The time period of raising support is an incredible time of blessing – and a time that has its challenges.  Let me talk about the latter first.

Both through my own personal experience and from what I’ve heard of other missionary’s experiences, I’ve discovered that raising support really tests the faith that you have in God’s provision.  Several doubts and questions can easily enter the mind, such as: “What if I don’t receive any support?” “Am I supposed to be so bold as to ask people for their money?” and “What if I am not covered by a strong prayer team?  What will my ministry be like?”  These are all questions that have run through my mind in the past few months.  I’ve debated as to whether God has called me to raise any financial support at all.  I’ve been stretched in trying to find the most effective way to raise up a prayer team that will faithfully carry me to the Lord.  In all these challenges and questions, I’ve seen the hand of the Lord blessing me.

God has comforted me with this truth – because He has called me to go to Uganda, I can know that He is going to provide exactly what I need.  Is this an excuse for me to sit back and be lazy until I leave in June?  Most certainly not.  Rather, as I speak to different individuals and congregations about what Micah and I will be doing, I don’t have to worry about whether God is going to provide.  He most certainly will.  And the cool thing is that He knows my needs so much better than I even know them.  He’ll raise up the perfect amount of support – in His perfect timing.

Blessings certainly have abounded for me during this season.  I’ve been greatly encouraged to see God confirming the call He’s given me to go live/work in Uganda this coming year through the words of those who are supporting me.  As well, it has been a wonderful comfort for me during this time to know that people are already covering me in prayer.  I’ll be entering into a mission field where the Lord has already gone ahead, working through the prayers of the righteous.  What good news this is!  Could you continue to cover Uganda, the Jores, Micah, and I in prayer?

One of the most effective ways to raise support is to let the missionary describe his own ministry.  He certainly can do it much better than I could!  That being said, below is a couple videos of Nate Jore being interviewed by Pastor Wade Mobley (of Living Word Free Lutheran, Sioux Falls, SD).  Among things discussed are  the ministry of the Jores, some information concerning Uganda, the roles of Micah and I during our time there, and recent prayer requests for the Jores.

My hope and prayer is that God would not only bless me through my time of raising support, but that He would bless you as well.  Hopefully, you would be made more aware during this time of the mission field that God has placed you in.  The only thing that is different from the mission that I am called to and the mission you are called to – is context.  Every Christian is called to live a life that is holy, that is set apart, and to be a witness of the God of glory and grace.  The entire world is filled with precious, but lost, eternal, human souls.  They all need to encounter and come into a relationship with Jesus.  I’ll be praying during this time in which I am making people more aware of the mission God is calling me to (raising support), so that He might make you more aware of the mission He is calling you to.

To God be the glory!

Hans

Dear Supporters,

Welcome to the blog of Hans Tanner and Micah Berger, where our year in Uganda will be chronicled!  It is through this blog that we will be sharing with you, our supporter, many of things that we experience.  The focus will be to post on a regular basis pictures of some of our adventures, short stories, and some of our prayer requests.

We leave June 20th – two months from tomorrow!  Our goal is to work with Nate and Rhoda Jore for about a year, coming back early summer 2012.  Our ministry focus is to assist Nate Jore and his family in whatever ways possible.  Much of this will involve simply living with Ugandans and sharing with them the love of Jesus Christ.  We’re sure that we’ll be kept busy, and that our year will fly by quickly!

We cannot stress enough the importance of your prayers for us during this time of raising support.  We will post soon with more information about this season of raising support.  We’ll share many different opportunities that exist for getting involved with what we are doing, and we’ll be praying that God would create an excitement within people about what He plans to do with and through us.

There’s much more information to come soon, including life testimonies from both of us.

Keep following us and praying!

To God be the glory!

Hans