SOUTH

CHINA
*Puerta
Princesa
PACIFIC
OCEAN
No. 1
MISSIONARIES:
Mike and Joann Noel
FORWARDING AGENTS:
Corry and Vicki Sheffler
512 Mace Street
Greensburg, PA 15601
(412) 832-3177
Summer 1985
NEW FORMAT
We're happy to announce that from
now on Mission Services Association
in Knoxville, TN will begin printing and
mailing our newsletters out quarterly
for us. We're grateful for the many
services they provide for missionaries
at home and abroad. Also a special
thanks goes to our Forwarding Agent,
Vicki, who has done this for us in the
past. It's quite an undertaking! (And
an extra special thanks goes to
Georgea Hugus for doing the fine
artwork!)
INTRODUCING
. . . the newest member of the Shefflerfamily! Corry Joseph (CJ) was born to our FA's.Corry
and Vicki on May 14,1985. CONGRATULATIONS! Vicki's an elementary school teacher and
Corry's an accountant with Koppers in Pittsburgh, PA. Both are members of the Greensburg
Church of Christ.
FORWARDING AGENTS
Many of you have asked, "Just exactly what's a forwarding agent (FA) anyway?" Well, their
responsibilities are numerous and we missionaries don't know what we'd do without them.
They serve as our connection and resource persons in the States -- especially while we're
overseas. All of our monies are sent to them and they in turn getacheck(s) to us on a monthly/
bi-monthly basis. They do our banking here at home, pay any bills we might have and do our
income taxes. Thanks, Corry! He does such a good job! They receive our mail and forward it
to us (along with various other things). Last, but not least, they send out our thank you's and
receipts and are available to help in any way they can.
FACTS & FIGURES ON THE PHILIPPINES
Did you know?
There are 7,000 Islands total in the Philippines?
It's the only predominately Catholic (80%) Asian country?
Thirty-four of the 70 minor languages there STILL need transla
tors?
In 1984, the minimum wage was under $2.00 a day and the average
family size is eight?
The Philippines are now one of the most open and receptive countries
in Asia to the gospel?
And we want to be there! Our plans are to go in November of this year and devote
the first full year to learning the language. And then the second and third years to
further developing home Biblestudies and discipleship programs. (Mean
ing a full three-year term before we'd come back home on furlough.) We'll
be going to the island of Palawan in Southwest
region of the Visayas Province.
MEET
Eldon and Sue Potts. He's the
founder and director of Christ To The
Nations (CTN) Ministries. She's secre
tary. It began in 1979. Eldon's a '77
graduate of Ozark Bible College and
both are members of the Park Plaza
Christian Church in Joplin, MO. Atthis
time, CTN sponsors 10 native Filipino
evangelists among many other
ministries. We'll be their first Ameri
can missionary couple working full
time in the Philippines. Although we'll
be CTN's representatives in the Philip
pines, we'll be on our own in establish
ing a new work.
OUR IMMEDIATE PLANS
JULY 5 take a 2-week intensified "how to" lan
guage learning course with Professor
Brewster at Fuller Theological Seminary
(FTS) in Pasadena, CA.
JULY 20 begin a 3-month discipling internship
at Christian Encounter Ministries (OEM) in
Grass Valley, CA to gain practical "hands on"
experience in how to disciple.*
Disciple literally means learner. We want to be
able to teach and show others (by example) how to
follow Christ.
We can be reached at the following address July
20 - October 20: Mike and Joann Noel
17183 Retrac Way
Grass Valley, CA 95945
All checks can continue to be made out to us and
sent in care of our FA's, the Shefflers. Those
wishing tax deduction should make checks
payable to Greensburg Church of Christ and des
ignated for us.
PRAY AND PRAISE
I Thessalonlans 5:16-18
1. Thank God for your continued
financial and emotional sup
port!
2. Ask God that we might learn
quickly and adjust well to all the
new things we'll be exposed to
in California. Andthatwe'll trust
God more and more to meet our
needs.
Belote you move, please send ine mailing label below, along wild a copy ol your new aodress 10
MISSION SERVICES ASSOCIATION. P O Box 2427. Knoxville. TN 37901-2427
Mission Services
PO Box 2427
Knoxville, TN 37901-2427
ADDRESS CORRECTtOM REQUESTED
Non Pfolil Org.
U.S Postage
PAID
Knoxville. TN
37901-2427
Permit 374
FROM MIKE & JOANN NOEL
^uire zoK
S^seville, ^o. B56t8
3^^
Horizons
^ Research Dept.
Box 2^27
Knoxville, TN 37901
m-mfdm.
u s POSTAGE
PAIO
CSTRUS HEIGHTS. CA
PERMIT HO 35
Dear friends.
Seasons Greetings to all of you from the Noelsl Our 2 ;vk. intensive
at Fuller tnis summer went extremely well. The LAMP method has been proye/v^
eifective to us. And Mike and I've retained alot of the texts we learned
me in Cantonese and he in Spanish. As a matter of fact, I now have a very
dear cninese friend, named Xiu Bing, who was my language helper while we
were in tne LA area. .7e came away very excited about the LAMP method.
Mike and I left from triere and headed up to Grass Valley Jy. 20 to
begin our 3 mo. internship with Christian Encounter Ministries, //hen
their brochure states that 'an internsnip is a life changing experience'
they aren't kidding! Prov. 19:21 says 'many are the plans in a man's
heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails'. This has surely been
the case with us. Most of you already heard by now that Mike_
an^'T have changed our plans and are following God's direction to stay
In Calif.
Soon after our arrival at CEI'4, we began meeting with Don Moore, Dir;
of Internships, once a wk. for our discipling. Almost immediately it
oecame apparent through our conversations and test results (ail interns are
required to take, such as personality, temperment type, marriage enrich
ment, etc. ) that Mike and I didn't know each other as well as we should
after al.most p yrs. of marriage. And also that we aidn't know how to
communicate very well. To the staff, it was obvious that we weren't ready
to go to the Philippines for those very reasons and tnat we needed to be
able to devote more time d^rictly to our marriage. They pointed out tnat
even before Mike and I got married we directed most of our energies and
attention to getting out on the missions field. In so doing, we've neglecXc^
our responsibilities to each other as husband and wife* Also through
personal counselling that I sought, I*ve disco.vered that I need to
how to love and accept myself more in order to overcome past hurts and
disappointments.
I guess we were already aware of these tnings but didn't knov/ exactly
how to go about changing them until we came out here* ;Ve*re so grateful
for Christian brothers and sisters who were willing to confront and ad
monish usdisciple us in the purest sense of the word.
At first v/e refused to believe it wasn't God's will for us to go to
tne Philippines untilslowly we began to see for ourselves they were right.
In all honesty we could say we'd probably do more harm than good trying to
pret~end. nothing was -the matter. -Being faoed with the added pressures and
stresses of living in a foreign country could've been devastating. Now
we feel that God's spared us from possibly even more painful experiences.
It was a very difficult decision to makeone we struggled with and
cried over for mos. But finanly we decided our marriage and our happiness
was important enough that we had to stay here and work on them.
Ve found an apt. in Poseville which is ifO mi.,from Grass Valley and
only 20 min. out of Sacramento. .Ve're close enough to GEM that we can go
back once a wk. for cont'd, discipling. The da. after our internship was
over,Mike got a job as a laborer to a mason, who by the way is a Christian.
And CEK had a vehicle available to sell to us. We've joined the San Juan
Church of Christ. Mike Cook's the minister. He's a grad. of Ozark Bible
College and knov;s Eldon Potts. A real nice fellow. God IS taking care of
us'.
We don't fully understand all that's happened to us or why but,we're
confident-that-Goii wants us-kere. We've no further plans to go to the
Philippines but,will always be open to that possibility.
We want to again remind our mo. supporters that they should discon
tinue supporting us financially.
Please, please if you've any questions let us know about it I All
correspondence should be mailed directly to us instead of the Shefflers
now. Our address is: 316 Berkeley Ave. Apt. A Roseville, CA 95678. And
our phone no. is: (916) 786-0131*
.Ve love you all I God bless you'. .Ve appreciate youl
Sincerely,