Vann Newsletter

Moldova … the last week

2011-07-17T14:01:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Moldova,

My last week here has begun. It's rather bittersweet. It's been hard and challenging... but with that came faith, confidence in God, courage to face what I needed to, and satisfaction at jobs well done. I've realized that though I am weak, God's sufficient strength shines through for what He wants to accomplish through me. And that is more than I could have asked for.

My lessons finished on Friday. My students all improved, even though some don't see it. Two of my students voiced how they were discouraged because they did not learn all that they wanted to. It's sad knowing I have taught them all that I can, especially knowing that they have so much more to learn. I guess that's one of the points where teachers must dedicate their students to God.

God has taught me so much from being here among the Moldovan people. He has taught me to show love through the small things, like offering a cup of tea; to pray in faith and to act on it in expectation. I am so thankful for the chance I have been given, and for all the supporters that have helped to give it. I am also so very thankful for all of you who have surrounded me and the people here in prayer. I pray God's blessings on you all.

Please continue to pray...

Pray that I finish well and continue to be a blessing in this last week.
Pray that my students will be encouraged to continue to learn English.
Pray for the girls in the small group that they will continue to seek God.
Pray for the church, that they are given the grace to reach out to their community for the sake of the glory of God.
Pray for the people of Moldova, that they will turn to the truth of the gospel.

Thank you sincerely,
Naomi

Moldova–with God’s help

2011-07-11T12:49:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Moldova,

This past week has been a blessing. This past Tuesday, Michelle took us and three girls to Soroca. Soroca is in northern Moldova, it is home to an ancient castle and is right at the border of Ukraine. We enjoyed the trip immensely (though by the end, we were all wiped out). We climbed 635(ish) steps to and from a landmark. Right underneath the landmark is a ten foot wooden cross that looks out across the landscape. It reminded me that God loves this land and is calling it to himself. Afterward we climbed a steep mountain on shifting sand to reach a large stone of limestone. I put myself in God's hands as I grasped at exposed roots and flowers for leverage. God provided pure spring water for me to drink (I forgot to prepare a water bottle for myself)... no stomach problems, so I was grateful. We then walked by a river and gazed at Ukraine on the other side as we headed to the castle. I got the chance to become better acquainted with one of the girls. She recently told me that she enjoyed the walk with me, I was very happy because the Lord had laid her on my heart. She is drawn to the Lord, but her family is very cautious regarding her interaction with the church. They do not hinder her, but she does refrain from much participation out of love for her family. On our way to the castle we sang (rather out of key) to rock songs that we both liked, then laughed at how bad we sounded. We enjoyed being tourists at the castle. Our tour guide, who was a sister to one of our friends, invited us to her house for some soup. We gratefully accepted, and we rested and enjoyed each other's company.
My students are doing well and nearing the end of the lessons. I was not sure how far I could bring them, and unfortunately, I don't think they will get as far as I was preparing. Lack of practice is becoming clearer to see the more advanced the material becomes. But aside from that, God is taking the lessons into His hands. I am realizing my weaknesses and I am learning to give the classes to God, for Him to do with what He will. I am also learning to understand my own teachers... I hope to be a better student this coming year of classes. I am thankful for all of the training that I have been given because it all comes in handy here on the field. I have cultivated friendships with a handful of my students. Before coming I chose to be an English teacher on a "why not" basis, but recently I have realized that I truly do love teaching. I am so excited when my students have "AHA!" moments. Thank God for His grace.

Please pray that I finish my classes well and continue to bless my students.
Please pray that my being here has been an encouragement in someway to those I have come to know.
Please pray for me, that I stick to my tasks and not fall into procrastination.
Please pray that God would continue to mold, stretch, and teach me.
Please pray for my teammates, that God will grant them more ways to be blessings to others.
Please pray for the girl (above) that God will call her to Himself and that she can be a living testimony to her family.
Please pray for the church as they are going through a time of transition with leaders and goals.
Please pray for Moldova, that God will continue to draw its people to Himself.

Thank you for your prayers and support, they are so encouraging to me.
Sincerely,
Naomi Lynn Vann

[For more information about Moldova and its prayer needs, visit http://www.operationworld.org/mold]

Moldova update

2011-07-06T08:09:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Moldova,

I apologize for the tardiness in this update, this is from last week

This past week has been rather fast-paced. On Monday, Michelle, Emily, and I and five girls from the small group went out to a small town. There we aided a local church in their ministry for street children. Our goal was to help and work alongside the Moldovan people, hopefully spurring them to continue going on trips like these in the future. In Cornesti, flexibility was a grace given by God. The girls had planned outdoor games and activities for about 50+ kids. We were also told that the language of the village was Russian. We all planned for an evening program where we were to share our grace stories, show a skit, etc... It rained the whole time we were there... so the outdoor games were a no go (the indoors was too small to hold them). The number of kids that came were about 20, half of which were older than what we had prepared for. More than that... the language was completely Romanian (not Russian). The girls who had prepared the lessons spoke mainly Russian so they had to work hard to translate all that they had prepared. The evening program became us attending the local youth group. The power went out right before we were to show our skit, so we could not use the music and had to improvise with Emily's iPod. But God moved in our hearts. The girls changed their plans and lessons without any complaint. Michelle, Emily, and I learned to be servants of our fellow sisters in Christ. I learned most of all that God can move to show his love beyond the barriers of language and culture. On the morning of our second day there, we went to the house of 5 kids. Their parents had left them. They rely partially on the church for support. The oldest is 15 and he acts as a father to his much younger siblings. We helped with cleaning their two room house. I mostly helped with washing the mountain of dirty clothes that had been festering for quite some time. One of my favorite little boys is part of that family, his name is Pavlusha. He is six years old and washed dishes in hot water. He helped us clean the house and was wonderfully behaved during the lessons. But, just like any young child, he enjoyed making faces, funny noises, and imitating me. This reminded me that though life may be harder for some, God can give them joy in the small things. A lesson to us all.
The day we came back to Chisinau, I had no time to rest because I had two English classes to teach. God has kept me going, and has been strong in my weakness. I continue to learn to give all to Him to handle as I prepare for it, because I can do very little but He can move mountains. In the midst of loss and grief, God gives comfort, strength, and hope.
Please continue to pray for me...

Please pray that God will continue to teach and stretch me through my last few weeks here.
Pray that He will bless my English students with understanding.
Pray for Emily that she gets a good grasp of what to teach for the children's curriculum that she is writing.
Pray for Moldovan people that they would step away from nominalism and see God for real.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, they are encouragements to me.
Sincerely,
Naomi Lynn Vann
P.S. Happy 4th of July (belated of course).

Moldova... in God's hands

2011-06-26T18:15:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Moldova,
I would like to thank all of you that are praying for me. It encourages me so much that you do. This week I began teaching English. I officially have sixteen students separated into two classes. They are both for beginners, though the levels within the classes vary. I was very nervous when I started teaching my first two classes of the week; thankfully, Michelle (my supervisor) was there for support and to make sure I am paid attention to. After each class that she attended, she very graciously commented on the class and told me hints on teaching my students better (according to their culture). I am very grateful to her for doing that. One thing I am having trouble with though is keeping the balance between the varying levels within my class, especially my second one. Those that know a lot already either act bored, or translate everything I say (which is not good in the long run for the students who really want to know English).
Next week, Michelle, Emily, and I are bringing some girls from the church to a village called Cornesti. There we will be staying two days and running a children's program and talking to young women. We hope that the girls who are going with us will make this their ministry and will keep going even after "the missionaries" leave.
One interesting thing that I have learned here, is trying everything to fix something, before trying to buy another. I was given a permanent marker to write on a whiteboard one day for my class (it was written in Russian)... after using everything from hand wipes to toilet cleaner to try and clean the board, Olga (a girl who works at the office of Crossover here in Moldova) used a Clorox type thing. The whiteboard went white again... though the glaze did come off. But instead of buying a new board... I just erase the new marker writings with a wet sponge. It may be different, but It works :D.
Please pray for Emily as she tries to think up ways to reach out to the community, especially through children's ministry.
Please pray for me as I try to teach my student's, that I will continue to give my classes to God and rely on Him for strength and for wisdom in handling my class for their good and not for my own.
Please pray for Michelle as she is not feeling well, that God will give his strength to do all that she has ahead of her and for the rest she needs.
Please pray for my students that God will bless them with understanding.
Please continue praying for the local church here, that they continue to reach out to the community who is trying so hard to find more (of anything).
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
Naomi

Moldova... really on the other side of the world!

2011-06-18T15:30:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Moldova,

A good many things have happened this week. On Sunday Emily and I attended the local church in the morning. They played some Hillsong songs in Romanian and Russian... I tried the Romanian, but when the Russian began (since I can't understand much Cyrillic) I tried to sing the English version. A Brazilian missionary spoke (and was translated for into Romanian). He spoke on the grace of God, which is a big topic here, where the Orthodox Church is large, and salvation by works (being a good person) is culturally understood. That night we went to the "International Church" where many business people and missionaries come together every other week to worship in English. I met a girl who was an MK from Cameroon. It was here that Emily and I had our first taste of cactus juice (which we drink regularly now). On Monday, Emily and I went to a local English camp with Michelle (she was teaching music there). The students brought Michelle many trials, to the point where she dreaded going. The following two days I went back with her to aid in her goal to prepare the students for their presentation.

On Thursday, frustration and stress took their toll. I have never truly been thrown into a culture that I do not understand and (according to Michelle) cannot hope to understand. When I tried to reach out to people, my speech slurred and bumbled about like slightly melted Jello. I asked what the name of certain dish was and after people discussed amongst themselves, they said "meatballs". I had been hoping for a Romanian answer, but was feeling so out of place and nervous, I stopped asking. I didn't finish anything that I wanted to and felt like a total failure. My mind raced with things like "You're the English teacher? You can'y even speak properly to anyone" and "You really don't know anything, do you?". I accepted my lack of know-how, in this culture, saying to myself "It's a completely different place than anywhere you have ever been." That night, Michelle had a meeting with Emily and I. She told us all the options and opportunities that we had ahead of us this summer and asked us how we were doing. I was honest in saying that it was a totally humbling situation for me. I had relied so much on my intuition in the States and in the Philippines that I had forgotten how to discipline myself. I begged God to teach me... and here He was doing just that, taking away my faith in my own intuition and making me rely totally on Him. Michelle encouraged me to trust God and the moving of the Holy Spirit. Friday, God granted me the motivation to get up and do what I needed to. I rode to the office alone, and completed my preparation for my first English class (that night) and got home safe and sound. That night I gave English level assessments to four Moldovan who are going to be in my class. I may end up privately tutoring a girl who is much more advanced... but we shall see.

Today was a much needed rest day. We went to the presentation at the English Camp, then went downtown and Michelle showed us around. The downtown is full of trees and has the sent of honeysuckle on the breeze. And tonight, the youth group showed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in RUSSIAN. I enjoyed it very much.

I apologize for the long windedness of this update.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I am so encouraged in knowing that you are doing so.

Please pray that...

1. I will learn how to interact with people who know very little English.

2. That my relationship with my team mate, Emily, will reflect the love of Christ.

3. That I will be able to teach my English classes in a way that will help my students the most.

4. For patience with myself in not knowing the culture.

5. For Michelle, who has had a tough two weeks.

6. For the local church here, that they continue to reach out to others for the sake of the gospel.

Sincerely,

Naomi Lynn Vann

News from Naomi in Moldova!

2011-06-12T15:18:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Moldova!

Thank God that my partner and I got here. Before we left, we got news that our flight from Frankfurt to Moldova was delayed from 3:00pm on Wednesday to 5:00pm. We got to Frankfurt, got our boarding passes and checked our bags for the flight to Moldova. 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave, Air Moldova delayed the flight until 8:00 that night. They gave us vouchers and we waited. 8:00 came and went, then a German man told us that the flight was cancelled and that we would be put in a hotel for the night. All the people who once were strangers came together in their mutual need and became friends as we left the airport and went of to a German hotel. So I got to actually visit Germany! (There's a good point in every thing.) My partner and I received a key for our room and at first it did not work, then when we could open the door, there was someone in the shower. So we drank soft drinks in the hotel restaurant until a room could be found for us. We finally slept in beds that night. The plane was supposed to leave on Thursday at 10:00, but it was soon delayed till 1:30. We got new vouchers and waited some more. The flight was moved to 3:00, then to 5:00. The lady behind the counter was hinting at another possible night in Germany. Then finally, the boarding call was announced and we all happily headed for the plane.

As we descended upon Moldova, I was taken aback by the lush green landscape below me. I fell in love with the land at first sight and true excitement began to fill me. We landed and everyone on the plane clapped their hands in relief. Finally in Chisinau. We got through customs like a breeze and met Michelle (our overseas supervisor) and Fyoder (the head of Crossover Moldova) and headed for our lovely apartment. We are actually staying at Fyoder's house as his family house-sits for an Italian family that is out of town. Today, jet lag reared its ugly face and I woke up at 4:30 in the morning and could not go back to sleep until a few hours later, where I could sleep one hour before I had to wake up again. We toured the city and visited the office building of Crossover Moldova. Then this night we had some girls over, who would usually be having Bible study here, and ate wonderful food (sheep cheese is great!) and play minute-to-win-it games. We had a blast and surprisingly enough the girls took to us quickly and we were all friends by the time they had to leave.

Prayer requests:

1. There are some parts of this culture that I am used to from growing up overseas. Please pray that I will remain a humble learner.

2. I am feeling insecure because of my failure to act quickly. My wonderful partner easily takes on so many things that it it hard for me to volunteer. So please pray that I will be given the opportunity to serve beyond what is require of me.

3. Please pray that God work through my up coming English classes for his glory and not mine.

4. Pray for the girls that were in this Bible study, that their lives will be changed for Christ.

5. Pray for my partner that God will give her the strength to fully do all that she has taken on.

Thank you so much for your support. I will be sending you another email update next week.

Sincerely,

Naomi Lynn Vann

two cars… two Englishes

2011-02-18T10:48:00.001-05:00

Both U.S.A. and New Zealand speak the same language – ostensibly. But it is a case of the two nations being separated by a common language. You can see this well by comparing how the two cultures talk about their cars.

Penny and I have a car in the States … a nice PT Cruiser. I love that car, and my sister Gina says that it’s me. It’s a kind of retro thing.

We also had a car in NZ. It was a Hyundai Sonata. It was a gift horse – so we didn’t look it in the mouth.

They pronounce the “y” in Hyundai there, but not in the States. In the U.S.A. it would be called a “HUNDAY".”

One of differences between the two cars is that the Hyundai is built for driving on the left side of the road. For some reason, Kiwis like doing that. The steering wheel is on the right side, and the wipers and the directional signal devices are reversed. All of this makes for some rather surreal experiences once one decides to give driving a try. It took months before Penny and I remembered which side of the car to get in on.

The Cruiser has a windshield, but the Sonata has a windscreen.

The Cruiser has a back hatch, but the Sonata has a boot – which in the States would be called a trunk.

The Cruiser has a hood, but the Sonata has a bonnet.

The Cruiser has tires, so does the Sonata, but they can also be spelled TYRES.

You can adjust a nut on the Cruiser with a wrench, but to do the same thing on the Sonata you would use a spanner.

The Sonata is older, but in ok condition. If it were in disrepair, Kiwis would call it a bomb, Americans would call it a clunker. The Sonata has had its share of dings (which we Americans call fender benders). We had one the other day, and had to go to the Panel Beaters instead of the auto body shop. We had to replace the driver’s side door, because it had a bad prang (dent).

Cars have to be periodically inspected in NZ. If they pass, they get a WOF (Warrant of Fitness), which allows you to keep driving them.

In New Zealand, I could drive the Sonata to a dairy, and park in the car park. In the States, I drive my Cruiser to a convenience store, and park in the parking lot.

Most of the road signs are the same, except for the speeds being in kph. 100 kph seems high to me. Their “Yield” signs there say “Give Way” instead. Speed bumps are called judder bars.

Now that we have returned to the States – back to our PT Cruiser – we have fond memories of our times on the road in New Zealand with the Sonata. We will probably use words like “interesting” and “remarkable” to describe the experience. It has been both.

Goodbye, Takanini

2011-01-29T21:45:00.000-05:00

It’s 12pm Auckland time, Sunday, January 30th, and I have just preached my last sermon at Takanini Church (for a while anyway). On Wednesday Penny and I get on a plane and go back to the U.S.A.

It has not been a peaceful year. We have had four funerals. Particularly, the loss of our friend, pastor David Burge, in July was devastating to the church. David’s sudden battle with leukemia was the reason Penny and I decided to come to New Zealand. Not only had he served here for many years, many of his family members (including wife Tarnya and eight children) attend here. The church bears the mark of David’s style: down to earth, humorous, and unique.

I will remember Takanini church as the place where Penny and I learned that we can still function in pastoral ministry. We had been teaching people how to pastor for thirteen years at Oro Bible College in the Philippines. But God sent us from there to here. We went through culture shock again, but it was not so bad this time, partly because New Zealand is more like the U.S.(as far as climate and culture are concerned), but mostly because we knew to expect the unexpected.

One thing I didn’t expect is the way Takanini church managed to contain so many talented and committed people who are “plugged in” to personal ministry. Several people of various ages make up a worship team that offers genuine worship in a variety of styles every Sunday morning. some members run their own missions programs, here and elsewhere. It was our honor to serve with elder Gary Schache, who manages oversight of the ministries of the church, and puts together the worship services. We were also joined by his father, Ernie, who came on as elder on the same day we joined the team. Ernie is providing exceptional leadership while still serving ACGC as a missions ministry manager.

We have also appreciated getting involved in the lives of several young couples who are in the hectic days of raising large families. The phrase “never a dull moment” comes to mind as I think about how the families of Takanini show what it means to serve Christ in a world where just meeting everybody’s needs is a challenge. Penny and I are almost past the child-rearing phase, and are learning the ropes on the grandchild-spoiling phase. We will remember with admiration the families of Takanini.

We are going to miss Takanini church. Our ministry here has enhanced our ability to serve Christ, and the friendships we have gained here have enriched our lives. God bless you, Takanini church.

Reflecting on the past 15 years

2011-01-29T04:37:00.001-05:00

Way back in 1990 Hal Patterson asked us if we would consider training to teach at Oro Bible College. We told him that God was not through with us at the church we were pastoring but we would call him when that ministry came to an end, figuring it would be 10+ years and he would forget. 3 Years later God called us beyond that local church so we called Hal. We trained for missions. Then in Feb of 1996 in North Carolinas biggest ice storm we met with the executive council. As they say the rest is history.

In the past 15 years we have counseled, witnessed in foreign languages, did spiritual warfare with those oppressed by demons, helped the poor and hungry at our door, taught theology, Bible and even PE., climbed mountains and went into squatter areas of cities in the name of Christ. We have prayed for nationals and watched God change lives. If that was not enough the Lord helped us manage a field and orient missionaries to living in foreign cultures. We preached, taught, prayed . We sweated through tropical heat and were chilled by New Zealand winters without central heating. We have survived and made friends and disciples in his name in many places.

It has not all been glamorous. Watching our children leave home to go to the US was a gut wrenching thing we endured. There were times of civil unrest. Terrorism almost ended one of us. If that was not enough, we and the children came down with tropical diseases. Tiredness, spiritual dryness and loneliness mocked us. However God is and always has been faithful. If we had to do it all over again we would do the same thing.

As we come to the end of our time as AC Missionaries we reflect that we are not the same people we were in 1996. We are now part American, part Filipino, part Kiwi. Our desire to serve Christ wherever he calls is still with us and we pray continually for those who are lost in the remotest parts of the earth to come to know him. With that we leave with one question, “Who will go for HIM.”

-Penny Vann

memory lane

2011-01-17T18:40:00.001-05:00

In case anyone is interested in missions history, some of our older newsletters (going back as far as 1999) are available here.

We want to thank those of you who have supported us with your prayers and gifts over the past fourteen years. Your support opened the doors for effective ministry, and has not been forgotten.

A Christmas Card

2010-12-23T13:13:00.001-05:00

May we all remember Mary’s little Lamb, and follow HIM.

The Vann family in New Zealand wishes you the happiest and healthiest of Christmases.

Jeff and Penny Vann

Devotions

2010-12-04T22:09:00.001-05:00

I started a new blog last month, and everyone is invited to follow it. It is a daily devotions site. Just like a daily devotions booklet, it begins with a text reference, and has a devotional thought based on the text.

These are based on my daily devotions. I begin each day with a cup of coffee, and a prayer for about 30 or so of my Facebook friends.

[ If you are on Facebook, and would like to be prayed for once a week, you can follow my Devotions blog from within Facebook. If you are not one of my friends on Facebook yet, then do a search for Jefferson Vann, and request that I add your name to my friend list.

But you do not have to be on Facebook to read the blog. You can follow it by using a bookmark on your browser, or RSS feed, of choose to follow it at the site. ]

Then I go to the ESV Bible online and read the four passages from scripture assigned to that day. Actually, I click on the word listen, and let the passage read itself. That’s a much easier way to read a lot of text first thing in the morning!

From one of the passages, I identify a key text, and write a short devotional about it. I conclude the devotional thought with a prayer. I post the text to my Devotions blog, and it is immediately reposted to Facebook. By that time I am usually out of coffee, and ready to face the world.

So this is your invitation to join me each day for Devotions. See you in the morning!

Walks in the Gardens

2010-11-06T01:26:00.001-04:00

Auckland Botanic Gardens in Manukau is a place where Penny and I visit frequently. There are all kinds of beautiful trees and flowers, and lots of space to walk. It is just up the road from the church in Takanini where we work, so we sometimes just drop in for lunch and a quick walk on work days.

The lanes meander through exhibits of trees and flowers from various locations. Not all of the plants are blooming at the same time, so every time we walk the experience is a little different. I usually think to bring the camera so that I can capture the color. The pics make great backgrounds for my computer desktop.

Some of the hiking (tramping) trails go by green fields. I love the fields in New Zealand. They seem to go on forever. The clouds are also glorious here. Clouds remind me that Jesus is coming. The whole experience also helps Penny and me get over the fact that we are so far away from our family in the States. Cities remind us of the differences between the two countries. Landscapes remind us of the similarities.

Occasionally we will run across a plant like this one – one which we have never seen before. I am amazed at the variety of plant life on this planet. It seems like God wants to tell us that we will never get bored throughout eternity because he knows how to keep us guessing what he’s going to do next!

October 2010 Newsletter from the Vanns in New Zealand

2010-10-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

____________________[All photos are from Jachin Mandeno]

This is the Newsletter of Jeff and Penny Vann, missionaries with Advent Christian General Conference, currently serving in New Zealand as pastors-at-large with the Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand (ACCONZ). We serve as teaching pastors at Takanini Church of Christ, and Christian LIFE Church, Takanini, Auckland.

Decisions, Decisions. Jeff and I have had to make a number of decisions in the past couple of months. Jeff and I as of early February will be leaving the church here and New Zealand. We will also be resigning from the mission effective 3 months after we get back to the US. We have served the mission department for 14 years but we feel it is time. Our hearts still beat for the lost and for those who lack the opportunity for theological training. We are praying for ministry opportunities in the States as well as time and money to go on in our education. Hopefully getting our doctorates at sometime before Christ comes back. As to where in the States that we will be, we have not a clue. For those of you who have been praying for us all those years, you have helped us through victories and trials, thank-you. But, please don’t stop praying for us.

We are blessed to have Ernie Schache as part of our ministry team here in Takanini. He serves as an elder. Ernie has many years of experience with churches here, and a passion for missions. He presently serves as a Mission Manager for ACGC, overseeing the missions work being done by our partners in Myanmar, India, Thailand and Malaysia. You can find out more about Advent Christian Missions from the New Zealand ACMissionz website: http://www.acmissionz.org.nz/

I (Jeff) have been teaching a Greek class on Thursday nights to a small group of youth and adults. Penny and I have also been part of a Hebrew club that meets in a local seminary. We have been grateful to share with those who have a special interest in biblical languages. It is just one more way that we have found to be an encouragement to believers here.

Our church has lots of kids of all ages. This is something different for Penny and me. We are used to a college campus, where the only small kids were ours or those of the other faculty, or those who attend the campus preschool. It has been a joy to get to know this new generation of believers. It has also been challenging to adjust our teaching and preaching to meet their needs. The picture is of less than half of the children who come to church.

Penny will be teaching her Old Testament seminar again on October 31st in the city of Hamilton. Some of the attendees of the previous seminar asked her to teach it again at their church.

Penny also taught a very informative and enjoyable seminar on public speaking at Takanini Sunday afternoon, October 10th. That was designed to train those who have speaking parts in our worship services. Takanini Church integrates the young people into worship sessions by having them read the scriptures before the message. Other members take part by testimony, prayer, music and leading communion.

Some thoughts: The Bible speaks of God’s power “at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). We have noticed that God brings certain people into our lives to help us with a problem we did not anticipate. For instance while driving down the motorway (interstate) the car started to make a strange noise. So, we pulled off and exit and onto a side street to find we had a flat. Just as we started to get out the spare a teenager stopped his walk home from school to see if he could help. He stayed to help through the rain and hail getting soaked in the process, but definitely shortening the time it would have taken for Jeff to change it alone. We have also noticed that as we planned to teach or write on a certain topic, suddenly people come into our lives who illustrate the need for a biblical understanding on the same topic, affirming that we are right to study it. This is seen in that recently after finishing a lengthy study in Galatians Jeff met a man who was in bondage to the very things Galatians warns about. This shows us how sovereign God is in our lives. He is not just a transcendent God who is watching us “from a distance.” He is involved in our lives. He’s not just a supervisor. He’s a shepherd.

On the Internet:

Our Newsletters: http://vannnews.blogspot.com/

Jeff’s blog: http://jeffersonvann.blogspot.com/

Jeff’s theology book: http://anadventchristiansystematictheology.blogspot.com/

Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand: http://www.acconz.org.nz/

Takanini Church blog: http://takaninichurch.wordpress.com/

Jachin Mandeno’s photo site: http://mandenomoments.com/

Please Pray:

1) Penny and I will be returning to the United States and transitioning from mission work starting February, 2011. Please pray that we find jobs and that Jeff finds the right seminary to pursue his doctoral studies.

2) Pray as the Takanini Church looks for someone to serve in the teaching and preaching ministry after we leave.

3) Pray for Naomi as she continues to study at Columbia International University and is presently seeking a missions internship.

4) Pray for Elizabeth and Connie, that they continue to serve the Lord, and take care of their families.

August 2010

2010-08-15T02:38:00.000-04:00

photo by Jachin Mandeno

You have reached the Newsletter of Jeff and Penny Vann, missionaries with Advent Christian General Conference, currently serving in New Zealand as pastors-at-large with the Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand (ACCONZ). We serve as teaching pastors at Takanini Church of Christ, and Christian LIFE Church, Takanini, Auckland.

Our friend and fellow pastor David Burge fell asleep in Christ on July 4th. David had a disease that he knew was likely to take him in the prime of his life. Before the leukaemia started taking up his time, he had the chance to step back from the busyness of life and concentrate on the things that were important to him. But even those months he had, are not enough. It is unfair that we have to say goodbye to David at all. Our only consolation is that we are not saying goodbye for good. We are only saying goodbye for now.

Dave’s funeral was held on Saturday, July 10 at a local Baptist Church. Hundreds joined us as we gave tribute to this man of God. The message Jeff shared focused on the resurrection of believers, and is available on his web log: http://jeffersonvann.blogspot.com/2010/07/in-honour-of-david-burge-1968-2010.html

photo by Jachin Mandeno

God’s timing is so awesome. While preparing for Dave’s funeral, I (Penny)had a sudden thought that I had better resend my cell phone numbers to my sister so in case something happened Stateside she could contact me. For whatever reason the email was delayed a couple of days. She got the numbers one morning and had to use them THAT afternoon to tell me of my dad’s heart attack. She called back an hour later to tell me he had died. It was 12:30pm here when the call came and I was at the airport ticket in hand 4 hours later. I flew back to Connecticut for his funeral. But, while in the States, I was able to visit Connie in Massachusetts, and be there for the birth of our newest grandson.

Simon Dean Shaw was born on July 22nd, 7lb. 5oz, and 22 in. He and his parents (Steve and Connie) are doing fine.

3 days after returning to New Zealand, Penny taught a one-day seminar on the Old Testament. The insights she shared helped us all to see the big picture of God working through thousands of years of history to bring about his purpose of calling the nations to himself.

photo by Jachin Mandeno

Our short trip to the South Island took place August 10-13. We visited some friends we met while Jeff was in seminary. One of the highlights was a trip to a lamb farm, where we saw thousands of newly born lambs.

See a video of the lambs: http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B8QUBWMDoi-tNjBhODg1ODEtYzljZi00OGFkLWJkZWEtZDY1ZWI4OTE3ZjQz&hl=en

Life in New Zealand (A Yankee’s perspective). It has been winter here. Winter in Auckland is NOT like winter in New England. The grass is still green and I have not seen one flake of snow. It mostly rains and is rather a raw cold. So we go to coffee shops
to chase the dampness away. Coffee shops act as the local social hang out. The other thing one notices here is most Kiwi’s don’t have central heating in their homes. They rely more on space heaters or wood/coal stoves for their heat. The reasoning is, “why heat a room you are not in?” They also keep the rooms cooler than most American homes. The idea is if your cold put on a jumper (sweater). It is actually not a bad idea, and one I grew up with in the 70’s during the oil embargo.
I often feel like I am trying to speak two dialects at the same time. I (Penny), being from New England, don’t have to try as hard as Jeff does having the “eh?” and “wicked” already down and being used to people dropping their “R”s. There are still differences, like a jumper-sweater, a pinafore-jumper, supper-night-time snack, while tea or dinner-supper, you get the picture. This with idiomatic differences is enough to keep us on our toes.

Please Pray:

1) For Penny’s family as they face the loss of her father.
2) For David Burge's family as they adjust to life without him.
3) For The Takanini church that they make wise plans for present and future ministry.
4) For Penny and Jeff, that they continue to serve the LORD in New Zealand.

June 2010 Newsletter from the Vanns in New Zealand

2010-06-04T04:33:00.000-04:00

You have reached the Newsletter of Jeff and Penny Vann, missionaries with Advent Christian General Conference, currently serving in New Zealand as pastors-at-large with the Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand (ACCONZ). We serve as teaching pastors at Takanini Church of Christ, and Christian LIFE Church, Takanini, Auckland.

photo by Jachin Mandeno

Our friend and fellow pastor David Burge continues to struggle with Leukemia, and is in the hospital for treatments often. He is no longer a candidate for bone marrow transplant, and his doctors are now merely trying to prolong his life. Please continue to pray for a miracle -his complete recovery.

Since Jeff and Penny have been here to take on the preaching and teaching duties at David's church, he has been busy enjoying life with his wife and children. He is also completing a number of writing projects in which he has invested a great deal of time. Jeff is also serving as editor on some of those projects, and enjoying that task emensely.

You can follow David's progress at this site: http://davidburge.wordpress.com/

photo by Jachin Mandeno

Jeff has been preaching two concurrent series on Sunday mornings. Galatians: The Gospel of Salvation by Grace is taking the Takanini congregation through the book of Galatians (a chapter a month). Keep On is a series of sermons based on Paul's commands encouraging the churches to persevere in doing the right thing. Presentation slides,notes and .pdf files of these sermons are available at Jeff's current web log: http://jeffersonvann.blogspot.com/

This month Jeff begins a new course on New Testament Greek which meets every Thursday night at the church lounge. The course is being scaled back to meet the needs of home-schoolers, but is available for anyone who would like to study God's word in one of its original languages.

So what has Penny been doing? She handles communion almost every week. She is also getting ready to teach a seminar on the Old Testament.

Our Kids:

Naomi, our youngest, is staying the summer with Liz. She is planning on getting a Summer job there but as of this writing has not been able to. Please pray she can find one.

Connie: Is expecting a baby, so we will have another grandchild soon.

Liz: Just finished teaching another year of school.

We plan a short trip to the South Island June 29th-July 2nd to visit some friends we met while Jeff was at Gordon-Conwell seminary. We'll probably see snow there.

Please Pray:

1)For Penny as she is rarely busy. After so many years of teaching full time,the down time is very hard.
2)The Takanini church as they adjust to two Americans on their pastoral team.
3)David Burge's recovery.
4)Our safety as we visit our friends on the South Island.

April 2010

2010-04-07T18:58:00.000-04:00

(an excerpt from a brochure from Takanini Church of Christ)

You have reached the Newsletter of Jeff and Penny Vann, missionaries with Advent Christian General Conference, currently serving in New Zealand as pastors-at-large with the Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand (ACCONZ).

We have just now finished our first full month of ministry here in New Zealand. We are grateful to God for sending us here, even though we miss our friends and family in the U.S.A. and the Philippines.
We are also grateful to all those people in New Zealand who are helping us get settled.

Our friend and fellow pastor David Burge continues to struggle with Leukemia, and is in and out of the hospital for treatments and tests often. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

You can follow his progress at this site: http://davidburge.wordpress.com/

It has been good to get back in a routine of preaching regularly. Jeff just finished his series on the most important commands of scripture, which he has entitled, “The Foundations.” He has also preached a funeral, and a Good Friday service on the seven sayings of Christ on the cross, and an Easter Sunday message entitled “Easter Joy.”

Eventually the text of all of these messages will be available on Jeff's sermon blog. But he's reorganizing it at the moment, so stay tuned.

Penny has been busy too. In addition to officiating at communion (which we do at every regular service), she and Jeff are team-teaching a weekly course on “Understanding Your Bible.” The course is designed to take students through the process of learning what a Bible text says, and then teaching or preaching its message.

The class is open to all: children, adults from the church, and even the odd pastor. This session included three odd pastors.

Please Pray:
1)Our adjustment to the culture and cost of living here.
2)The Takanini church as they adjust to two Americans on their pastoral team.
3)David Burge's recovery.

February 2010

2010-02-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

Seeking God

Many of you know that as Jeff and I left the Philippines we were not sure of what we were going to do next. Since August we have prayed, candidated at churches, and had medical tests. It has been difficult waiting on God to let us know what direction we were to go. So many of you have prayed along side of us as we sought God's will. Thank-you.

We believe The Lord has answered. In mid November we learned that New Zealand pastor David Burge had Leukemia. We have been requested by the New Zealand conference to come and help them during this time that David, a key leader, will be limited in his work due to treatments. They have asked us to serve as “pastors-at large,” assisting several churches and the Advent Christian conference New Zealand. We see this not only as an opportunity to help out a friend in need, but also as a chance to return the favor for all of those New Zealand believers who have helped us in our ministry in the Philippines over the years.

A Wedding!

In December, we rejoiced with our daughter, Connie, at her marriage to Stephen Shaw. Connie and Stephen are living in Lenox, Mass., and attend Hope Church.

Ain't Life Grand

We welcomed another grandchild into our family on February 1st, Elena Sophia Hamilton made her appearance.
We have had the joy of staying with Dad (Nathan), Mom (Elizabeth) and big brother (Jeffrey) for a few days to help them adjust to the challenges of a larger family.

The McAlpin Miracle
Our home church, The McAlpin Advent Christian Church of McAlpin, Florida has experienced a great deal of growth recently under the leadership of Rev. Paul Bertolino. It is great to know that the same Holy Spirit who has helped us to minister successfully overseas is just as hard at work on the home front. We have enjoyed meeting all the new families the Lord has blessed our fellowship with.

Daughter #3

Our youngest daughter, Naomi, continues to pursue a degree in Inter-cultural Studies at Columbia Bible College, in South Carolina.

Praises
For the Lord's direction as he has led us to a new ministry.
For allowing the New Zealand government to view us favorably, granting us work visas.
For safety as we have traveled a great deal in the past few months.
For helping our daughters adjust to life in the States.
For a great and awesome God!

Prayer Needs
For David Burge's healing
For a safe trip to New Zealand
For clear direction from the Lord as we take up ministry positions there.
For many more years of success in the Lord's service.
For provision of our needs, and support for Naomi at college.
For help in adjusting to another culture

Name the Newsletter Contest:

“News from the Vanns” is accurate, but not very interesting sounding and “From 8 degrees North” is inaccurate. Please send us suggestions for the title of our newsletter.

Contact Information

The best way to reach Jeff and Penny is by e-mail, which works anywhere on the planet:

jeffvann@acgc.us

pennyvann@acgc.us

We can be reached by (snail) mail for the present at:

Jeff and Penny Vann
c/o Jim and Glenise Burge
27 Fairview Avenue
Opaheke, Papakura 2113
AUCKLAND, New Zealand