The Gospel Remains the Same – Vanrenterghem Update June 2024

Arriving home from our travels across Eastern Asia began a time of reflection, restoration, reassessment, and re-engagement. We first hit the ground running on MTS (Missions Training School) and re-engaging in church and classes. It was so wonderful to reconnect with our family and the church family. 6 weeks away brought many changes but of course the biggest was seeing our granddaughter and her growth, her being less than a year old there are a lot differences in her. We feel so blessed to be able to have some of our children living so close to us during this time of preparation. It’s a blessing to be able to enjoy this time with them, for we know it won’t always be this way.

Addie and Grandpa hanging at the beach.

We then prayed and reflected on what and where our next year would be leading us. We realized we would renew our lease for another year here in Southern California. While we still feel led to Japan, we are not likely to be leaving before this next year is out. With that commitment we are now in the process of job searching. Expenses for training and living in Southern California are high as you can imagine. So please be lifting that up in prayer.

As we are praying for when we would be ready to leave, we are having such a sweet time of restoration and growth in our relationships and time with the Lord. He has been teaching us so much through the trainings and classes in MTS. Then the Lord gave us another opportunity. We got to head to Rosarito, Mexico for 4 weeks, from April to May, to attend the Church Planting classes with Calvary Rosarito and serve there.

MEXICO

While serving in Mexico we reconnected with the Vincents, our old next door neighbors in Yorba Linda from over 20 years ago. Mike and Sarah Vincent felt the calling to start a church in Mexico and now Mike pastors a thriving church that focuses on church planting all across the world. We were so blessed and made so many new friends during those four weeks of serving and being a part of the community of Calvary Rosarito. Carrie got to work in the nursery and love on the babies and Sven worked the parking lot security and greeting. We learned some new styles to serve and experienced it in a new culture. What really impacted us was the way the Lord used the church to spread the Gospel. We got to be there for baptism weekends and see so many, from so many different ages, profess publicly their decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our new friends, Abbie and Shawn, missionaries who are part of the Church Planting class and serving at Calvary Rosarito.

We love how at every service at Calvary Rosarito, the Gospel of Christ goes out and many came forward to accept it. The Gospel remains the same no matter what language it’s spoken in.

Carrie met a couple of families who were new believers and after hearing their stories she was blown away by the work of the Lord in their lives. For one family, the husband first came to the Lord then his wife had just accepted Jesus the week we got there. When Carrie met Maggi she also met her daughter, Aleah (yes, her name is the same as our daughter). That night during service Aleah came forward to accept the Lord and they both got baptized on baptism weekend. Praise God!!

“For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Acts 2:39

Our son, Joshua and a fellow MTS student Marcelo, came to share about Calvary School of Missions, and then Marcelo taught at CBI Mexico in Ensenada. We got to enjoy our time there and go along with them to the CBI. We can’t describe how amazing it is to see your children walk with the Lord and serve Him.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,…”

Philippians 1:3

Thank you for all your prayers and support. We have felt them during this time of preparation and changes in our lives. We would greatly appreciate your continued partnership with us in prayer as the Lord is leading us to long-term, cross-cultural ministry, as well as through financial support, if you feel led to give. Please let us know if there is anything we could pray about for you.

Praise Reports

  • We are enjoying our time here with our family.
  • We are staying in California for another year.
  • We were so blessed by our time in Mexico, we left a little of our hearts there.
  • We love being home and serving on the Welcome team at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace.

Prayer Requests

  • Answers in our job search. Sven is studying for some certifications; pray that he can go through it quickly and retains what he needs to pass.
  • Our family unity and growth in the Lord.
  • Our Missions Training Schooling as we look for jobs. Our desire is for a job that would fit in our classes and ministry responsibilities. Also please pray that we would absorb and learn all we can during this preparation time.