The world looks really different since the last time we wrote. But God is still at work!
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Dear friends,

It’s good to be able to greet you from quarantine! We pray that you are well and that you have all that you need in this time of uncertainty.

We know the current circumstances are affecting many of you. How can we be praying for you?

So much of life looks different these days, and that’s true for us as well as for all of you. Though Zoom has been a regular tool for us for the last several years, it has taken on a whole new level of importance. We used it for several meetings a week, but now it’s part of church attendance, prayer meeting attendance, and this past weekend a virtual birthday party for my Mom!

One thing that hasn’t changed is God’s mission. We may feel that so much of reality is on pause or even thwarted, but part of our calling as missionaries is to look expectantly for what God is doing in the midst of the upheaval. And we’re seeing that he’s doing a lot. A few examples from around the Americas:

  • In Honduras, where residents are only allowed to leave home one day a week – and then only for grocery, banking or medical needs, our missionaries are helping meet the physical needs of those around them. Most people in La Ceiba live day to day under normal circumstances, so people who are now in Week 6 since they last earned a wage are desperate for help. And by God’s grace, we are able to share both physical and spiritual food.
  • Amy and other Chilean and Mexican Parakaleo leaders have been able to provide ongoing training and connections among Latin American women in ministry through zoom classes and mentoring groups.
  • In Baja California, a church planting partner of ours decided that if he couldn’t leave his house to proclaim the gospel, that he would do it from his garage. So he set up a table and a loudspeaker and then broadcast to the neighborhood that because of the love of Jesus he wanted to serve them and pray for them. He sent out his phone number, and people started messaging in prayer requests. It’s opened the door for spiritual conversations in a way that hadn’t been possible before.
  • In Bogotá, Colombia our RUF campus ministry team is taking advantage of technology to continue with their regular meeting schedule. It allows them to minister to students even with them all confined to their homes. It’s a great encouragement to everyone not only to get to study, pray, and hear the Word of God – but also to be able to see each other. Such a big part of the Christian life is being part of a people, and many of us find ourselves starved for fellowship with others. Zoom isn’t nearly as good as the real-deal, but God has blessed us with these tools just in time for our needs.

These are just a few things going on. For us, we spend a lot of time reaching out to missionaries and fellow workers throughout the Americas and seeking to meet their needs. It’s such a great encouragement to me to see faith, love, and generosity in action. 

Medellin from the teleférico, a gondola that’s part of the public transportation system.
The Robertsons and the Future: a probably empty nest, a new city, and a new degree

Well, we don’t know the future, and we’re learning more than ever to hold our plans with open hands. Here’s what seems to be coming at this moment:

An empty nest: Johnny ‘graduates’ high school next month. I say ‘graduates’ because at this point, we’re not sure when or if there will be a graduation ceremony. Lord willing, he will be attending the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in the fall. We’re so proud of him. He has had quite the awkward academic career: middle school in Mexico, part of high school in the USA, another part in Chile, and then the final part back in the USA but on quarantine. He has excelled through the changes, exceeding all our expectations and leaving us expectant as to what the Lord will do in and through him. Please pray for him as he moves forward into what God has for him in college.

A new city: A new country, too! Lord willing, in the fall, we plan to move to Medellin, Colombia! Medellin, which just a few years ago was a the capital of the South American drug trade, is the site for a brand-new ministry team under the leadership of our colleague Nate Bonham. God is bringing many different ministries and opportunities together, making Medellin a strategic nexus for Latin American ministry. God is bringing seminary training, church planting, Christian publishing and more together in this one city. And geographically the city serves as a great center for leading the region. Please pray for all that a change like this entails!

A new degree: Since all three kids are going to be in college at the same time, Amy decided she would also join in on the fun. Well, that’s not the real motivation, but Amy is now studying a masters degree in counseling from Colorado Christian University. She began coursework in January and will be able to do her coursework almost 100% online. For years, I’ve observed in awe as women have sought her counsel and assistance – sometimes at all hours of the day and night. She has a gift from the Lord in this area and has had that affirmed through assessments and experience. Now she has the opportunity to pursue further equipping. Please pray for her as she re-enters academia! And pray for us all as family life has to adapt to the new demands on her time and focus.
Please keep in touch with us as you are able. Our new address is:

604 Mitchell Ave.
Columbia, TN 38401

…and our phone numbers are: Steve (615) 916-7519 and Amy (615) 916-7520.

Love in Christ,

Steve

steveamyrobertson.org
Click here to contribute to the MTW COVID-19 Compassion Fund.
Click here to support the Robertsons financially.
As International Director for the Americas, my role is to give leadership and pastoral care to our missionaries as we seek to fulfill our mission of making disciples among all the nations of the Americas. We are working together to see Christ’s Church established and strengthened so that the gospel of his kingdom will advance through all the world. Please pray for me in this mission!
Zoom! Amy getting to share coffee and encouragement with women throughout Latin America.
Prayer

Please be in prayer for several items:

For our continued reliance on Jesus day by day. We need him more and more – in ministry and in the rest of life. Pray that we will seek the Lord in all things.

For missionaries in difficult situations. The travel bans have limited many of our colleagues as well as missionaries from other organizations. This includes parents separated from their children, husbands from wives, new missionaries unable to raise support, missionaries who just got their support raised unable to deploy, those who are deployed unable to leave their homes, and more.

For Johnny as he takes his next steps. Johnny has had an unusual and challenging high school experience – 1 semester in the U.S., 4 semesters in Chile, 3 semesters in the U.S., with the last one disrupted by a pandemic! Oh, and middle school was in Mexico! Now he is poised to finish – maybe with a graduation, maybe not. And in the fall, Lord willing, he’ll be a freshman at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC).

For under-developed countries struggling to respond to the pandemic. Most countries in Latin America have little-to-no social safety net. People struggle from week to week under normal circumstances. Stay-at-home orders result in instantaneous need. Many of us struggle with difficulty finding hand gel and toilet paper. Many to whom we are ministering are struggling to have food for their children. If you would like to give for compassion funds, please click here.
¡Medellín! Medellín is in the northwest-ish side of Colombia. As the second-largest city in the country, the metro area is home to somewhere between 3-4 million people. An incredible growing region (roughly 65% of the fresh-cut flowers in the USA are from Colombia), and it is also a center for Colombian entrepreneurship as well as the country’s finest cuisine.
Travel….

These days most travel is limited to a weekly grocery store run.

Earlier in the year, we got to spend some time in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We met with a great group of Central American pastors and their wives, along with a great group of missionaries. God is at work among them, and I’m eager to see the fruit that God seems to be preparing there.

Just before the travel ban hit, I also had a chance to visit ministries in Ciudad Juarez and Reynosa/McAllen (on the US-Mexico border). God is at work multiplying churches in Juarez, while in Reynosa/McAllen God is allowing us to serve the deaf community as well as to come alongside church planters in their labors.