One Step at a Time - December/January 2021/22
Dear friends and family,
We are in the middle of a series on Esther at our local assembly here in North Augusta, SC, something which has been a great encouragement to my heart. Esther could’ve been bitter or angry with God – losing her parents at such a young age, to be suddenly thrown into a wicked king’s harem, and then faced with the destruction of her people unless she did the unthinkable. Her constant desire for excellence, perseverance, and courage in the face of imminent threat, is inspirational. God may not be mentioned by the author, yet His hand is ever present. Her faith in God may not have been outspoken, yet His power in her cannot be overlooked. Pondering on this, I often think about how the great heroes in the Bible did not know what awaited them, yet they kept their faith alive and continued to do good.
I’ve often noticed how the Christian life is much like having a dim lantern in one’s hand on a dark and stormy night. We cannot see but a step ahead of us, and we don’t know what dangerous animals or precipices may await. If we knew what lay ahead, we might not have the heart to continue. Yet, by the dim light we follow the path laid before us, trusting that He who has led us safely thus far, will cause us to arrive safely in the end. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28, ESV).
(Pictured: A popular image we created a while back with one of my favorite quotes)
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We are so grateful to always share with you all the things God has been doing in and through us, and it always feels like there is so much more to say than can be written in such a short piece. That said, here are a few highlights.
December/January Recap: Over the month of December, I was blessed to give a Christmas series at our local assembly called “The Ugliest Family Tree”. We wove through the stories of Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary – all named in Christ’s genealogy. In early January, we gave the first two in a series on Church History at another assembly in the area, a topic which most of you know I am so very passionate about bringing to life.
After this, we flew down to the Miami area to visit a pair of English-speaking churches, then preaching at the yearly conference for the Spanish-speaking churches in the area. In the end, it had to be done via ZOOM and only partially in person, but with over 100 in attendance at each meeting, the leadership happily noted that it surpassed any previous numbers! We were asked to speak on several secondary doctrines, including Dispensationalism, Calvinism and Eschatology, looking specifically at the possible dangers of extremism, legalism, and the damage to our unity with these types of doctrines.
(Pictured: With Pastor Jose and his wife, one of the main organizers of the Spanish-speaking conference in the Miami area)
Coming Up: As mentioned previously, we are in the middle of a series on the book of Esther, and we pray it’s truly enriching to the believers who hear it. We also will soon be continuing with the aforementioned Church History series at another chapel in the area.
Next month, aside from continuing with our regular itinerant ministry to nearby assemblies, we will be taking a trip to Phoenix and Tucson, AZ for some 10 days. In April, we had planned on making a trip to Mexico for a month to visit several cities and churches, but with the fear of C*VID roaring back, the believers there said it would be best to postpone. Therefore, we quickly changed gears and are now scheduled to visit at least two English-speaking assemblies in the New Jersey area (planning is still in progress) and several Spanish-speaking assemblies in NYC.
(Pictured: Speaking at a midweek meeting at Boulevard Bible Chapel in FL)
The rest of our 2022 schedule is nearly full, aside from a few Sundays here and there, for which we are very thankful! We are especially excited about speaking at some 4 different camps across the country this Summer (SC, GA, NM, and WA), as we always enjoy the opportunity to share God’s love and glory with youth. One of the big holes in our calendar is October, and it looks like God may be leading us to do something truly groundbreaking during that month; we are prayerfully considering this, and will let you know as the Lord guides.
Genesis’ Outreach: Late last year, Genesis decided to start working part-time at Starbucks, to help her improve her English (which is nearly perfect now!), as well as to better understand liberal young people and their mindset. I can’t tell you how beneficial this has been to both of us, and it seems like every day she is coming home with a new story of God’s leading and grace. They all know she is a Christian and, for a lack of a better name, call her “the Pastor’s wife”, with her boss even referring to her as the “light” in their store.
(Pictured: Genesis working the bar - as always - at the local Starbucks. Joyful despite masks still being obligatory.)
A couple weeks ago, half a dozen of her coworkers accepted an invite to see Redeeming Love at the movie theater with her, with many tearing up during the film. If you haven’t seen it, it may be one of the best Christian movies we’ve ever seen (based on Francine Rivers' book, and with her serving as the main screenwriter). This is just one of the positive experiences Genesis has had at her workplace, as she looks to be a light in a truly dark place.
Of course, she’s always quite involved with everything in our ministry, including helping with message prep., spearheading much of the multi-media and the marketing of our books, while also speaking from time to time when asked to do so. She is also such a great host and a wonderful cook, and she’s always looking for opportunities to invite other people to our home. She is a gift from the Lord and a constant encouragement to me!
(Pictured: Celebrating our 4-Year anniversary with this beauty last month in Greenville, SC)
New Car(s)! Once we had bought a home here in SC (an incredible story in and of itself!), we were quietly praying for the Lord to help us replace our old-yet-faithful SUV. As many of you know, the used car market has skyrocketed, and we wondered what we could possibly afford. In the middle of this process, several incredible things happened.
First off, a sister from our chapel gifted us a car that had been sitting for a few years, being eager to see it used for good. Despite it needing quite a bit of work, and being nearly 30 years old, it had extremely low mileage and a fantastic motor. With the lots of help from a brother in our chapel, we got it back into shape (and even repainted!), and the hope is that it will serve as a good second car for us, while being specifically set apart to be used by family members and missionaries needing a vehicle in the area (something we have often had a hard time finding when travelling in the US short-term). I learned so much and enjoyed the project so, that I might even consider doing it again (thanks Wayne!).
While looking to sell our trusty old SUV, we suddenly got bad news. The transmission was going out and was not worth replacing, meaning we’d have to basically scrap it. Dejected and with the used car market continuing to skyrocket, we pressed on, praying secretly to the Lord to provide for us.
Out of the blue, a massive donation was made to us, with the specific instruction of buying a new or almost new car! We were absolutely dumbfounded by this and thanked the Lord for answering our prayers. Upon seeking the best advice and helped incredibly by the owner of a dealership in town who has ties to our assemblies, we purchased a new SUV. The incredibly generous donation helped us cover over half of the expense and helped us get exactly what we needed – size, mpg, mileage – with the whole ordeal surpassing our wildest dreams. Praise the Lord!
(Pictured: Moments after buying a new SUV, standing with brother Wayne who helped us immensely throughout - with mechanical help on the older car and then with this purchase)
Prayer Requests:
- Praise the Lord with us for the provision of a much-needed pair of vehicles for us in such a remarkable way!
- That the Lord would be exalted in all we do as we prepare for upcoming trips and preaching opportunities near and far
- For Genesis to continue shining a strong light for Jesus among her coworkers, so thankful for the great rapport she has built up already
- That the C*VID situation will lift, that the general fear will abate, allowing Spanish-speaking churches to reopen and regain much lost time and ground
- That the Lord would clearly and powerfully direct us as we think about a possibly massive project sometime in the future
We so appreciate your prayers, comments, and encouragement. We couldn’t do this alone!
Blessings,
Christopher and Genesis Mattix
