MISSIONS UPDATES

Praise the Lord, we had a great Vacation Bible School at the church where we are working. We started small with about 6 children, but finished with 13. I was the Bible teacher. Five people trusted Jesus for salvation, and I got to counsel each of them! Four of them were children; the other was one of the teen helpers! Two boys were here from out of state visiting their grandma for the month. One was sobbing over the conviction he felt about his sins. This was the first VBS this church has done in a few years. There was great participation from the church members. This VBS was a great and encouraging event with eternal consequences! Fran and I have the opportunity to join one more BVS this summer as kindergarten teachers, a little different but nice. Pray that this ministry continues to be a tool God uses to draw souls to Himself. I hope to see some baptisms yet this summer. One of the people who we just led to the Lord is asking about baptism. We are in the process of setting everything up to do a baptism properly. In the process, we are seeking others from the congregation who  may also want to follow the Lord in Believers' Baptism. Please pray for us as we are not permanently attached to this church but very familiar with them. We want to bring about the best possible experience for all. The last time I told you it would take 3 months before we would learn about the effectiveness of the radiation treatments I had. They have already run the test, and my cancer is undetectable in my blood work! I continue to be on two hormone blocking medications to starve out any cancer cells that might still be there. The hormone blockers have manageable side effects which we treat with over-the-counter drugs. Now I have quarterly checkups for the foreseeable future. I should continue to regain strength and stamina. We praise God for His healing and care. The pressure now is economic. I have decent insurance, but the copays and other charges are adding up quickly. On top of those struggles, our "good" cat just died. We don't have the estimate for repairs yet. The mechanic just said, "It's not good." Please pray for us as the bills now roll in. We are on a 10-month payment plan with the hospital. We have to watch things closely for now. 

On June 20, we had a Day Camp at WOL South Africa. The name of the church was Nancefield Baptist Church. We had the privilege of working alongside our staff and interns to make this camp possible. I taught two lessons -- the opening and the closing. We had about 40 youth attend. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we thank God for both the encouragement and the challenges given to the youth who participated. All praise and glory to God for the opportunities to serve Him. Thank you for your trust, confidence, and prayers. I am truly blessed and deeply appreciate your love and care for me in this ministry. June and July were busy months with Holy Bible Club (our VBS) and camps. June 26-28, we ran HBC in East Rand with about 130 children attending. Praise the Lord -- four children gave their lives to Christ! This reminded me of my own childhood, and I saw how stubbornness can be a challenge when working with young boys. Yet, we thank God that counselors were able to spend one-on-one time with the campers making a lasting impact. Immediately after HBC, we hosted our "Battlezone" Youth Camp. This was our ninth year running the camp at Tower of Strength Ministry, and it continues to grow each year. This time, 156 youth attended, and we give all praise to God for those who surrendered their lives to Christ. It is a blessing to see church leaders applying what they learn in their ministries and desiring further equipping. Our final HBC was at Welterden Chapel where we have been serving for the past three years. The church asked us to run this year's program, and we began with 68 children. By the end, attendance grew to 88, and we praise the Lord for the three who gave their lives to Christ. This was special for the churcvh, as their last HBC ws before COVID. The theme was "Find the Truth: Jesus." It was a learning experience for us as leaders, and we saw the importance of sharing God's Word faithfully. My prayer is that those who trusted Christ will grow in involvement with the local church. This gives leaders much work to do -- such as visitations and discipleship to strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ. In August, we hosted a combined Leaders and Youth Conference in Johannesburg. Normally, we begin the year with a leaders kick-off and hold a mid-year conference for leaders only. This time, however, we included both leaders and youth, offering workshops for each group. We partnered with 5 speakers from different churches, which helped grow attendance to 110 leaders and youth. It was a blessing to see so many gathered, learning from one another and building new relationships. Through this partnership, we connected with churches we had not reached before -- an incredible opportunity to expand God's work. Please continue to pray that we may faithfully shepherd leaders toward godly lives that will positively impact their churches. 

Prayer Requests:

• Home church ministries: Pray for effectiveness in worship and kids ministry
• Opportunities to share: Pray that many souls will come to Christ. 
• Youth camps in Zimbabwe: Pray for upcoming camps in Bingo and Karoi (August 9-20) where I will be counseling. 
• Family safety: Pray for my family's health and safety while I am away. 
• God's guidance: Pray that we will seek His plan in every ministry and serve wholeheartedly.
• Praise for HBC: Praise God for the growth at Welterden Chapel from 68 to 88 children -- and for those who gave their lives to Christ.
• Ministry car: Pray for provision to repair our ministry car and for financial needs.
• Please keep us in your prayers. 

Praying and saving...excitement was building as each detail was coming together for the church's very first mission trip abroad. But as things were beginning to come together on one end, it was unraveling on the other. The vision for missions that the pastor was imaging began to threaten to do just the opposite...

I see a note from a retired missionary who I knew through a handful of encounters over a twenty year span who wrote a simple plea of a supporting church of his in Canada who needed a place to serve. We were just finishing up hosting a seminary student in our home for three months, gearing up for a new Bible club called "Explorers," planning on pouring a cement parking lot/sports court, and hosting a teen camp for four days with 140 teens - doubling our normal amount. And we would be doing family vacation sandwiched right before our Annual Mission Board Conference with fellow missionaries. And only three days after that receive this team? Many arguments quickly found their way to the surface, but for some reason, there seemed to be peace about this, and we quietly accepted the plan. And so, two pastors got together on a phone call. Each feeling they were stepping out in faith. Who is this pastor from Canada, and what will this group of eleven be like? Who is this crazy missionary who just said, Sure, come on down, we have a big house? But as we tiptoed through the conversation, the Lord was obviously leading the group from the Canadian frozen tundra to the Amazon rainforests. Maybe I am exaggerating, but the switch from Ontario winters and tropical Brazilian summer in less than 24 hours, is still an extreme change. Through cement trucks pouring a parking lot, a new Bible club, the 140 teen four-day camp with four salvation decisions including the sister of one of our members, and then a whirlwind trip up to northern Brazil for family vacation, and the Mission Conference...Then wide-eyed and busy-tailed, the Canadians arrived. Tile was placed in our kitchen, the whole church was painted on the outside, and a very cool sign with our church logo was made. They were soon painting the sports' court lines as they geared up for the weekend activities and church services. They were almost missing the snow after those scorching days on the cement courts. As we mixed Brazilian meals, an all you can eat meat restaurant, and interactions with the Brazilians during prayer meeting, meals at Brazilian homes, and our family activity on Saturday, along with Sunday services, the Canadian team was enjoying the food and the Brazilian people. It was fun to watch! Tired and sunburnt, they had been a part of ministry and felt the Lord working in their hearts. They had loved and felt loved back. They had seen the fruit of their labors with not just tile and paint, but tears and conversions. The team saw our old van break down a few times in just one week. They have already promised at least $16,000 to help buy another van for the ministry!

The moving truck has been booked! Now, where do we drive to? Though we know we will be serving the Lord in Lehi, Utah, we have yet to obtain a house. We know that the Lord will provide, as He always has, and we ask you to join us in praying for this need to be met. Many other needs are constantly being met, and we praise God for this! July 16th is when we aim to leave Canada and begin the trip to Utah. Thank you for praying for us as we continue to transition in ministry. Did you know ... Utah's population has increased by 54,000 people a year since 2004, which is one of the highest rates of all of the States in the country. Out of all of the US, Utah ranks the lowest with regard to having evangelical protestants. Due to the population explosion and the closing of various churches, Utah would have to plant 11 churches (consisting of 100 members) per year just to break even and remain at 2% of the population being evangelical Christian. Utah has 1 evangelical church for every 12,000 people. Utah County, where we will be serving, has 1 evangelical church for every 22,000 people. A church with the mindset to be a major church-planting catalyst is needed to help impact this area. That church is Alpine Bible Church, where we will be serving. 

“Networking” is a term that I didn’t hear much

growing up, but it is certainly being used more and

more now. One way that I am currently “networking” is by joining Praise Gathering, a 450-voice choir made up of believers from nearly 200 Scottish churches. We have been rehearsing since April and will present 2 concerts in Glasgow on June 20-21. It has been encouraging to be reminded that God is still present and working here in Scotland, even when my little corner may seem rather dark. And I look forward to the concerts and experiencing just a small taste of what heaven will be like … with a multitude gathered around the throne praising and worshiping the Lamb. Another networking opportunity, the Scottish Women in Ministry

conference, took place last week. Although this group is considerably smaller than the Praise Gathering choir, it is still a great chance to connect with other ladies who are serving in churches all across Scotland and to hear how the Lord is working in each of their ministries. I confess, as someone who is very introverted, these networking opportunities are often a challenge for me. I would much rather just sit in the background and observe, but I see the value in forming connections within the body of Christ, especially in a country with so few committed Christians, so I pray that the Lord gives

me boldness to step out of my comfort zone and do my part in being an active and involved member of the global church family. In March, I asked for prayer that a Bible club would open up in the secondary school that some of our Scripture Union girls will be moving to in August. I just recently learned that the Lord has provided volunteers and an invitation from the school to begin a lunch club there. This is a huge answer to prayer, and I hope you will join me in continuing to pray for these girls and the seeds that have been planted in their hearts over the past 2 years, that God would bring forth a harvest. I have once again been invited to speak at the annual St. John’s Ladies’ Retreat. I look forward to this every year and am always so grateful for a chance to reconnect with this lovely group of ladies that I have gotten to know during my first 3 years here in the UK. This year’s theme is the “I AMS” of Jesus from the Gospel of John, and 4 ladies from my church here in Scotland will be joining us, as well. Please pray for all 16 of us as we gather on June 12-14, that the Lord would be working in each one of our hearts, teaching us more about who our Savior is and how we can be growing in Christlikeness. Thank you to all who were praying for my mom. Her bypass

surgery went very well, and although recovery is a

long and difficult process, she is doing great! I was so blessed to be able to spend two and a half weeks with her and my dad as she worked through getting back on her feet and being able to take care of herself again. I am also incredibly grateful for those who contributed toward my travel costs. It has been many

years since I’ve been able to enjoy spring in Indiana,

so that was an added blessing. The Lord even sent a

few thunderstorms while I was there. Thank you so

much for your prayers and support which allow me to

serve in Scotland.

Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer. I want to share an encouraging report from our recent travels. Our time in China was truly special - both fruitful and heartwarming. We visited three cities in mainland China: Shenzhen, Dalian, and Xi'an. We had the joy of connecting with brothers and sisters in each city, meeting with pastors and ministry leaders, and attending Sunday services both in the morning and evening. One of the greatest gifts was spending precious, unhurried time with our own family in China. It was emotional to see parents and loved ones with more wrinkles and silver hair, but what a joy to simply be together. We also had fun experiencing some of China's amazing technology - electric vehicles, drone-delivered food, and robots bringing orders right to our hotel room! Ministry-wise, we saw so much hunger for God's Word. We visited large churches with a couple thousand worshippers and small ones with a hundred or fewer. Many believers are hopeful, but we noticed a tendency to place hope in temporary things. Some also mistake years of believing for true spiritual maturity. The urgent need we saw is for both informal and formal Christian education and discipleship. It was a rich learning time for us. While we were in China, our team back in Johannesburg was busy as well! They held a Go-Share Day at church on the east side of the city. they trained young people there, and then those young people went straight to the busy streets to proclaim Jesus as Savior. It wasn't just a training session - it was real-time outreach. In a short time, they shared 43 Gospel presentations, and 9 people confessed Jesus as Lord for the very first time. Our team also went to Welkom, where they ministered to about 100 students at a private school. Most of the students were either unbelievers or cultural Christians, so it was truly an evangelistic camp. Through fun times, worship, and teaching of the Gospel, peer pressure, purity, and more, we saw God move. The school principal was there watching everything, and she witnessed the power of the Gospel and the transformation in the students. Our local partners in Welkom joined in as well. What a wonderful gift from God!

We wanted to give a brief update on what has been going on in our life and ministry. First, the long awaited good news - Rodemar's citizenship process is being expedited! This has been one of our major concerns since arriving in the States almost a year ago. While we still do not have a timeline of when we will return to the Philippines, we can expect it to be much quicker than the normal citizenship process. We're on the final step of waiting for the citizenship interview. We are praying we will return to The Philippines in July or August. We will keep you posted on any progress with his case. Rodemar had a great visit to The Philippines in February/March. It was such a blessing to have 2 men from our church join Rodemar for the first week of his trip, and we were so incredibly encouraged to hear their perspective of our ministry in The Philippines. Thank you for praying with us and for us and for sticking by our side through our time in the USA. We continue to trust in the Lord's timing. 

I would love to share one of our current needs. Bucharest is the capital city of Romania with a metro population of around 2.4 million people. An estimated 1.3-1.6 million cars travel its roads each day, making it one of the top five most congested cities in Europe. Drivers in Bucharest spend over a week each year just sitting in traffic. To help reduce travel time, I am hoping to purchase a reliable commuter motorcycle. Reducing travel time would allow me to spend more time doing the things that matter most - ministry meetings, discipleship, outreach, and personal connections. Please pray and if you would like to contribute toward the goal of $6,000, we would greatly appreciate it.  You can click the button below to visit our giving page. 

It may be Spring, but summer is coming and preparations are in full swing. A record group of 55 students have applied for our Christian Youth in Action summer missionary training. As we review applications and interview prospective students, it is a blessing to hear their sincere passion for Jesus and desire to serve! It is also a great encouragement to see how God has used the training in the lives and ministry of returning students. When asked to describe any training or experience you have had with CEF and the impact it has had on your personal life and ministry, 16-year-old Lucy responded: "I love this question. I have done CYIA training for three years. My youth pastor says I'm naturally gifted in running games, but I always imagine giving the amazing CYIA staff a wink when he says that. CYIA has gotten me out of my comfort zone, built my presenting skills, helped me build friendships, encouraged me, and trained me to show Christ's love to others effectively. I intend to ask my pastor to let me present CYIA to our youth group, because I truly believe it can be a pivotal point in a person's ministry." Pray for discipline for our students as they work on pre-training assignments, attentiveness during training, spiritual growth, and effective ministry for our Lord! Our staff also needs your prayers as they prepare for and instruct an extra-large group of energetic young people. Reports are not yet complete, but so far this year, 1353 chldren have been enrolled in 49 Good News Clubs across Kentucky. 122 have professed salvation in Christ and 89 have become established in the sponsoring churches, most often with their entire families. God has called one of our Good News Club team leaders to serve on our staff team! Chloe has loved sharing Jesus with the children of the public elementary school where she teaches Kindergarten. This spring she is joining our team as a volunteer Ministry Coordinator in southeastern Kentucky while raising financial support to serve as a paid missionary staff member in the near future. She is a gifted teacher with a passion for sharing Jesus with boys and girls. Ask God to raise up godly individuals to serve on the state board and in local committee leadership in the Bluegrass Chapter. Pray for a state office administrative and ministry assistant to support a rapidly growing ministry!

The Lord is good and has blessed our Word of Lie in Serbia ministry. We served in preaching the Word and leading worship in churches in Titel, Jabuca, Cerlarevo, and Padina. Almost all of theses churches have no Pastor, and by sharing the Word, we serve them spiritual food. We also served over the internet, editing spiritual messages and music for Christian Internet Radio Sinai. In this way, people who speak a language similar to ours in the countries around Serbia...Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia, can hear the Gospel. We also serve at the Children's Bible Club in Padina, where about twenty children gather every Saturday to learn more about God. We continue translating and editing the Quiet Time Diary for young people and raising funds to print at least 500 copies by the end of 2026. We continue to make many preparations for the WOL Camp summer season, which begins on June 19. We are expecting up to 200 children and teenagers and the same number of adults, parents, and friends for four weeks of camps. Many will hear the Gospel for the first time. Pray for the funds to print the Quiet Time Diaries for Serbian young people. We need $3,000 for this project. Thank you for your partnership in this ministry.

Thank you so much for your prayers! We could feel that Jesus was with us. The biggest evidence of this was an amazing conversation with one of the principals with whom we shared the Sparrow Project. She informed us that the program based on the Bible would not work at her school because it was too Muslim, but she sent us to their sister school in Wattville, because they were "more Christian and could really use the training." What we found when we arrived at the sister school was complete openness and a beautiful example of a Sparrow School in South Africa. When we arrived, we met with Nokuthula. She said the school has 800 children in 19 classrooms! There are 71 first graders in one classroom, and 63 in grade 5. The school is severely under-resourced without even a field or playground for the children to play. During recess, we watched them play soccer in between the classrooms. Please pray that we can complete the contacts and schedule trainings at the schools we visited. We are ready to do the work, and we trust Jesus to make the connections. 

We began our first WhatsApp Evangelistic group. After teaching through Genesis, the first part of Exodus, various other Old Testament book highlights and going through the life of Christ, the Gospel was presented. When the question was put to the group whether anyone believed, both Diba and Jala affirmed their faith to the group. Madi, however, has remained silent. In fact, it has been nearly two months since he has made any comments in this group. He occasionally comments in the other group which is still working through the Old Testament. As to the other members of the group, Saviba (Sah-ee-bah) also made a profession of faith. He seemed very clear in his understanding, saying that the "evidence is clear that Jesus is the Only way of salvation"; and yet, since that profession, he has disappeared from the group. He has not commented further, nor has he listened to any of the communication exchanged. I have no way of knowing whether or not he is listening to the teaching. Please pray for him! Since I wrote the above, I found out that although he isn't listening to the verbal exchanges in the group, he is indeed listening to the Bible teaching. 

So many kids in our nation today are struggling with hardships that threaten their future. They have faced abuse, violence, hunger, and instability. Many of them live in circumstances where they don't feel safe, and their most basic needs aren't being met. They don't need Hollywood heroes. They need real people who care about the, invest in them, and make a difference in their lives. Every time you give to Youth Haven, you help make it possible for hurting children to experience a safe, fun, and loving environment. You show them that their lives have value. They are important to us, and they are important to God. You are their real-life hero.

Renovations are complete in our Michigan dining hall, and it has already been filled with kids enjoying delicious food this spring!  Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and some unexpected cost savings God provided, the cost of the renovation has been covered!  We are so grateful for every person who gave toward this important need.  Your gifts will help us feed thousands of hungry children, not only this summer but for years to come.  Summer camp is a powerful opportunity for kids to get away from their hardships and experience the love of Jesus – many for the very first time.  When they don’t have to worry about when their next meal will be or whether they will have a safe place to sleep at night, they are free to think about God’s awesome creation and the life-changing truth that He created them and has an amazing purpose for their lives.  Every fun activity, conversation, or bedtime routine is a chance for our staff to build trust, offer friendship, share biblical principles, and show them how loved and valued they truly are.  This is only possible through the help of friends like you.  During the summer, we hire additional staff who want to spend their summer sharing the Gospel with kids who aren’t hearing it anywhere else.  Youth Haven is free of charge, and we don’t receive state or federal funding.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.                                      Lars Carlson, President & CEO