Leaving for Latvia in One Week

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to get the word out that we are flying to Latvia May 9 - next Wednesday! We are encouraged by the vision God has given us to go long term to Latvia in order to reach the lost, equip disciples and glorify God in church planting. If you haven't checked our blog lately, perhaps www.powers-latvia.blogspot.com is to hard to remember, so we have a new website that should be easier to remember: www.calvarylatvia.com and from their you can find the latest news and information about what God is doing with us in Latvia.

If you are in the Monterey Bay area, we hope to see you before we go. PLEASE BE A PART OF SENDING OUT YOUR LONG TERM MISSIONARIES THIS WEEK:

• Wednesday night (May 1) Brenten will be at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay service from 6 to 9
  
• Saturday the CCMB church picnic at Toro Park from noon to 4pm, we will be there to fellowship and share about our mission. There will also be a book for you to share encouragements for when things get tough in Latvia and a video so you can share your heart/prayers/encouragement which we can watch on DVD when we get home sick.
  
• Sunday at CCMB We are dedicating our daughter Lily Grace Powers to the Lord during 2nd or 3rd service and our pastors will briefly pray for our family as they dedicate our whole family to the mission field. Between services, I/we will be in the kiosk between services giving out prayer cards and saying farewell to our home church. ):
  
• Monday night at 7 is the last Missions Prayer Fellowship that I will be able to attend. This group continues to meet monthly to lift up the prayer requests of all the missionaries that CCMB supports.
  
• Wednesday morning we are flying out of SFO and will spend 18 hours in the air plus stops in Chicago and Poland before landing in Riga Latvia Thursday May 10 at 1:55pm
  

Thank you to those of you who have decided to support us financially, Your monthly and one time gifts are going to help us get to the mission field and keep us there to make a long term difference to further the gospel. (By the way, if you want to make automatic monthly donations for our mission, CCMB has a credit card authorization form that you can fill out and drop in the offering on Sunday morning. If writing a check, make it payable to Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay and on a separate note mention you'd like to support the Powers in Latvia.)

Finally, don't forget to keep us in your prayers. In Acts 13 when men of God prayed, the Holy Spirit spoke and said, "Set apart Paul and Barnabus for the work to which I have called them" Then they prayed more, laid hands on them and sent them out on the missionary journey. It's the same with us this week, God is saying it's time for us to go and it's time for you to send us with your prayers. Lets all be faithful to do our part in fulfilling the great commission in obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

For His glory,
Brenten, Lena, Caleb and Lily Powers
Missionaries to Latvia

Need a car? (UPDATE: SOLD MAY 8)

We are trying to be good stewards and sell our possessions here, hoping to make enough to buy a similar car in Latvia. Cars are not cheaper in Latvia, in fact, they cost more because they are usually imported from Germany. So we have placed the following ad at craigs list.

1995 Toyota Camry LE 4 door 187,200 miles Good condition. - $3250

Nice family car, low gas mileage, cruise control, automatic windows, locks, comfortable and in good condition, everything works excellent. Well maintained, just tuned up, new starter motor,some dings and scratches, needs new antenna for radio. Kenwood CD player with removable face, 2 cup holders.

You can buy it now at Kelly Blue book price ($3,250) or best offer by May 9. When you buy our car, you are helping Christian missionaries move to Latvia (see www.calvarylatvia.com ). Ask us about tax deductible donations if interested. Call us at (831) 261-1944.

Departure date is set

Hey everyone,
Today we bought our airplane tickets to fly to Latvia on May 9 at 1:55pm. The trip is with LOT Polish airlines from San Francisco to Chicago to Warsaw to Riga. Time in the air is 18 hours. It ended up costing about 800 per adult and 600 per child.

Also today, we started packing our bags to move out of our house. Some generous friends are letting us stay in their furnished condo in Salinas for the next 2 weeks so that we can clear out all our possessions. We will be posting items for sale on www.monterey.craigslist.org

Also on the schedule...

• April 26 - Should receive the last of our documents needed to apply for visas.
• April 28 - 8:00 - Brenten leading worship and devotion at CCMB men's prayer meeting
• April 28 - 10:00 Garage Sale at our house in Marina
• May 2 - Date to be totally out of the house and get deposit back
• May 4 - Latvian Independence day (national holiday)
• May 5 - Our official "send off" from CCMB's church picnic at Toro park
• May 6 - Our last Sunday service at CCMB
• May 7 - Our last Monthly Missions prayer meeting at the Giles house in Marina.
• May 9 - 10 - Flying to Latvia

Please keep us in your prayers. There has been many bureaucratic delays to get our visas but the Lord never late. If we don't have time to get our visas, we can still move to Latvia ad then apply from there but that is our plan B - the Lord's will be done. We believe that Jesus is sending us out at this time with His authority to reach many Latvians and Russians with His word. "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me, therefore GO" (Matthew 28)

April Prayer Requests

1. Praise God for confirming the home/place of ministry for us in Ogre, Latvia and for the miracles he did on Brenten's recent trip
2. Pray for favor from the Latvian government as we apply for residency permits now.
3. Pray for our family to have peace in the storm as we prepare to move May 6.
4. Pray for our relationships as we say good bye to friends and relatives until Christmas 2008. That good communication will continue after we move.

30 Day Notice

Today, we gave our 30 day notice to our landlord that we will be moving out by May 2, 2007.

THIS PLACE IS NOT OUR HOME

This was a real step of faith for us because we have lived in this house for over 2 years and giving notice means leaving the comfort and security that comes from calling a place home.
How many people will never venture out in faith because it is so hard to leave the comfort and security of their "home"? Our real home is heaven. We are just pilgrams passing through the earth seeking to be good stewards of our possessions. We are called to walk by faith like those in Hebrews 11, not clinging to the things of this world but seeking first the kingdom of God, and all the things that we need (food clothing and covering over our heads) willl be added to us.

Busy but good to be home

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Have I been home a week already? I'm still catching up with the fast paced American life! Life doesn't slow down when you have jet-lag either. (:

• I got home safely Tuesday night, tired but happy to see my wife again.



• Wednesday I got stay home with my wife and kids,



• Thursday and Friday back to work at A&B Fire systems,



• Saturday my parents were visiting from Southern California.



• Today, we attended Sunday services at CC Monterey Bay and then a baptism in the afternoon, followed by catching up with emails while the kids napped.



• Tomorrow, at 5am I begin another 40+ hour work week.



• Tuesday evening friends are gathering to hear about the trip and to pray for Latvia.



• By the end of the week I hope to have all our important documents together to take to Sacramento to get a special "apostille" seal that the Latvian government will recognise.



• Next Saturday is Caleb's 4th Birthday party.
• Next Sunday I will be speaking at Calvary Chapel Santa Cruz

My life is so busy here. I have to remember to put God first and balance family, work and church activity. My wife is still tired from spending 24/7 with the kids. Please pray for strength and wisdom now, because there is so much to do and so little time and it seems like either my family or my health suffers from too much busy-ness and not enough rest. I am starting to realize I have so many friends here but so little time to spend with everybody.

God's word for tonight is "Be still and know that I am God."

On the way home

Hey everyone, I am finally on my way home from Latvia. We hope to share with you about my final day in Latvia, getting the rental agreement and invitation letter from Ogre and then driving to the immigration center in Riga to begin the bureaucratic process of getting a missionary residence permit (like a visa). Looking back on the trip, I think it was very fruitful in many ways.

1. We have a house to live in starting in May.
2. We have been invited officially to do missionary work in the country.
3. My Russian speaking improved by God's grace
4. Churches in Ogre and Liepaja were strengthened in their faith
5. The gospel was preached
6. God was glorified in songs
7. God gave more vision and specific scripture confirming our direction
8. I was healed of a stomach virus in the middle of teaching
9. Many of our books and my guitar is now waiting for us in Latvia
10. Your prayers were answered

Now I am looking forward to seeing my family again. I also hope to sharing with my home church Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay and with Calvary Chapel Santa Cruz, who will also support us prayerfully and financially.