Update: Uganda 2

I (Nichole) spoke with Shawn yesterday. Here is my paraphrased update:

I had several more meetings. Everyone I'm meeting with is emphasizing the need for discipleship in this country. All meetings went great but were also very sobering. I spoke with an AG missionary (only one around), and he shared his wisdom and experiences with me. God is moving mightily in this country!

I am feeling much better! And I will not eat anymore vegetables or fruit from here.

Sunday night I will be arriving in Nairobi, Kenya. I am meeting with Mike Cheshier to discuss KenyaMC. I'm hoping as well to see XMC alumni, Stephanie Elmore, who is currently a missionary in Kenya right alongside the Cheshiers.

Please pray that God will continue to guide and direct these efforts to advance His kingdom and obey the commission to "go and make disciples".

Update: Uganda

I spoke with Shawn via Skype today. Here is the quick version update:

Shawn met with many people of influence today. God ordained several meetings, some of them were unexpected. He met with the assistant to the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God (AOG), the national youth director for the AOG, Pastor Robert, and several other people. Over and over he heard the same thing. "Uganda is experiencing a great move of God. We have many salvations, healings, and deliverances. The greatest need in Uganda is discipleship."

The doors are wide open. They expressed the need for discipleship and have asked for us to come and do MC there.

Tomorrow Shawn will preach to the youth at Pastor Robert's church. I believe they number in the thousands.

Other than that, it's hot and there is no air conditioning. And mosquitos are everywhere.

Please keep Shawn in your prayers, for his health (some stomach problems) and protection. Also pray that God will continue to ordain his meetings and give him discernment and wisdom.

Making Disciples!

Packing once again! In two days I will be traveling to Uganda, Kenya, and Romania.

One of the things Jesus commissioned us to do was to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation. We take this command seriously, and we are doing our very best to obey this commandment.

In Uganda I am meeting with Pastor Robert Kayanja, pastor of Miracle Central Cathedral. I will be checking out the church, the city of Kampala, and we will be discussing the launching of Master's Commission Uganda in January of 2012.

In Kenya, I will be meeting with Mike and Marigold Cheshier, as well as Stephanie Elmore (a former XMC graduate who is now a missionary to Africa), about launching Master's Commission Kenya next year.

These are exciting times! But these times need to be bathed in much prayer. Please pray that God will direct and lead every decision.

I am so happy to announce that I am going to Romania to graduate our very first MCRomania students. Pastors Jeff and Donna Ables are joining me on this leg of the trip. We have looked forward for this moment for some time. It's a vision God gave coming true. I will post more on this after the graduation celebration!

Again, please keep these works in prayer and also pray for our safety, health, and finances to continue to be provided.

In Him,

Shawn

Muffins for Mawmaw- Success!

Muffins for Mawmaw was a success! (pictures below)

This past Saturday, Linzee (10 years old), led a team of people which delivered 204 pairs of socks to the elderly in a local nursing home. We had an awesome time ministering and sharing the love of Jesus.

One conversation which stands out was between Linzee and Sister Wilson, a nun of over 65 years. Sister Wilson asked Linzee to read the scripture that was stickered to the socks.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

As Linzee read this, Sister Wilson's eyes filled with tears. She looked right at Linzee and told her that if she kept this in the forefront of her mind, that she would do great things, and that what she was doing right now was a great thing. Then she said "I think you've touched me."

She also told her about meeting with Mother Teresa twice and talked about the simple truthful things Mother Teresa said, about loving people.

Linzee told me that she knew that making the muffins and selling the muffins would happen. She even believed for 50 pairs of socks. "But wow! 204 pairs of socks, I didn't expect that!"

Isn't it amazing how God does exceedingly more than we could even think!

Linzee and her team baked and sold over 300 muffins!

204 pairs of socks!

Sister Wilson and Linzee.

Linzee with her amazing team who helped deliver the socks.

Muffins for Mawmaw

This is a vision born in the heart of Linzee Joy, our ten year old daughter. She has a heart to impact her world, specifically the elderly in our community. Linzee has decided to use her love and skill for baking to earn monies to buy socks for the elderly in our local nursing home.

"I want to buy the old people in the nursing home socks because I love them, and they need socks. Their feet get cold. And I care about them a lot. Other times I have made bookmarks and cookies for the old people. Then I went visit them. There was a blind old lady who said, "I love kids. I wish I could see you right now". I felt so sad. She was old, and she was cute too."

If you would like to order Muffins for Mawmaw we will be taking orders for the Lafayette area this week until Wednesday, March 30th. We will deliver muffins during the day Friday, April 1st.

Assorted Muffins

(Each muffin will come individually wrapped.)

6 muffins.... $5.00

12 muffins....$10.00

Please contact me (Nichole) for orders. Checks may be made payable to Crosstraining International.

We believe in foreign missions but we also know that we need to IMPACT our community as well. And we know that God uses children today, they are not just the church of tomorrow, but the church of today.

A Little History

In 2002 God called our family of six to the nation of Romania. In 2003 we packed up and moved across the world into unfamiliar territory. We dreamed of launching the first Master’s Commission (an intense discipleship program) in the nation of Romania. But God had different plans for that time period.

For three years we lived and advanced God’s kingdom there, but never felt released to actually launch Master’s Commission. The body of Christ was encouraged and strengthened, a church was born, and many, many people came to know the Lord. And we humbly say we were His voice, hands, and feet to those around us.

Then to our surprise God called us back home to work as Master’s Commission directors and Outreach Pastors for Crossroads Church in Lafayette, LA. For the past five years we have worked faithfully, discipling and training young people to follow Christ and His call upon their lives. We have discipled over 101 men and women through XMC. Presently, twenty five of them are in full time ministry right here in the States and five of them are serving overseas with four more preparing to be full time overseas missionaries within the year. And many more or weekly serving in their local church.

During these years we have continued to work with the Pastors and people of Romania. Traveling regularly individually and with teams to evangelize the nation and encourage and strengthen the church.

Last year, however, God begin to stir within our hearts once again. “It is time! Time to expand the work. Time to have bigger vision. Time to move. ” Time to re-activate Crosstraining International (CTI). So last year, we obeyed and did just that. One of the first things we did was launch a discipleship program in the nation of Romania - Master’s Commission Romania (MCR). What God had spoken so long ago became a reality!

Starting with seven students (4 Romanian national students and 3 American student leaders), Crosstraining International is making an impact on the nation of Romania in so many ways.

Right now we are also in the praying and preparation stages of sending missionaries to Uganda, Germany, and Kenya. Our goal – God willing- is to pioneer discipleship programs in these nations as well.

Please pray about this with us. Pray that we would be sensitive to God’s leading and direction, not running ahead or behind Him.

We are wide open to whatever God wants us to do “practically” in these countries. But we know we are called to reach the nations, to teach people to obey the Word of God, to disciple men, women, and children, to baptize them.

We know discipleship ministries are effective in transforming nations because transformed people will transform their world to the glory of God.

God is a big God with big dreams for His people!!! And the dream He has given us is bigger than ever!

In Him- Shawn and Nichole Marcell

Get Busy

Today I was in meetings concerning Kenya, Uganda, Germany, and Romania. It was crazy. I feel like my brain is spinning like a globe. We are in intense prayer and preparation to launch discipleship programs in Africa. It's so exciting.

Over the past few weeks God has been reminding me of a past season in my life. When I was about 17 years of age God placed an incredible hunger inside me to pray and seek Him but to also pray for the nations. For about a year, I prayed about three hours a day. Often, almost daily, laying hands on a map of all the countries in the world. Calling out country after country. Praying for the lost, asking God to send out laborers into the harvest. I know it was God because that's the only possible way I could have prayed that much. It was an incredible time in the presence of the Lord.

Well He's been stirring us lately. We feel such an urgency to "get busy". To MOVE, to PUSH.

Right now, through Crosstraining International (our mission organization) we have four missionaries overseas. And it looks like we have a potential of 6 more joining within the next few months. Young men and women of God who are answering the call of God to "Go and make disciples..."

Please keep us in prayer as we proceed to advance His kingdom.

Nichole