Rogers Family Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,

During the past 14 months since returning from Spain for our Stateside Assignment, we have been diligently seeking God’s will for the next step in our lives. Actually, several months ago, we had pretty much made up our minds that it was time to go back to Spain, and were making plans to do so not long thereafter. In the meantime, some situations related to our family’s health have surfaced that have caused us to put these plans on hold. After much prayer and soul-searching, we have come to the conclusion that we should remain in the States for the time being, as we continue to seek God’s direction for our future.

This has not been an easy decision. From a wider perspective, we remain as convinced as ever that God has called us and wants to continue to use us for His glory and the advance of His kingdom in the world missions enterprise. The great spiritual need of Spain and the rest of the world still remain as deeply etched upon our hearts as ever. However, we are aware that God has His time and His place for each of us, and that it is in our best interest to submit to His sovereign plan for our lives.

What this means for us at the present is that we will be staying in the Memphis area until at least the end of the current school year. Our normally allotted Stateside Assignment time has run out; so, effective, Nov. 1, we will go on Leave of Absence status with the International Mission Board. This means us going off of salary and benefits, while at the same time being allowed to remain as officially appointed missionaries, and return to the field without need of re-appointment and going through the application process all over again.

This also means that for now we will need alternative sources of income in order to make ends meet. We are grateful to God for doors He is already opening up to provide for us in this area. A temporary position has come open for me (David) with the Adrian Rogers Pastor Training Institute as an editor of training materials in Spanish and English. I am excited to partner with my brother, Steve, in helping to make it possible for the wisdom and anointing that God poured into my father’s life and ministry to continue to bless and prepare others around the world for the task to which He has called them. I am also thrilled to be able to use my Spanish language abilities as PTI looks, in the near future, to make its training materials available to the Spanish-speaking world.

Kelly will be helping to supplement our family income as a representative with Premier Designs, selling jewelry through home shows. We are thankful for this opportunity that will allow for great flexibility as she also home-schools Stephen. Please pray for her as she launches this new home business, that the Lord would provide for our needs and give wisdom in decisions.

In the meantime, Jonathan has moved into his own apartment, and is working as a research assistant at the University of Memphis. He plans to enroll as a student at the U of M in January. We are very grateful for your prayers for him over the past months, as he has dealt with a series of health-related concerns, and has been seeking to find the place God has for him. At present, we are encouraged about Jonathan’s progress and God’s on-going work in his life. Please continue to lift him up in prayer as God lays him on your heart.

Stephen, who will turn 12 in November, is adapting as well as can be expected to all of the last minute changes. In addition to his studies at home, he is going to supplementary classes one day a week at a local home-school support program. He is also signed up for basketball at our church, Faith Baptist. Please pray for his continued adaptation to our new circumstances and the Lord’s provision for good friends and spiritual growth.

In addition to all of the above, we are excited to be involved in the Spanish-language ministry at Faith. It has been encouraging to see this new group take off and the Lord use His people to raise up an ESL ministry, soccer outreach, women’s Bible studies, and discipleship classes in a short time. I (David) have also officially begun work (tons of reading and writing assignments) on my Ph.D. studies in Missions at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and plan to be there on campus in Wake Forest, NC for three weeks in January for the initial seminars. I also continue to write about missions and ministry on my Internet blog at loveeachstone.blogspot.com, as well as together with several other Southern Baptist bloggers at www.sbcimpact.net.

Thank you for your prayers and support down through the years, as well as for us now in this time of transition in our lives. We are truly blessed to have so many who pray so faithfully for us. We look forward to the days ahead as God continues to reveal His plan for our lives and strategic involvement in the advance of His kingdom around the world.

Your Co-laborers in the Harvest,


David & Kelly Rogers

Non-U.S. Christians Identify Problems in American Missions

Check out the following article from The Christian Post:

Non-U.S. Christians Identify Problems in American Missions

As we seek to be better stewards of the resources God has entrusted into our hands, I believe we must pay close attention to voices like those cited in this article.