Our October Update...

Dear Friends,
Wow, it's hard to believe October is here already and that we have been here for nearly 8 months. We are rapidly moving into summer and the rainy season here in Mozambique. The normal temps these days are mid to upper 80's. Thankfully it is a dry heat so at least until the rainy season begins, we are not smothered with humidity. We are well and even though we have had to make some tough decisions lately we are constantly amazed that the Lord goes before us in all things and has His plan perfectly laid out before we ever get there. So now it's time to share news!

First, we want to let you know that we were able to purchase a good, reliable Nissan 4x4 in August from some other missionaries. What a blessing to have our own vehicle! Thank you to all that have given. The vehicle cost $11,000. So far, we've paid $8,000 and still need to make payments for the remaining balance of $3,000. We have made an agreement to pay $500 a month prayerfully believing God will provide those extra funds that are not in our normal budget. However, we would love to be a blessing to this other missionary couple and pay this debt off earlier if possible. If you are interested in giving towards the remaining balance we would be grateful. Donations can be given online at www.cten.org or they can be sent with a note indicating that it is for the Pavkov Vehicle Fund to:
CTEN,PO Box 291307, Kerrville, TX 78029-1307

Secondly, we want to tell you that after serving for months at the orphan center, praying and seeking counsel from our sending mission, Commission to Every Nation and our home church, Grace Capital Church, we have decided our ministry needs to move in a new direction. Our vision and ministry approach were not matching up with the Center's founders and realized it is better to move on. We still have a heart for orphans and will be ministering to them directly. While praying about the future we discovered MANY indigenous churches in our region, especially in the bush, do not have outreach ministries directed to orphans and widows (the primary care givers of orphans). Pastor's and churches are overwhelmed and feel unequipped to help. That is where we come in. Our new ministry focus is going to be encouraging and working along side Pastor's and churches to start orphan and widow ministries to those that are most needy in their own communities. We feel a burden to help these Pastor's and churches see that if they will reach out as servants and meet practical needs they will be powerfully displaying the Gospel to their communities. To begin with, we are partnering with another missionary in town named Rosane, who is from Brazil, and has been here working with indigenous churches for the past four years. Together we will be building relationships with the Pastor's and helping them to initiate and sustain ministries in their communities focusing on orphans and widows. Our ministry will also be spending the majority of our time visiting and getting to know the local orphans and widows in order to build relationships with them and discover their most pressing needs. We will then be able to determine which outreaches to focus on and what needs to address first. We see the work primarily being in the areas of agriculture, education, animal breeding, and nutrition. Our prayer is that through this ministry the orphans and widows we build relationships with will receive dignity, become able to care for themselves and be introduced to God and the need to fully rely on Him.

We appreciate all of your prayers, words of encouragement, care packages, and support so we can be here. We are grateful that you have chosen to work alongside us as part of a team reaching out to those in need here in Mozambique. We will keep you updated on how this ministry is developing and the impact it is having in the local community. We are excited to see God transform the lives of the orphans and widows that we will be coming into contact with over the following weeks and months. Please keep this work in your prayers.

Blessings,
Marc, Andrea, Micah & Nate Pavkov