe get it a little more clearly than we adults do. Things are simple in their minds and not complicated with theories and the daily grind. In it's simplest form, they get it. The solution is the adult. The example we set for not only our kids but the kids of other families is huge. I am so thankful for you as a church family. The example that you have been for my kids through the years, that I wasn't. I've proved for 32 years to be a selfish person. I wasn't being the solid christian example to my kids through the years that I should have been, but Cornerstone, you stood strong. Thank you. Love, The Spears Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

AUGUST 23

It's the end of the first week of school and we are having a great time. The week's festivities started off with orientation. That lasted two whole days. Thankfully the staff here actually value the students opinion on things, so when they asked what we thought about it, I had the opportunity to make a complete fool out of myself (which I'm quite comfortable with) by telling them that at certain times I would have rather taken a fork to the eyeball. Plenty of it was very inspiring and of course they completely went through the entire handbook . They did a raffle drawing 3 times a day to win shirts and bookstore credit. That only proved once again that, yes, I am a loser.

All that ended on Tues. and Wed. started actual classes. AMAZING. First and foremost, our God. Secondly, the gift He has bestowed on the staff here. I am absolutely in shock at how I crave to do homework and sit in class. I actually comprehend what is being said and am amazed at the grand scale of things in the bible that I've never thought about. This, after only 3 days of actual classes. I Peter 2:2 "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby". My homework is awesome and awesome. I said it twice because 1.) I'm not a gifted reader so it takes me longer than others, and 2.) It has been such a blessing to be able to, as one of the teachers here put it, marinate in the word. My homework lasted 7 hours on Wed., 4.5 on Thurs., and 5.5 on Fri., with a few hours of extra credit reading so far.

My classes are in block form. This means that instead of doing all 7 required classes and 2 electives the whole semester, I am doing 3 required classes and one elective right now in their entirety. Quiz', tests, homework, reading, memory verses and finals for those classes will be done and over before the next set begin. At the end of the semester I will still have taken all 9 classes, but I won't have the pressure of studying 9 classes the whole time. Right now I am taking Bibliology, Biblical Foundations, and Evangelism which are required and Job as the elective. The rest of the semester includes Hermeneutics, Proverbs, Pentateuch and Old Testament History with Catholicism for the elective. I've also been approached by the teacher of OT History to do a project this year for him. It will be a life sized model of Goliath. Framed with wood, wrapped in some sort of chicken wire and then paper mashayed. I get to pick a team of about 7 others to be involved with me.

Delilah's classes are the same as mine except she doesn't have the first class of the day and all electives. That drops her credits to 10 a semester so she can still do the motherly/wife thing.

Thank you so much for all your prayers. It's so encouraging to have great friends and family that care about us and the work of the Lord.

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27

Love,

The Spears

WE ARE IN MICHIGAN!!

Well, we made it. Our apartment is on the 3rd floor with no elevator and small. There is no running water in the apartment, but thankfully the kids and womens bathroom is right outside our door. My bathroom is a men's/women's. If the sign says women and the light is on then I get to go down a floor or two to find another. So far that hasn't happened yet but next week is when most of the people start moving in so it's going to get a lot more exciting. God has been showering us with peace and encouragement. One of the first couples that I met are some of our teachers and they said passing is the easy part. Delilah had to pull me off the guy because I wouldn't stop hugging him.
The people here are so nice and warm. We were met by a welcoming party that took about 3/4 or our things upstairs for us. We actually had to send back about half a trailer full due to lack of space and finding out we just didn't need certain things. We are getting settled in nicely. The kids have already met friends, which was a huge answer to prayer. They were pretty upset about moving and we just kept telling them that there would be plenty of kids to play with. God is so good. I know that we are going to be put through the refiners fire and honestly I just can't wait to see what else comes into our lives.
We would also like to thank everyone that made our move so much easier than it could have been. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us, that all would just continue to fall right into place with our house in Illinois and with school starting soon.

Love,

The Spears Joel, Delilah, Alexis, Alyssa, Aiden & Alton

Proverbs 29:25 "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe."

Grandparents Day

ALEXIS HAD GRANDPARENTS DAY AT SCHOOL IN MAY!! SHE WAS SO EXCITED SHE GOT THE LEAD ON A LITTLE PLAY THEY PUT ON FOR THE GRANDPARENTS!! THE TEACHER SAID SHE DID A GREAT JOB!! SHE HAD NO GRANDPARENTS THAT COULD COME WATCH HER, SO WE ASKED OUR NEIGHBOR FROM WHEN WE LIVED IN SANDWICH IF SHE COULD STEP IN SHE WAS VERY HAPPY TOO!! ANYONE WHO KNEW ALEXIS WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE KNOWS HOW MUCH MY DAUGHTER LOVED WIZARD OF OZ!! SO OUR NEIGHBOR WHOSE NAME IS DORTHY ALEXIS FELL IN LOVE WITH RIGHT AWAY!! HERE IS SOME PICTURES OF THEM ON GRANDPARENTS CELEBRATION DAY!!

BATHTIME WITH ALTON

Springtime fun

ENJOYING THE SPRING AIR AND SUNSHINE!!

Aiden is 4!!!

Aiden had his birthday party!! tons of fun!!! enjoy the pics

Joel's sidejob

SO HERE IS A BARN JOEL IS DOING!! MOM IS TIRED OF SEEING THE NAUGHTY ALTON PICS!!

NAUGHTY ALTON

LOOK WHAT A 19 MONTH LITTLE BOY / BABY CAN DO WHILE HIS MOM USES THE BATHROOM, AND PUT A LOAD INTO THE DRYER AND WASHER!!HE IS BABY #4 AND THE 1ST TIME I EVER NEEDED TO USE A PLAYPEN / JAIL!!! ENJOY AND GO AHEAD AND LAUGH AT ME!!