RISE UP AND BUILD!!

“The God of heaven will give us success, and we his
  servants will rise up and build…”   Nehemiah 2:20

One of Matt’s primary roles over the past year has been managing the construction and development of our new missions Training Camp in Wisconsin. Every summer hundreds of student missionaries are trained, equipped, and sent out from camp on our Royal Servants mission trips across the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ!

In less than three months we will be holding Training Camp at the new land! We have our new administration building and several out-buildings up, yet there is much more for us to do to be ready for the state inspection and student arrival in June.

Matt will be coordinating work project teams in April. We are praying and asking God to raise up his people in helping us with the final push to completion. If you or someone you know want to serve God’s kingdom in a “hands-on,” practical way please contact Matt or register online. Registration deadline is April 2!

· Pray for many volunteers to rise up and help us in our final push to complete our new Training Camp.

· Pray for wisdom for Matt in coordinating work project teams and ordering materials to complete the work.

· Pray for God to protect our volunteers from injury and to have strength/joy in service!

· Pray for God to continue to move in the hearts of students and call them to serve on a Royal Servants mission trip!

MINISTRY TRIP TO LOUISVILLE, KY (LIVE 2:6 CONFERENCE)

This month I will be heading down to Louisville, Kentucky for four days to attend the final LIVE 2:6 conference. As I have mentioned in the past, the LIVE 2:6 conference is organized through Sonlife Ministries. This is a group of youth ministry professionals (from across the country) that simply come together to study the life of Jesus and to learn how to create disciple making movements as He did. 

I will be attending these training sessions at Southeast Christian Church, which is a church driven by a disciple making process, and is now one of the fastest growing churches in America.

I will be driving down and back with another pastor from MN and look forward to the fellowship we will have.  Also, I’m excited and look forward to being challenged and encouraged by my fellow ministry peers. Please pray for a safe trip and a fruitful, refreshing time. 

Merry Christmas from the Halseth Family!

We pray your 2011 was blessed! Here are a few Halseth family highlights of 2011:

Rachel Rose is much loved by all.  We love cuddling Rachel and enjoy watching her giggle! At 9 months, she is thriving. Her weight has tripled since we met her! She started at 6.5 pounds in July and is now 19 pounds!  She does something new each day. We are so grateful to God for giving our family the gift of Rachel.

Joshua started pre-school this fall. He is filled with curiosity, and maybe a little mischief :) Joshua is very energetic, and loves to help Dad “work” by moving dirt piles or stacking fire-wood! He wears a superhero costume half the time. If he could actually be a super-hero it would be a cross between Batman and Spiderman!

Abby is a sweet first grader. Her teacher says Abby loves to learn & received the “Most Helpful” award. She is in dance, soccer, basketball & Awana. She is artistic & can’t wait for her next play-date. Abby enjoys dancing around the house to worship music.

Nathan is a third grader involved with scouts, basketball, football, soccer and Awana. Nathan is an avid sports fan. He must be growing up because instead of toys, he wants professional sports game tickets & jerseys! We esp. appreciate his sense of humor.

Matt loves leading a student Bible study, serving on our church board and working on the new Royal Servants Training Camp. Matt has adapted his hobbies to include four active young children… in other words, he loves doing what they love doing! :-)

Jenni is very very happy with the family God has blessed us with, and maybe a little tired w/a baby still awake many nights. :) Jenni esp. loves watching the older kids adore Rachel. Her goal is to keep all four clothed, fed & to the places they need to go!

As is already obvious, our most exciting news of 2011 has been receiving our precious adopted Ethiopian daughter. God is so faithful. Rachel Rose’s story continues to amaze us. We look forward to all that God has in store for her and for us as a family. Praying your Christmas shines brightly with many of His blessings!

Love, The Halseth Family

DANA'S STORY

Dana served as a student in India this past summer. She attends one of our supporting churches, where Matt has been speaking and recruiting students for many years. We want to share Dana’s story with you.

“We took a rickshaw ride through the Redlight District of New Dehli. There are tons of fake storefronts. But inside the “stores,” you can see the staircases leading up to hidden rooms. You can’t see the rooms and you can’t see behind the walls. But when you saw a man with a little girl, you just knew. It broke my heart. 

I have a heart to see sex trafficking ended. I remember those children and women who have, and are going through it. I want to be a part of bringing hope for their future. I am currently studying Bible and Psychology at Bethel University. If God should so lead, I am interested in serving internationally in a safe home for those recovering from the sex trade. Going on Royal Servants was definitely one of the MOST LIFE CHANGING things I have ever done. After going, I KNOW for a fact that overseas missions is what I was meant for. I love it so much.” 

It is because of students like Dana that we are committed to serving with Royal Servants. God is at work transforming and calling students into ministry around the world.

Royal Servants 2012 mission teams will serve in: China, Costa Rica, England, Ethiopia, Europe, India, Ireland, Israel, and Sierra Leone. Our work throughout the calendar year is also very intentional to empower the whole of all the teams. We are committed to see each of the 300+ students grow, in Christ and in sharing Christ. Matt will be leading one of the Africa teams in 2012.

You are a vital part of our ability to follow His calling to serve. We continue to be grateful for your partnership in bringing the message of hope all over the world!

WALKING AS JESUS WALKED

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6

I (Matt) just returned from an exciting three day ministry training in Chicago. This is the fourth time in a year and a half that I have joined this small group of youth ministry professionals. Why? Simply to study the life of Jesus and to learn how to create disciple making movements as He did. The ministry training is called, LIVE 2:6 (from 1 John 2:6).

What is a LIVE 2:6 group?
LIVE 2:6 groups are learning communities of 3-12 ministry leaders who study, train, and evaluate the life of Christ using a strategy developed by SONLIFE. Over 40 organizations globally (including Reign Ministries) and 750,000 ministry leaders have been through ministry training by SONLIFE.

I have loved being challenged and encouraged by my LIVE 2:6 group as I have learned to “walk as Jesus walked.” My ministry skills have been sharpened and I know that will translate to more students coming to know the Savior!

Thank you for your commitment to our ministry and the walk Jesus has called us to!

RACHEL ROSE, HOME FOREVER! (ADOPTION TIMELINE)

May 11 – We accept the referral for our daughter.

July 19 – We meet Rachel Rose at the foster home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

July 20 – We admit her to the hospital in Ethiopia where she is diagnosed with failure to thrive, severe pneumonia and severe malnutrition. She is given a feeding tube, IV antibiotics and nasal Oxygen. Rachel is in critical medical condition. We send emails and facebook messages around the world asking for prayer for Rachel Rose to recover. We are on our knees in prayer often.

July 22 – We pass Ethiopian adoption court

July 23 – Rachel Rose turns a corner medically and starts to clearly recover. PRAISE GOD!

July 30 – Rachel Rose is discharged from the hospital. She still needs nasal oxygen supplementation. We rent an oxygen tank and administer it to her ourselves from the guesthouse.

August 3 – The US Embassy in Ethiopia approves our adoption.

August 6 - We fly standby and arrive home to MN. Rachel Rose meets her new forever family.

GOD KNOWS HER NAME

In the first two days we were with our daughter we noticed her Ethiopian name spelled four different ways on different types of paperwork. Above her bed, on her hospital papers, her adoption paperwork, at the clinic – everyone had a slightly different spelling. We saw her Ethiopian name spelled Nebet, Nabat, Nebadie and Nebat. I was struck by how despite the fact that there were kindhearted people in her life who wanted good things for her, no one really knew her name. I kept thinking, “She just needs someone who knows her name.” She just needed someone to make sure she ate enough, that she got medical care and medicine as needed. Simple reasonable things. How many children out there don’t have anyone who knows their name? In the Bible God talks about knowing us by name (Exodus 33:17), and how our names are written in the book of life. We are so thankful to be able to give our beautiful daughter her new name, Rachel Rose Halseth.