Jon's family and friends letter

All our family and friends should expect to recieve a letter similar to the one below in a few weeks.


Dear Friends and Family,


I am writing to tell you about an amazing opportunity that I have this summer. I have been selected to be part of an eighteen person youth missions team to Champfleuri, France.  Champfleuri is in the southeastern part of France and is near the town of Grenoble.  Although France does not seem like a typical misison field, it is in fact in great need. Less than 1% of France considers themselves to be evangelical Christians.


Our team will leave on June 30th and return on July 16th.  We as teenagers have the amazing opportunity to minister to French youth at a camp run by Christian missionaries. Our team will assist in language workshops, outdoor activites, and most importantly building strong and meaningful relationships in which we can share the gospel with the people.  I am so excited to be part of this team and to work with an ongoing Christian ministry.  I hope to not only share my faith with others but be challenged in my faith and to grow closer to God through this experience.  the kind of spiritual growth that can be gained through this type of trip is so much more than I could hope to acheive her on my own.  I hope to come back from this tirp with a renewed love for others and for God.


If you are willing to assist our trip financially, I would be very thankful.  Each individual is asked to raise at least $1200 for the trip.  (Please see our donate link)


Thank you for your support. I look forward to sharing about my trip with all of you.


In Christ,


Jon Steel

Flying Blind

Yep, we're flying blind here Lord! But we're sure glad you're in the pilot seat.

Here's what we are thankful for:

1. We sold our house! Close date is on March 30th.
2. We have negotiated with the buyers, so we can stay in the house until April 30th.
3. Piano Power is thriving and growing. http://www.pianopowerstudios.com/ God is providing!
4. Dave has been accepted to the Doctorate program at Talbot. He'll go to Southern California for two weeks in June for his first annual residency.
5. We've put a reserve on a three bedroom townhome in Malvern. It's a 3 mo. lease.
6. Jon has been accepted to a missions team to France for two weeks this summer.

Prayer requests:

1. Dave needs a job! He's available for window cleaning. I can tell you your house will SHINE!Please contact him at crystalclearwindows@verizon.net But please pray for something permanent.
2. Pray for encouragement.
3. Pray for a new ministry (You don't stop being a pastor simply because you don't have a "church" Dave and I both long for a place of ministry wherever we are.)
4. Pray for our kids as we approach moving out of our home.

Thanks be to God our provider and source of joy!

We have so much snow we should sell it to Vancouver for the Olympic games. The fun has begun at our house. The boys and Dave built this igloo today. They made a track from our front door that slides right into the opening of the igloo. Daniel wanted to stay outside and play even after it was dark out. Oh yeah check out the icicle we are growing on our house!

Wait For The Lord!

"Wait for the Lord;

Be strong

and

let your heart

take courage,

yes, wait

for the Lord."

Psalm 27:14

Parachutes

Well, any prospects of moving out of the area in the next few months are on hold. This is happy news to our boys but a faith stretch for Dave and I. The church we've been in contact with has delayed their hiring for awhile due to financial considerations. We may hear back in a few months if they decide to proceed with their process.

I must admit it's a huge faith free fall here. Yet, we've been here before.

God always gives us a parachute. Always!

It's just that we never know when our parachute will deploy.

One time, when we were living in Dallas TX. I got so sick that I had to stop working for three months (Our only source of income at the time as Dave was going to Seminary) I can still remember lying on the living room couch reading "Hinds Feet on High Places." when the doorbell rang. Someone delivered a large check to us to help us with rent and food for the month. It wasn't long before Dave's home church of Flushing MI also sent us a large monetary gift. Each day, there were people showing up to clean my house or buy us groceries or just sit and pray with me. When I think back on that time I see a parachute that's so huge it flung us high into the hemisphere of praise and faith.

And, I will never forget the parachute God sent us when our son Matthew was ill and in the hospital. So many people from Grace Valley Fellowship came to hospital to pray with us and to support us. I'd start naming you all but I'm afraid I'd forget someone. Returning home with a healthy boy was a miracle! The prayer warriors were like so many brightly colored patches in our parachute. They held us together and held us up to the Lord. Thank you!

So, when I say we've been here before, It is true. I actually think I feel the tug of the strings as the parachute is beginning to billow behind us. This one's going to be huge people! Hold onto your shoulder straps we're going up!

Out of Season

So, I've been amazed at how God has continued to use Tony the Tiger Swallowtail as living reminder of things that are out of season. (see blog below) Here's a list of a few things in my life right now that are out of season (or seem to be at the wrong time)

1. My Dave and I are no longer Pastor and Mrs. Joleen Steel. We're just Dave and Joleen. Something we did not expect to happen at this season of our lives. It feels strange and yet, curiously right for now. One of our boys told us that he realized he was not trusting the Lord as much as he thought he was. he said, "It's much harder to be a Christian now that Dad's not a pastor. Now, I have to do right even though no one is watching me!" Wow! did that blow us away! We're so thankful for this out of season season that has brought such an amazing revelation to our household. Do we serve God and do what's right because of Dave's title or in spite of it? We've had some amazing family devotions to discuss this topic.

2. We put our house on the market and within four days we had a full price offer! Unheard of, I'm told. Definetely something that is out of season with this current market. We'll let you know what happens with the house thing as it's still unfolding.

3. We may have sold our house but we have no idea where we are going! It feels sort of like a free fall of faith of going on. We're not afraid though. (Sometimes I'm a bit anxious and have to have a good cry) However, we are trusting this out of season event is completely within God's season for us.

4. By selling our house it looks like I'll have to give up my beloved baby grand piano. Okay, so maybe I bought it for $200.00 from a church and it's not that beautiful. It is beautiful to me though and I've gotten very attached to it. I recently wrote something in my diary about holding onto things loosely and holding onto Christ tightly. Hmmm... can I? will I? Seems silly to even ask the question. Yet, my statement is being put to the test for real.

5. Over the past four years, God has helped me build an amazing piano business. I have three teachers working for me and between us we have 52 students. We just had an amazing recital that I've gushed unashamedly about on facebook and here in the blog. If God calls us to a new ministry and a new location I will have to walk away from it all. It's not just the money, in fact it's really not about the money. I love teaching piano, training my teammates, building my website (http://www.pianopowerstudios.com/ ) so much, I'd probably do it for free if my family would let me. It's..... what is it? I guess I'd say it's the students and their parents. I just can't see how I'd walk away from them. They have become dear to me. I'm in their homes every week and feel sort of like I have all these extended aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews that I'd never see again. Totally out of season, the wrong time to walk away. (Still don't know if that's going to happen by the way if you're attached in anyway to piano power don't panic yet.)

But, God is using these out of season events to stretch my faith. Do I trust that He has the best plan for me. For us? Will my out of season proove to be His in season? I believe it will. And if it is His in season it will be mine as well. I just don't know it yet.

Our new pet

This is Tony the Tiger Swallowtail. He's living in our bay window right now. (See blog below)