“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57

Equip Updates

November for Equip means preparing for the holiday break before returning and starting to plan for the mission trips in the second half of the year. This year, Sam & Aidan decided to treat the staff to Thai food for the Thanksgiving Dinner. It was truly a treat, and one that was appreciated by all the staff. Isaac spent half of the month with Ray Pete & Mike Miller, then Doug Sylva. Sam spent this month in the Automotive Shop with Nick VanWert & Caleb. Each of these 4 men have grown spiritually a lot in the last 4 months, and we look forward to how they will seek God even more in the next 6 months.

At the Ministry in Bernville, PA

The Warehouse

November was a big month for the Warehouse Distribution Center! In one week, Justin Darnell led a team of 15 people prepped and packed two shipments, one for Belize and one for Ghana. Both shipping containers arrived at the perfect time, and we trust that everything that went into the container will be a blessing for the ministry to which it is going. Douglas & Esther Yeboah were very grateful to the staff for all of the hard work given towards packing. Douglas is a kind, generous man that we as a ministry are blessed to serve alongside. Please pray for safe travels over these containers, and for the supplies going to the ministry in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. We are preparing more pallets of housewares for the island of Mayreau, and will be praying for God to provide what they will need.

Automotive Shops

Doug & Isaac worked together on a few vehicles. One, for a board member, was well detailed by Isaac in his newsletter. “We started by pulling out the dents as much as possible with a slide hammer and spot welder. We then applied a few coats of body filler to smooth out the panel. We sanded down the hood on which the paint was peeling. We then removed the cracked front bumper, and Doug put fiberglass on the crack.” This is a small excerpt from a longer section of Isaac explaining his time with Doug. You can read it in full on our website! Nick & Caleb have seen a lot of car repairs come through the shop. As our ministry expands, we see a need for help in each area, and especially in the Automotive Shops. Please pray for God to provide the help we need to effectively serve Him.

Maintenance, Hospitality, & More

Leam Nicholaides has been making headway on the apartments above the shop, and we are excited to see movement in a positive direction! If all goes well, and please pray that it does, Sandra & Wyatt Kline may begin working again on their apartment and soon move on campus. This will be a huge blessing for the ministry, as it will provide more housing for staff, which is desperately needed.

Mission Trips

In December, a group will be heading to Mayreau to help with the relief efforts after Hurricane Beryl. Pray for the men going, that God would prepare the hearts of everyone they will be ministering to. Our hope is to not only fix the buildings that have been damaged, but also encourage the ministry they’re staying with, and offer Christ’s hope to the people of the island. We are excited to see how God moves on this trip, so look for an update in next month’s newsletter!

Where in the World is Joel Smith?

A week after returning from Mayreau, Joel and the rest of us as a family went with a group of 8 others to Canada. We stayed with Branden & Val Dalberg & their 2 sons, at their ministry base. They are the directors of YWAM Sunset Country. We went for 7 days, stayed in campers, and cooked/ate outside all week. It was like an awesome camping trip!

One of the original visions from 1982 for CMTS was to send work groups to aid ministries in need by helping them repair, build, or replace physical needs. We can successfully say we did that this week. This group helped take a HUGE leap towards completing a staff home for the ministry where we stayed. The people who joined this trip were generally skilled in things like electrical or carpentry. We also built a goat house from parts of two different lean-to’s, which was a blessing for Brandon & Val. These goats provide both ministry opportunities and food.

We also built a fence at a local church around their front steps in a First Nations community where drugs and alcohol are very widespread. This church’s front porch was used for those activities every night and the staff at the church was having to clean up broken bottles and used needles every day. The neighbors were also thankful for taking away this hang out spot so they could sleep. It encouraged them to come over and talk with the pastor of the church. We later got word they attended the church!

What a blessing to be a part of this! The best part of this trip was that we got to bless the ministry and the church with more time to focus on people. They can spend less time cleaning up needles, bottles, or trying to finish a home and focus on the people they are serving.

Answered Prayer

For many years now, the ministry has been praying for God to somehow provide a box truck for the Warehouse Distribution Center. God moved! While dropping off supplies at Trinity Bible Fellowship, someone there saw Justin struggling with the liftgate on our current box truck. It’s been broken for some time, and has become hazardous. She saw the value and impact that a fully operable box truck would make. The Warehouse Distribution Center serves so many ministries across the country and around the world, and this would enable us to serve & equip those who serve Christ even better. She contacted Penske and arranged for a newer truck to be sold to the ministry at a considerable discount. In addition, the church she attends decided to step out in faith and pay for the truck. We feel so blessed to see how God moved, and to be on the receiving end of His working.

Prayer Requests

This month, please be praying for:

• The work groups coming to CMTS
• The apartments above the Auto Shop
• Belize & the Merricks as they serve and build up CMTS Belize
• Favor with the township in getting permits for the different building projects
• Funds for the ministry. We desire to impact more people for Christ, and the ministry needs prayer & financial support to do so
• Equip & E2
• Financial support for the staff members
• The leadership & board members

Fun Facts & Stats