Reach Higher

Hey guys! Thanks to everyone for praying - we had a safe trip there and back. Also, our prayers were answered in every way possible. God provided travel protection (we nearly missed a flight - but made it just in time), clear vision, financial provision, Christian fellowship, and a very refreshing time as well.

Although we still have some more steps in the appointment process, God has shown us very clearly what our next step is. The ministry that is being accomplished from Bonaire is absolutely incredible. There are hundreds of house churches in Cuba that meet DAILY because of the ministry of TWR in that region. There are over 800,000 confirmed TWR listeners in Cuba and over 3.5 million in Venezuela. Over 3,000 pastors from Columbia owe their salvation and much of their Bible training to TWR as well. There are remote villages in the jungles of Brazil that meet DAILY to hear God's Word taught to them in their own language.

I believe that God calls every believer to serve Him wholeheartedly wherever he or she is. I also believe that God uses our past experiences and our passions to direct us in how we serve in ministry. The incredible ministry of TWR on Bonaire cannot be properly maintained or expanded without adequate staff. After meeting the staff currently serving there and seeing firsthand what God is doing there – we feel led to partner with them in spreading the Gospel message throughout that region. I (Brandon) feel that many of my passions, education, and experiences have prepared me to fill the need and work alongside other dedicated Christ-followers at the Bonaire station. He has prepared and equipped Laura to assist me in this service. We plan to proceed in pursuing this opportunity unless God directs us otherwise.

We covet your prayers and continued support in the coming months. Thanks again to all who have already been praying – please continue! And to those who have supported financially – Thank you!

We plan to keep you all informed as we progress through this process. Below, you will find a link to a video recently produced by TWR. It gives a glimpse of how anyone can use their talents, skills, passions, and abilities to serve the Lord throughout the world. Whatever you do – wherever you do it – do it to the glory of God! Thanks and may God richly bless each of you!


TWR Reach Higher Video on You Tube- Click Here!

What a mighty God we serve!

I wanted to take just one more opportunity to share just how good our God is. As many of you know, we were not yet fully funded for the trip when we left. We were confident that we were right where God wanted us, however, and He provided for and protected us completely through your prayers and generous financial gifts. We just received the final giving report and found that we not only met the goal, but exceeded it! The additional funds will give us a jump start when we begin the support-raising process after appointment. I know that there was a huge outpouring of prayer on our behalf during the trip, I appreciate your continued prayers in the days ahead.

Bonaire Update- Tuesday, August 11, 2009

We had another very long, but insightful day today. Brandon spent the day at the office being briefed specifically on the role and expectations for the Business Administrator here. The Site Director has been quite busy performing the duties of about 5 people and would be extremely relieved to have some of these additional duties off his plate. As a Business Administrator a key part of Brandon's role would be to learn the Dutch language (along with the local language Papiamentu) and assimilate into the Bonairian culture to work alongside the local government and make sure that TWR-Bonaire is operating legally and in a way that is beneficial to Bonaire while still reaching the intended listening audience.

I spent most of the morning with the Site Director's wife familiarizing myself with shopping here. I was astounded by some of the prices. For instance, a gallon of fresh milk is close to $10. Fresh milk is imported onto the island from the US and has several taxes and duties added on top of the already high cost of shipping. This significantly raises the cost of living. However, there are other options available. Shelf-stable milk is available in boxed form and is a great alternative for a price much closer to those I am used to. While many American products are available, cost is prohibitive in most cases. There would be an adjustment to my shopping style, but with some flexibility and creativity some very healthy and tasty options are available.

Brandon and I have had a wonderful time getting to meet some of the people here. They have been very friendly. Stay tuned for some neat new words we have learned!

Update from Bonaire- Monday, August 10, 2009

Praise the Lord! Several other prayer and financial partners have come on board even throughout the weekend. God has provided $1,513 of the needed funding for this vision trip and we have been encouraged and protected by your prayers for us.

We had a safe flight to Bonaire, N.A. on Saturday. We had one close call with our connection in Miami going to Bonaire since the flight from Charlotte, NC was delayed. We were very thankful that we only packed carry-on luggage or else we might not have made it to check-in. However, we did arrive in time and God even worked our seating out for each flight so we were able to sit together (our original seating assignments were not near each other.) Additionally, God worked it out so we had exit row seating on two of the flights. What a blessing!

We had a wonderful time worshiping the Lord with the congregation at the International Bible Church of Bonaire on Sunday morning. Brandon sang "Amazing Grace" during the morning service and many church members shared that they were blessed. The pastor gave a very encouraging message on the many spiritual blessings through salvation in Jesus Christ and the Sunday School lesson was about Ezekiel. We were able to meet several Americans living on the island in addition to Dutch immigrants and local Bonaire residents or Antillians (from the Netherlands Antilles.) One of these Antillian families happened to be the family of a dear Liberty University graduate that I met a couple of years back. What a small world!

Today was absolutely packed with meetings and touring the TWR facility. We were able to get a much clearer idea of the vision and vast scope of TWR's ministry to the people of Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

We learned of many believers/pastors who rely on Trans World Radio-Bonaire's broadcasts for discipleship since they cannot afford or are unable to attend seminary. Some of these believers meet in groups each night for a 3 hour broadcast and afterwords discuss how God used it in their lives. God is giving people a hunger and thirst for the transforming power of His Word through this ministry. What a vital impact this location has.

We also learned of the great need for staff/missionaries here as well as the importance of funding to repair braces on the towers. Without repair, these 4 towers could collapse potentially costing millions to repair and leaving millions of listeners in the "dark."

We thank you for your continued prayers as God shows us His will for our lives and hope to update you as often as we have internet access.

Will you be 1 of 28?

We only need 28 more people to donate $10 each to complete the matching gift of $600. Will you be 1 of 28? It's easy online:

Go to https://www.twr.org/projekt/602
Missionary Name: Brandon and Laura Neal
Support Designation: Support Fund

See your $10 turn in to $20. It's not too late!

Prayer Points for the Days Ahead

Thank you for your many prayers and financial gifts as we continue to seek God’s face for His guidance and direction in our lives! Your faithful prayers have been instrumental up to this point, and we know that God will continue to strengthen us and protect us from the Devourer because of them.

We are getting ready to head to Cary, NC tonight and will fly out from Raleigh, NC tomorrow morning. We should arrive on Bonaire tomorrow evening. We have seen so many people rally around us during these days and feel so blessed by your many words of encouragement. We now have over 200 members staying updated on The Neal Family's Missions Updates Facebook group as well as several people who have committed to partner with us through prayer and financial gifts.

We do plan to continue to post updates at www.thenealnotes.blogspot.com and hope to even get the chance to post some while we are on Bonaire.

You can still sign-up to receive updates or partner with using the form on the right. We promise we won't sell your information or anything. Everything you fill in comes straight to us and is used only as you direct so we can keep in contact with you. We do have spaces available for daily prayer partners on August 9-15th. Additionally, there are still matching funds available. If you were planning to give, now is a great time to see your gift doubled through a generous donor's $600 matching gift.

Here are some specific ways you can pray for us in the days ahead.

Throughout the month of August-

• Pray that God would continue to make His will clear to us.
• Pray for strength and health during our busy month.
• Pray for safe travel during our trip to Bonaire, N.A. (August 8-15^th), visits with our partners, and candidate orientation in Cary, NC -TWR Headquarters at the end of August.
• Pray that Brandon will be effective and efficient at work and Laura will have energy to keep up with our very active son as well as other responsibilities at home.

During the week of August 8^th-15^th –

Pray for:

• Spiritual transformation in the lives of the many people who will hear the Gospel through TWR’s broadcasts
• Safe travel free of delays, missed flights, or baggage issues
• Safety and health for our son, Benjamin, who will be in Indiana with family
• A clear sense of God’s guidance and direction for the days ahead
• Increasing oneness of purpose and spiritual vitality as a couple
• Donors for TWR-Bonaire’s brace replacement project
• Health and few (or no) mosquito bites
• Many opportunities to be an encouragement to the missionaries already serving on Bonaire

We would also love to stay in touch with your family and to pray for any specific needs you may have. We can be contacted through Facebook, Twitter, our website, email, phone, mail, etc...

Thanks again for connecting with us.

The Neal Family

We don't need your money, but don't stop reading there.

One thing a lot of people struggle with when it comes to missions is the whole money thing. I'd say that most missionaries don't like to ask for it and most people don't like to be asked for it.

Think your gift is too small to matter? If every member of our Facebook group decided to skip one meal to fast and pray and gave what they would have spent on the meal we would meet our goal! That is one Starbucks coffee, McDonald's Combo, or Little Caesar's Hot-N-Ready pizza. That really isn't too much to ask is it?

We aren't asking you to give to us because we need your money. We aren't asking because God needs your money. We are asking because we want giving to become your heartbeat. We are made in God's image, and He is a giver. He gave his only Son! If what we are doing doesn't line up with your passion and you don't catch our vision, that is fine.

Do you have a heart for orphans and widows? (Jesus did!) Give up a meal so you can help a widow out with her water bill. Think that the unborn and their mothers need an alternative to abortion? Donate items and/or your time to your local crisis pregnancy center. Believe in the importance of Christian media? Whatever it is- partner with others to make it a reality. Those being reached are usually the least able to give back to such important ministries. That is where we, as Christians, stand up and fill in the gap.

It is more important to us that you make giving a part of who you are so that you can be used by God. Each time we give our money, we give up a little bit more than that. We give up our selfishness, our greed, and our sense of entitlement. We are reminded that all we have is God's and that we just manage it. We remember that our lives are about worshiping our Creator and giving is one way we can do that. Over the years, Brandon and I have seen God do amazing things in and through us when we surrender ourselves and our wallets to God’s will instead of our own. Does this mean we will be blessed financially when we give? Not necessarily. I believe it does mean, however, that if our hearts are right we get to know our Creator in a new way and be blessed spiritually. So please, do not dismiss this as another person begging for your money. I am hoping for a spiritual awakening that includes the greatest physical representation of where our hearts are – the checkbook.

9 Days Remaining- 6 Prayer Partners- 19% Funding

With just 9 days left until we travel to Bonaire, I become more and more thankful for God's blessings. He has given us the strength we need to get through each day. As many of you know, we have also been in the process of renting our Lynchburg home to some tenants while Brandon has been working a lot of hours.

I am grateful for the wonderful friends and family who have been such a support for us during these chaotic days and weeks and am relieved that the chaos seems to be winding down. Please pray for rest and renewal as we continue to prepare ourselves spiritually for the days ahead.

I am also glad to let you know that as of this afternoon we were aware of $352 in contributions toward our Bonaire vision trip. This puts us at approximately 19% and with an additional $424 available for matching funds. Do not miss out on this opportunity to have your gift doubled!

We are still looking for 29 prayer partners. We have officially met our goal of 5 partners for August 8th and still have openings on August 9-15th. Would you like to commit to pray specifically for us? Please sign up to the right so I can send you specific requests for your selected day!

$600 Matching Gift- Double your gift!!

Praise the Lord! We have a very generous donor who is willing to match up to $600 donated toward our Bonaire Vision Trip. If you were thinking about giving, now is the time to utilize this opportunity to double your gift! Donations up to a total of $600 will be matched.

To give:
Go to https://www.twr.org/projekt/602
Missionary Name: Brandon and Laura Neal
Support Designation: Support Fund

11 Days Remaining- 5 Prayer Partners- Funding Total Pending

God is good! With 11 days remaining, we have 5 prayer partners who have committed to pray for us throughout August and specifically on one day during August 8-15th while we travel. We are still looking for at least 30 more who will commit to the same. You may register at the right so we can send you prayer prompts for the specific day you choose. We do not underestimate the power of God's people uniting in prayer and purpose. We have already seen the impact of your prayers up to this point.

Additionally, I wanted to be able to report whether we met our 35% goal today, but some internet gifts are still being processed and tallied by TWR, so I cannot give the final report. I expect to have the updated totals on Thursday! Thank you to all of you who have given so generously in these trying economic times.

I am also thrilled to mention that at the time of this writing there are 110 members of "The Neal Family's Missions Updates" group on Facebook. I am so thankful to see friends and family come together to stay updated. This group is open to the public. Feel free to join!

14 Days- 4 Prayer Partners - 3% Funded

Praise the Lord! With 2 weeks left, our partners are also catching the vision and staying updated with our progress. We are at 3% funding with a goal to reach 35% by Monday, July 27th. We also have 4 prayer partners out of our goal of 35 prayer partners. Will you join with us? You can register at the right to pray, give, or stay updated!

17 Days and Counting!

We have just 17 days left until our Vision trip to Bonaire. We are praying that God will raise up 35 prayer partners who will commit to pray for us once a day throughout the month of August as well as choosing one day to pray specifically throughout the day while we are overseas August 8-15th. We are also trusting God to lead churches, families, and individuals to partner with us financially to raise 35% of our goal by Monday, July 27th. I feel confident that God will use us to be an encouragement to the missionaries currently serving on Bonaire and that He will use this trip to clearly reveal His direction for our lives.

Vision Trip

As many of you may know, we have felt an increasing burden to serve in missions over the past year. Through many different circumstances, the Lord has confirmed to us that this is a direction He wants us to pursue. As we began to explore opportunities for service, we became connected with Trans World Radio. TWR is a multinational media network whose goal is simply “To assist the church to fulfill the command of Jesus Christ to make disciples of all peoples and to do so by using and making available mass media...” They are doing just that by producing programs in over 220 languages to over 2,000 outlets throughout the world, including areas where radio may be the only way people can hear the Gospel.

The type of work that TWR engages in fits very well with both of our skill sets. Brandon has applied for a position as a Business Administrator on the island of Bonaire. The team on this island needs someone who will be able to liaise between the ministry and government officials as well as manage the finances on this field. Laura is discussing working remotely for a subsidiary of TWR called MemCare by Radio. MCBR is headquartered in Europe and focuses on provided quality member care via media (radio and Web) for Christian workers serving all over the world—particularly in remote locations. This would be a great use of her education and experience in Human Services/Business Management.

As this would be a huge transition for our family, we feel that it is wise for us to take a one week trip to Bonaire in mid-August. While we are there we plan to meet with our prospective team, research housing options, and try to get a general sense of what life would be like for our family at this location. We would like to ask you to partner with us as we take these steps toward full-time service in international missions. We know that with these endeavors the prayers of family and friends are vital. Would you pray for us as we move forward in our application for service with TWR? TWR will provide us housing and local transportation while we are on Bonaire. However, we are responsible to pay for our airfare from the U.S. to Bonaire. The cost of our travel is approximately $1,800. Please pray for us as we work to raise these funds. If you feel God has laid it on your heart to help us take this vision trip, please make your tax-deductible donation online at https://www.twr.org/projekt/602 . You may designate “Brandon and Laura Neal” under Missionary Name and select the “Support Fund” option to support us financially. If you would prefer to mail a tax-deductible donation by check to TWR, feel free to contact me for more information. Thank you so much for your continual prayer for and support of our family!