Biography: The Byroms are
originally from back East where they met at Asbury
College and then attended ATS in
New York. They completed their Home Service
at North Seattle Alliance Church
before being appointed by the C&MA to Bosnia
& Herzegovina.
Current work/status: The
Byroms continue in their work to help the local Evangelical
Church in Tuzla, to develop
significant outreaches with the focus of building a core
group to start a church among
upper-middle class Bosnians. They are helping to
coordinate evangelistic efforts
through the church’s English School. This year there
have been over 160 students,
which has born more opportunity for deeper personal
contact and friendship. The
Byroms are also helping develop new leaders to
strengthen the local church. Mark
continues as the Team leader for a second year for
all C&MA missionaries in Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
Personal prayer requests:
Pray for good discipline both in their personal walks with
Christ and as a family as they
need regular family time together in the midst of a busy
ministry schedule. Pray that
their girls will continue to do well in the local language
and build significant friendships
with other children in school. Pray for good health,
as Tuzla is a very dirty city.
Pray against pneumonia, bronchitis, and bouts of flu and
colds—which have often affected
their family in the past few years (especially in winter
when everyone heats with coal.)
Pray for good balance between ministry and
family—especially for Debbie who
is teaching English to the girls at home and is
regularly involved in ministries
at the church and at the English school.
Ministry prayer requests:
Pray for relational outreach through the English School—
specifically to a core group of
couples and individuals that they have gotten to know
better the last year. Pray for
real breakthrough with these working professionals—
that they would see Christ in the
Byroms and the team at the English School. Pray for
specific outreach to take place
through discussion groups, speaking practices, visits,
and special seminars and our kids
English Camp. Pray for true conversions and the
beginnings of a new church among
the upper middle class of Tuzla. Continue to pray
for the Byrom’s work in
developing new leaders in the church. Pray for their partnership
with Pastor Zoran and his wife
Nives who are new parents—that they can all
work together to see new church
plants in and around Tuzla in north eastern Bosnia
Herzegovina.
MOST RECENT PRAISE &
PRAYER!
December 11, 2006
Greetings Family & Friends! Thanks for
remembering us and being a part of our team!!
PRAISE FOR…
1) Just this Friday we had our SVJETIONIK ENGLISH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS
PARTY – AND IT WENT WELL! Thanks for praying! We had over twenty
students who came – all who heard an explanation of the real meaning
of Christmas and a testimony from Gordana (who is from Tuzla) on how
the Christmas message changed her life. Clearly everyone heard that
God has come in the person of Jesus Christ to bring hope and
forgiveness. The meal and singing went great. The students were
impressed with what we put together for them. CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR
THEIR HEARTS TO BE OPENED TO THE TRUTH OF CHRIST’S GOSPEL. ALL OUR
STUDENTS THIS EVENING WERE MUSLIMS WHO HEARD THIS KIND OF MESSAGE
FOR THE FIRST TIME!
2) The church has built all its tables for use at THE UPCOMING ALPHA
COURSE – PREPARATIONS ARE COMING ALONG LITTLE BY LITTLE. PRAY THAT
THE CHURCH CATCHES A VISION TO INVITE FRIENDS AND BE INVOLVED. We’re
gearing up and had a test run in a sense this last Sunday when we
had a church luncheon with over sixty people attending! WE ARE
EXCITED ABOUT INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE IN HOME GROUPS WHICH HAVE BEEN
GOING VERY WELL. We hope to plug the people from our home groups
into ALPHA for the twelve weeks we’ll be doing this outreach.
3) PRAISE FOR FAMILY HEALTH HOLDING STEADY. We’re all almost over
our colds and are trying to eat well and stay healthy. Thanks for
praying for this – KEEP PRAYING!
4) THIS WEEKEND WE HAD OUR FIELD DIRECTOR, MARK BRINKMAN, WITH OUR
TUZLA TEAM FOR THE OUTREACH AND CONNECTING WITH OUR MISSIONARIES. It
was a good time for him to see what we are doing and to interact
with us as we keep working toward next steps in ministry.
5) We had a FUN FAMILY DAY THIS PAST WEEK setting up our Christmas
tree and just this weekend a major portion of the Christmas gifts
for the girls came through the postal service safely! It’s so fun
for the girls when they get these kinds of packages from family in
the States. We look forward to sending out our thanks – especially
with the two older girls learning how to write now (Bosnian or
English!).
PRAY FOR…
1) As many of you know, DEBBIE’S SISTER HEATHER HAS BEEN WORKING
THROUGH RECOVERING FROM SURGERY THIS FALL WHEN THEY REMOVED A
CANCEROUS TUMOR in the top of her pallet in her mouth. It’s been a
slow recovery working on adjusting to a prosthesis, eating in new
ways, and dealing with a lot of pain and follow-up radiation
treatments. PLEASE PRAY FOR HEATHER’S CONTINUED HEALING AND
ADJUSTMENT. Debbie’s parents have been in Kentucky staying with her
for a number of weeks – helping out in every way possible. This has
been a blessing.
2) PRAY FOR OTHER FAMILY & FRIENDS – SPECIFICALLY ON DEBBIE’S SIDE
OF THE FAMILY WHO ARE DEALING WITH SOME VERY HARD SITUATIONS. Deb’s
aunt Martha has terminal cancer. Her youngest daughter is 6 months
pregnant and her husband is in training to move out to Iraq soon.
This will be a hard time for her if you could remember Kristina in
your prayers as well as her sisters Hope and Tanya. A few other
cousins are dealing with health issues as well and at this point we
aren’t sure how serious they are Also, Debbie’s mom lost her brother
to cancer in September. Her sister Martha has terminal cancer and
her daughter is fighting to survive cancer. Please pray for Joan.
(Deb’s mom) Just this past week we heard one of Deb’s best friends
from high school died suddenly (only 5 weeks from diagnosis) from
cancer. She has left behind her husband, Jeff and three young
children. PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY AND THOSE THAT ARE HURTING AND
SUFFERING THROUGH THESE HARD TIMES. Thanks!
3) PRAY FOR THE MIRACLE OF SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS TO BREAK
THROUGH INTO THE LIVES OF STUDENTS WE WORK WITH AT THE ENGLISH
SCHOOL SVJETIONIK. We are working to share and be open about our
faith – we want to shine Christ ---- but it’s the Holy Spirit that
will open hearts. Specifically pray for these friends we know
through the school, who are mostly nominal Muslims – that they will
look for hope in Christ when times are hard and they experience
times of crisis.
4) OUR FRIENDS FROM THE SCHOOL SVJETIONIK, SEAD & HIS SON ADNAN, HAD
A CAR ACCIDENT DRIVING TO SARAJEVO FROM TUZLA. Pray that they will
recover completely (they weren’t injured terribly). Pray that this
will open opportunity for those of us at the school that spend time
with them to be able to share the Gospel. Sead’s wife Indira was
Debbie’s doctor while she was pregnant with Laura. Now, Sead, Indira
and their son Adnan all go to Svjetionik. They were actually
traveling to Sarajevo so Adnan could take his test for the Cambridge
Certificate.
5) PRAY FOR A GREAT BIH C&MA TEAM CHRISTMAS when we all get together
Dec 23rd in Mostar for a nice dinner together. Pray for a good
internet connection to be able to Skype and talk to family over the
holidays. Pray that we can get a new and better internet connection
installed as soon as possible. The one we have now is very
unreliable. This is the first day in four days that I have internet
running properly. And before that half our house was out of
electricity for three days leaving us really without internet for a
week.
We are so blessed to have you praying along side us as we work here
in Tuzla. Thank you for your help and partnership.
Have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends – with your
churches.
God bless!
Mark, Debbie, Kaelah, Jocelyn & Laura
