In the same way, I tell you, there is REJOICING in the presence of the angels of God over ONE sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

Good morning and greetings from Costa Rica!

This morning is a gorgeous, sunny 80 degree blast of God’s goodness. J

We just wanted to invite you to rejoice with our family.

After four days of Melissa’s visits made up of long conversations, opening God’s Word and a box of Kleenex, she poured her heart out to the Lord last night.

We have a new sister in Christ and she is A NEW CREATION! She is marveling in His love, her adoption as a Child of God, the miracle of redemption and is still trying to wrap her mind around how He has given her a “clean slate.”  It is a joy to hold her hand through this!

Please continue to pray for these following areas:

· Discipleship – goal is to begin immediately

· the salvation of the father of her baby

· the birth of her baby girl (due in 4 weeks)

· Melissa wants to go to church with us on Sunday and bring her two children – pray that the church would embrace her (so many families are new themselves) and for Melissa to sense God’s leading as to where she may worship and grow in Christ

Thank you for your prayers.  Please know this is such a beautiful example of how He responds to our prayers and such an amazing representation on His Sovereignty…His time, His conditions and the Work of His Holy Spirit to bring conviction and a sense of need for Christ’s cleansing blood. We are so grateful for your encouraging emails, shared excitement and powerful prayer support.

Que Dios les bendiga,

Ryan and Gretchen Rought

Dearest TACTICA 10-19 Partners,

We are wrapping up our time in Michigan quickly this afternoon as we zip closed the last three carry-on pieces and weigh … repack … and re-weigh the check-ins…ah, the joys of furlough traveling J . But all joking aside, this summer has been overwhelmingly full of blessings and joy. We return to the field with a renewed sense of the calling on our lives and a very clear vision for where the Lord is leading our family as well as TACTICA Ministries.

We were able to spend the much desired quality time with both of our fathers, and praise God that He has blessed them both with stable health conditions. The girls made numerous unforgettable memories with both of their grandpas and grandmas, and we cherished every one of those moments all the more.

We have much on our plates in the coming 8 weeks. We desperately need you to be praying for several things. We strongly believe that only through your prayers and God’s provision will the next two to three months see TACTICA Ministries serving the King of kings with excellence, let alone in a fashion that encourages a balanced life, humility and purpose in our service.

• We fly out of Detroit tomorrow morning, August 21^st.

Pray for their financial needs, that they may have a solid walk with Christ, disciplined time in God’s Word, and that God would bless us with a unique sense of team unity which communicates the love of Christ to the Costa Ricans.

Dear 10-19 Partners of TACTICA,

The team of Berean youth returned to Michigan this past week, and we are now preparing heavily for Team TACTICA September 2008!  It is always a joy to share how God is working, the fruit that He is bringing, and the ways that He is growing us along the journey. Read the rest of this entry →

May 2008
Dear 10-19 supporters,

Please join us in prayer as we are in need of our 10-19 partners in a special way:

1. We discovered this morning that our credit card number was stolen. 15 airline tickets to Brazil, New York and Chicago have been fraudulently purchased. We use this card daily while the teams are here to cover all of the expenses. We have officially filed a dispute for the $4600 of charges, however we remain without means to pay for many items for the team (hotel, food, gas, etc.) Read the rest of this entry →