Dear Family and Friends,

Nate and His “Savage Monkey Children” are Back! After 9 days together on a band/outdoor education trip, the middle school and leaders have returned to tell about all their experiences and what God has done. Praise God that Nate’s squad, the 8th grade class, were healthy, responsive and had good unity and growth. Yesterday at chapel I heard one of them share that God taught her about how to care for others, just like the soldiers in WWII on Bataan helped their fellows who were wounded or weak. Students also learned about being on fire for God through a science lesson using actual fire and the story of Elijah from the Old Testament.

This Trip to Manila was Unique since it was the first time that the middle school went up early to have a band festival combined with students from Faith Academy Manila. Nate had a big responsibility and role in coordinating with the band director there and in making sure his students had their music and instruments. They were blessed to experience playing with others, including a 90-person orchestral performance on the night of the band festival. Because they were there early to join the band, the students also got to experience more of Manila and learn about the history of the Philippines at a museum and downtown at the old city with walls (pictures on blog). I can hardly imagine how blessed this group of young people is to be able to have all these learning experiences, whereas when I was in middle school I only went on one overnight at a local camp for my outdoor education! Praise God for all He is doing in the lives of these young people both academically, relationally and spiritually!

Nate’s Discipleship Ministry Extended Beyond This Week, as I finally made the connection when he shared that he has been teaching this class since they were in third grade! Wow! What an influence he has in their lives, through teaching music and modeling the character and love of Christ. I think it is really neat how God has given him these students to mold and shape to be the next generation in following Christ, worshiping Him and serving also in ministry and missions. Not only has Nate taught them music since grade 3, but he has been teaching them band since they were beginners and many of them are also now in his worship/Bible class every morning. To have 9 more intense days together with them on this trip was certainly another life-changing experience for them all. Praise God that they have good relationships and that God can use Nate so much in this discipleship ministry.

“Faith on the Rock”, Was the Theme, Centered Around a Trip to the Rock of Corregidor Island. The first night was at Base Camp, where students introduced their squads. The next day, Mr. Becker and his “Savage Monkey Children” as they named themselves, or SMC, went on boats to the small island in the Manila bay, Corregidor. This island was strategic in WWII in many ways and is filled with history, which students learned lots about (pictures on blog). The next day they went back to Base camp and did swimming games, teambuilding through the “Amazing Race” and they had an outreach to the local Filipino kids. Their group went to a school to share the gospel about Jesus through the colors on a bracelet symbolizing sin, Jesus’ blood, and God’s forgiveness. Mr. Becker and the SMC showed love to some of the 4th grade Filipino boys by playing games like freeze tag and sharing the gospel bracelets. Praise God for this opportunity for students to share their faith in a real way and for this ministry experience. The last day they went to a beach and learned about some baby turtles at a conservation. The day ended with them sending the turtles out to sea at sunset and then sharing in a time of worship and spiritual growth as a group. Students said, “The sunset matched our feelings that night as we knew it was our last night and OE was almost over but that it was also such a wonderful experience.” Praise God for all His faithfulness and answered prayers on this trip, and pray that the lessons learned will be lasting in their lives.

Though the Becker Boys and I Survived 9 Days without Nate, we were glad to have him back finally! When we saw airplanes, Elijah would point up and say “Papa!” He was sick while Papa was gone, and Malachi also got a rash, but praise God they are both better now (but now Nate is sick and recovering, so pray for his healing). I was thankful for lots of help and for friends while Nate was gone, though it seemed like our longest separation ever! After one week I broke down, but then God lifted me up through promises in His Word, especially my beloved Psalms: “Surely God is my help. The LORD is the one who sustains me” (Ps. 54.4); “Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice” (Ps. 55.17); “When I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Ps. 56.3); “And I in righteousness I will see your face, when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Ps. 17.15). I wrote these in my journal, and whenever I would wake up alone or from a bad dream I would meditate on these verses and pray to God. He was there and answered my prayers by sending me peace and his presence. I drew closer to God in Nate’s absence through depending on Him more rather than on Nate, and I also learned that I need to pray for Nate more when he is here, since I prayed so much for him while he was gone! Praise God for sustaining me and our boys while Nate was gone, and praise God that Nate is back safe and sound!

We Are Ever Thankful For Your Prayers and Encouragement! Thank you for being a part of our ministry and being part of our lives. We can continue serving and loving others knowing that you are behind us and God has sent us as part of a body of believers. Let us know if there are updates in your life or prayer requests. We always appreciate hearing from you as well.

All for Jesus,
Nate, Jessica, Elijah and Malachi Becker

• For a great outdoor education and band festival for Nate and his students—unity, health, spiritual growth, relationship-building and discipleship, and ministry/outreach opportunity to local Filipino schools
• That our boys are healthy again (other than small colds) and that Nate is back safe and sound!
• That God has sustained us and “satisfied us with seeing his likeness”, and for the encouragement in His Word

• Pray for health (especially for Nate’s recovery and rest) and strength and continued spiritual vitality
• Pray that the lessons learned by students on OE will be lasting and life-changing, and for Nate’s continued ministry discipling them and teaching them
• Pray for Jessica as she prepares to lead worship on the coming ladies’ retreat (March 6-7)
• Pray for wisdom about how to give and how to use God’s resources to help others
• Pray for Bible Translation to continue and be completed so everyone on this earth can have His Word and His promises in a language they can understand! (What would I do without God’s Word?)
• Pray that we will continue to keep Christ in the center of our marriage and ministry, that we will abide in Christ and grow in Him, and that God will use us to bring many people to know and worship Him