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From: BBtJ.org(Bring
Back the Joy)
Mark & Virginia Lane Bolzern
149 Rainbow Drive, Unit 4971
Livingston, TX 77399-1049
USA
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To:
Friends and Family on the net |
| BBtJ.org
January 2004 Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
As this year draws to a close, we reflect on
the many changes that have occurred in our lives. If you've been
following our journey, you know that both of us are now students at Charis Bible College in
Colorado Springs. Our adventures can be read in
Virginia's Journal on the web.
Since our last newsletter,
we have continued
to grow and stretch. We've been learning to relate to people in an
expanded way during classes and fellowship. As we meet people, it's
great to share our testimony. Someone recently asked Mark if he could
perform a wedding ceremony later in this spring. In answer, we don't
yet have credentials.
In early
November, Mark attended a three day Men's Advance which was a retreat
designed to give men time to bond with God and other men through
praise, teaching and recreation. The majority of the male students
attended plus other guests. While the men were gone, the women students
enjoyed a morning brunch and seminar with Karen
Duncan, Director of
Pastor Care for Women at New
Life Church, as the speaker. Both
activities were inspiring and uplifting.
Our next adventure is coming up in a few
days. Thirty-two excited students, apprentices and faculty are
preparing for the upcoming Mission trip to Ciudad Victoria,
Mexico,
January 10-16. Each of us will be expected to give a brief testimony
and also to be prepared with a short message on another topic.
Although interpreters will be with each
group, we have been taking an interactive Spanish class offered by
Jalen Waltman, the wife of one of the CBC students. Instead of focusing
on conjugating verbs, the method is to learn by listening and hearing
words used in a series of stories made up by the teacher and students.
Emphasis is on comprehension. Among other things, we can now say, "She
is prettier than Julia Roberts” and “He is more intelligent than Bart
Simpson." We’re not quite sure how that relates to the Gospel, but it’s
a start!
After we get back from this mission trip, we
will look forward to “Expand Your Vision” and another “Men's Advance”
(see the upcoming calendar section). Any of our
readers are invited to
attend these with us (there is a minor cost). You are also invited to
be our
guests, and take in a day’s classes (for free) with us on any day of
your choosing (8am-12 M-F). Just let us know you are coming! We are
confident in God's blessings for all our friends and family in the New
Year.
Thank you for standing by us during our preparation time!
Love, Mark and Virginia
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Mark & Virginia standing with Bussie and her new
Dish
Calendar
of Upcoming
Events
Feb 12-14: CBC Expand Your Vision: Refresh
yourself with fellow believers at the exciting nightly meetings with Andrew Wommack. See how
God is using CBC as a practical training center
to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. This is an
opportunity to meet with instructors, alumni, students and staff.
Discover their heart and vision for the Gospel and the school. For info
call CBC at 719-635-6029.
March 4-6 CBC Men’s Advance: This event
is not a retreat, but an advance, an opportunity
for men to get away and leap forward (advance) their lives. Its perfect
for any man wanting an improved spiritual walk with their Lord, their
families, other men and their church. Get away from all
the distractions that keep you from knowing God as you’d like. Join
with other men who are passionate about developing their ability to
hear the Lord and his will for their lives. Get to know the Lord as
what he actually is, your best friend. You’ll never be the same. Bring
a group from your church, build relationships that can carry back to
your congregation and advance it because the team backing up the pastor
works better together. For info call CBC at 719-635-6029
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Mark & Virginia continue to disciple
a family
that has not
yet given permission to share their names and pictures with the their
testimony. It has been very rewarding to become part of their lives,
sharing the Gospel and to see the progress they are making. What got
their attention in the first place was the several times that we laid
on hands and commanded healing for various issues they had, that the
healing manifested within 48 hours for each case. We also asked if they
would be interested in doing the Discipleship Evangelism study with us,
and participate with us in other activities. The purpose was to give
their minds focus on the one thing (God as revealed in his word) that
could change their lives. The past 2 1/2 months has been life changing
for them and for us. They have now begun attending church and have been
water baptized at their request. Love is starting to play a big part in
their lives. After 13 years of drugs & fighting, they now have
hope, and been clean for more than twice as long as ever before, clean
since a week after we befriended them. It hasn't been easy for them or
for us; there have been ups and downs. But it’s been worth it. We
salute them for perseverance and receiving God's grace. You know who
you are! Mark and I look forward to continuing DE with this family and
others whom God brings. We are continually amazed at how God uses us.
This is one of many things that convicts us of how every true
believer can make a difference, if they’ll just step out in faith
and do it.
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Over the last
several years Virginia has corresponded and ministered to many people
via email, via our website and
via the telephone. Helping people
is a source of inspiration for us, and will remain an ongoing part of
our ministry wherever God takes us. This is why the Internet link and
our cell phones are so crucial. Here are a few unsolicited comments:
Brenda P: Wow, what an
article you wrote. I printed it out and praise God you've accomplished
some real positive things this year. What an example you are to others
and I treasure the things you say. It encourages me in my goals. I Love
you
Carol B: I'm glad you
included me on your mailing list about the new adventure you and Mark
have embarked upon. I’m looking forward to your updates. I know one
thing: you are going to be way busy with your class work, studying,
preparing for mission trips AND e-mailing people. At least e-mail is
quicker and easier than snail mail. (Do I hear an Amen!)I'll be praying
for your health and stamina as well
as for all you will be learning as you return to student hood again.
God bless you both.
Marion B: Thanks for the update. I'm so happy for
you that your house sold and you're going to
Charis College. I started watching Andrew Wommack on Daystar. I really
like him. He doesn't yell like most televangelists. He's so nice. And
I'm hearing the most amazing things. I didn't know that life on earth
could be nice. I thought it was supposed to be full of suffering. And
we've all had our share of suffering these last few years, haven't we!!
Carolee W: It is soooo
cool to hear what you're doing and how you're doing. I read it to Tom
and said, "It's like getting a Christmas letter EVERY MONTH.”
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Page Two-------Ministry Enhancements:
When we first moved into "Bussie," it was to become debt free and
portable, as God told us to do.
However, when Mark started to
give up computers which had been his life for so long, God let us know
not to do it. As long as we put Him first these skills are useful to
what he wants us to do. God also let us know that we need to have
reliable, portable and relatively fast internet connectivity to
continue developing the ministry that Virginia has been doing via Email
and on our website, and to continue publishing newsletters Email,
postal & on the BBtJ.org site.
Apparently there are not enough
technology literate ministers leveraging what’s available for good, to
reach people. If any of you or the organizations you belong to would
like to consult with Mark on technology and technical matters, please
see Mark’s online resume
and then call or Email.
It is clear that we need to stay in touch with everyone
who supports us in
any way, regardless of where we are parked. We have attempted a number
of low cost and portable Internet connection solutions; none have been
satisfactory. As you know we were out of service for several weeks
after we sold our house,
having to go to Kinkos for an Internet
connection. Then we got the high-speed data connection from Sprint
working across our cell phones; we’ve been using that for the last
several months. It was slower than implied; there were an amazing
number of places where it doesn’t work.
As we write this segment during our holiday break, we
are outside MotoSat in Salt
Lake City. We have stepped out on faith and bought a $15,000 industrial
quality satellite Internet system for the bus. This dish does not
receive satellite TV; it’s not for entertainment and we don’t have time
for TV anyway. The company gave us a deal because Mark has the skills
to help them with beta testing; they are giving it to us for $8600
including taxes. It will automatically find and connect with the
satellite for bi-directional data anywhere we park Bussie in North
America, from Alaska & Canada all the way south into Mexico. The
ongoing cost is $115/mo for the data service. If you have any interest
in helping to pay for this and other expenses, please feel free to do
so. If not, no problem! God will supply via those he speaks to about it.
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Support?
Some people were offended that we asked for
financial support for our CBC mission
trip in the September
newsletter.
At the same time many of you were supportive and even contributed, Thank
You! Others have asked us how they can further support us in our
ministry, some even preferring to support a fledgling ministry because
it takes so much less money to make a difference than it would in a
larger ministry. This newsletter costs to publish; it’s purpose is to
communicate with any interested party, whether they support us
financially or not. If supporting us is a byproduct of the newsletter,
that’s great; if not, that’s between you and God. We assume you are
supporting other endeavors closer to you that God leads you to support.
Feel free to ask us to take you off our list if what we are doing does
not interest you.
God provides seed, and
encourages giving, planting into good soil. (Check out Luke
6:38). Seed
is not just money; it's also everything in God's word: prayer, love,
care, encouragement, etc. When people give with Joy they also in time
reap a harvest that God provides. It takes time for seed to grow.
Planted in bad soil; Bad or No harvest! Read Mark
chapter 4. It’s just
like an investment! Judge wisely. We realize there are many charities,
all of which need support. How do you determine what is good soil? Ask
God about it in prayer. Then meditate on it. One good guideline is to
give where you are fed. Another is to give to those you see making a
real difference that lines up with God’s word (the Bible) as you (not
someone else) read it. God speaks to anyone who wants/learns to listen.
What’s more important than direct guidance from God?
It would be selfish not to
give people an opportunity to be blessed for seeding into our ministry.
We do not want to make same mistake Apostle Paul did in not accepting
support from the Corinthian church (
II Cor 12:13-16). He felt he had
to apologize! God established a system for financing the ministry.
Those who support, share in the anointing on those supported, and the
credit for what is accomplished. PLUS the opportunity to have their
seed multiplied back to them (Luke
6:38). If we don’t ask/allow support
we deprive any potential supporters of this blessing from God for their
lives. We trust God to cover the expenses for anything he asks us to
do, and we prefer that those who don't want to give keep their money.
If it’s not joyfully given from the heart, it won't garner a harvest
for you. We are doing our best see to it that our ministry is good soil
deserving of seed. We trust God for a great harvest that we cannot yet
see for both you and us. If you'd like to be a monthly partner that
would be great, give once that's great too, or just to be a friend in
prayer...that's more valuable than money!
We do not currently have a
way to make donations to BBtJ.org tax
deductible. We hope that this can be
remedied within the year.
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all the appropriate options below, tear off, and return this coupon to
the Reply address at the top or
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