Buczak Buzz~July 2009

Many people have asked us when we are leaving for Togo. We thought we’d share with you a tentative timeline. Our ideal timeline would be to have 100% of our support and leave for language school in France in the fall of 2012. There we’ll study French for two years, and then arrive in Togo in the fall of 2014. Our terms on the field will be four years at a time and our furloughs will be one year. Our language school in France will count toward our first term, so only two years of our first term will be spent in Togo. We plan to begin visiting churches this fall sharing our vision for Togo and seeking prayer and financial partners. If you know of a church that would be interested in being a part of our ministry, please let us know and we’d be happy to schedule a time to share at that church.

In our last letter, one of our prayer requests was that we were planning to start a Bible study for unbelievers in our apartment. We sent invitations to all of the residents in our complex. We had one faithful believing attendee and two others who came when they could. We finished The Story of Hope put out by ABWE with this group and will begin The Truth Project by Focus on the Family on July 7th. Overall, this adventure has been a great blessing of fellowship with other believers in our apartments as well as an opportunity for all of us to grow together as we share the teachings of the Word of God.

We had an interesting opportunity arise out of the invitations to our last Bible Study. One of our invitations made it back to our door with a note on the back that said, “We’re sorry we will not make it to your Bible study, but we’d be happy to teach you if you’d like to learn about Islam.” We jumped at the opportunity! When we met with Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Smith (Kyle is a convert from “Christianity” to Islam) the first time, we asked them questions about Islam. The second time we met with them, we shared with them why we differ from them, and why we felt that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was so important. Muslims don’t believe Jesus actually died, but they do believe that he is alive now. We were able to give a clear presentation of the gospel. Since that second meeting, we have not met with them again. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would direct us as to when would be a good time to meet with them again. Also pray for Kyle and his wife that God would work in their hearts to see past the lie that the prince of this world has them bound to.

On our blog recently, we ask for prayer concerning the cost of our apartment. We put in our notice with the apartment and told them that the reason we were leaving was because the apartment cost too much. Recently, our manager (who also happens to be a former classmate of SB’s from Tacoma Baptist Schools) called us up and asked us if we’d like to renew our lease for $200 less per month. Don’t you know that our Lord is in control! Needless to say, we renewed.

Lastly, please pray for us as we work on our ministry literature. Every time we sit down to work on it, we hit a wall. It’s almost like working on a resume. If you’re good with words, we could really, really use your help.

As always, thank you for the blessing you are to us! We thank the Lord for the fellowship we have with you in all the different corners of our lives!

Prayer Requests and Praises

Pray that we would have the organization and discipline to get our pre-field ministry off the ground and running.

Pray for that our study in the Truth Project would honor and glorify God.

Pray that our lives would glorify God and that we would continue to walk faithfully with Him.

Pray for Kyle Smith and his wife that God would open their hearts to the Truth.

Praise the Lord that our study in the Story of Hope went well.

Immediate Needs

Tri-fold brochure graphic design and funding.

Projector for church presentations.

A dedicated prayer and encouragement team.

In Christ,

Ryan, Stephanie and Leslie

PS. Our prayer card has been completed. If you would like a copy of it, please email me your mailing address and I'll be happy to send one to you.

Oh Magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his Name together. Psalm 34:3

Going to Harrisburg

We will be travelling again to Harrisburg this weekend for evangelism and discipleship training with ABWE. Please pray for us as we travel. Especially pray for Leslie that she will be good on the plane. She has been very cranky lately with her teething.

Also, Ryan has been sent home all week with a lack of work at his job. Please pray that God would provide for us and that we would learn to trust him during this time. Ryan has already missed four days this week and will miss four more with our trip to Harrisburg.

Leslie Has Moved

We have been noticing that this blog has turned from being about our ministry to Togo to Leslie's little baby book. So, we kicked her out. From now on if you want to see pictures of Leslie, you'll have to go to buczaklittlebuzz.blogspot.com.

Love you Sweet Pea!

Buzz Report

I thought I'd post our prayer card. It's all ready to send to the printer. Next we'll be working on our trifold pamphlet... I'm having trouble deciding what to put on it... It will come to me.

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Also, you'll probably read about this in our next prayer letter, but we need to find a new apartment. Our current apartment is pricey at $995 per month and they want to raise the price to $1200. Too much if you ask me. Please pray that we'll find someplace reasonable around here.

Our Bible study is going well. We have 3 regular attendees who are all believers. It has been nice to see the lights come on in one particular attendee as we look at the big picture of the Bible. The Old Testament has real importance to the New Testament. It's been fun to see some of those connections click in his mind. What a privilege it has been for us to be a part of this growth in his life.

Thanks for your prayers!

The Buczaks

Breaking News: Celebrity Swine Flu Fatality

And we all know who gave it to him…

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This was a forwarded email from a friend. SB

Buczak Buzz~April 2009

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3

What's the Buzz?

It’s been almost two years since our internship trip to Togo, West Africa. In that two years Ryan finished his flight training, we have moved to Everett, Washington, had a baby girl, and were appointed with ABWE to serve the Lord full time in Togo.

Appointed. March 9-16 we attended missionary candidate training seminar with ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) in Harrisburg, PA. Monday, March 16th we went before the board and were appointed to serve as church-planting missionaries in Togo, West Africa.

We are excited about ministry opportunities available in Togo. In December, the airplane that Ryan worked on during our internship trip flew for the first time in over ten years! To date, there is an airstrip, hangar, and airplane ready and waiting for a missionary pilot. We and two other pilot families are on our way to Togo to put the plane to good use. The ultimate purpose of the plane will be to plant churches in regions that may never otherwise have the privilege of “exalting His name together” with us.

Aviation. Here in Everett, Ryan works full-time as an aircraft mechanic. He got just the job he was looking for gaining experience on small piston aircraft. He will have more than enough maintenance hours required by ABWE by the time we leave for Togo. However, since he received his commercial pilot license last June, he hasn’t had many opportunities to fly. Before we can leave for Togo, he needs to have 100 more hours to reach the 400 hour requirement.

What’s Next? Well, as missionaries it is time to start raising support. We are on what is known as pre-field ministry. In the weeks and months to come we will be preparing literature, scheduling church meetings, and inviting partners to join us in the ministry. Our goal is to spend 2 to 3 years in pre-field ministry, 1½ to 2 years in France for language school, and be in Togo within the next 5 years—all-the-while realizing that it is the Lord who directs our steps.

Would you pray for us as we begin this new chapter in our lives? It is our desire above all that God is glorified in every step we take. Please pray that the Lord would teach us, strengthen us, and use us, not just in pre-field ministry, but in every area of our lives.

Thank your for the investments you have made in us. May our Lord bless you in His ministry.

Prayer Requests and Praises:
· Pray that we would have the organization and discipline to get our pre-field ministry off the ground and running.
· Pray that God would raise up a team dedicated to seeing the lost come to know the Lord in Togo.
· Pray for us as we begin a Bible study in our apartment complex.
· Praise that we were accepted with ABWE as missionaries.
· Praise that we have a beautiful, healthy little girl.

Immediate Needs:
· Prayer card graphic design and funding.
· Tri-fold brochure graphic design and funding.
· Projector for church presentations.
· A dedicated prayer and encouragement team.

If you would like to be added to our letter list via snail mail or email, please let me know. SB

Better go eat

I have some great pictures of Leslie I want to post, but I've been working on our prayer letter so much that I shouldn't actually even be writing this. Baby is asleep and I just realized how hungry I am! Stay tuned for a prayer letter and some great pictures.