http://schrope.bereansgf.org

We trust you all had a safe and Happy New Year.  God has blessed us in so many ways this past year, it would be impossible to put them all down in this letter, but praise God for each and every blessing. We want to thank each and every church that sent us Christmas cards and gifts.  (James 1:17a – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”)  Of course one of our biggest blessings was the birth of our youngest son Carter.  He is now seven months old and crawling all over the place. Cooper turned three this month, Chandler is five, and Connor is eight.  Both Connor and Chandler are home-schooled and are doing well.

January News

We started out the month of January with a meeting in Kansas, and then returned home to Missouri.  We have started going through some of our belongings and packing things in boxes.  Deciding what’s going, what’s staying, and what will be sold, is a bigger task than we thought.  We have a lot of work ahead of us and we’ll probably spend a majority of the month of February going through things.

Paperwork Update

Our visa paperwork has reached its final destination on the Australian immigration side, where they will decide to approve, or disapprove us, for our visas.  This process could still take several weeks, but is a major step in our application.  Please continue to make this a serious matter of prayer.  We did receive word from the Calvary Baptist Church in Australind, Western Australia (this is the church sponsoring us into the country) that they have received a permanent sponsorship status, which is a good thing for us.  This should help out our application, as well as cut down on some of the paperwork process.

Current Status

We are currently filling out some forms that we will send to immigration on the US side, as soon as our application is approved from Australia.  There are still several hoops to go through, and hurdles to jump over, but God is in control, and we trust Him.  Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support for the Schrope family.

Wow!  What a month November turned out to be!  As you may recall, I told you last month that we spent the majority of October in Texas.  We finished up in Texas and went to Oklahoma the beginning of November, then returned home, with a meeting scheduled in the boot heel of Missouri.  We were planning on leaving on Saturday afternoon, for what would be a 3½-hour drive, and then preaching all day on Sunday.  However, at visitation that Saturday morning, our 2 year old son, Cooper, fell over six feet and hit his head on a concrete floor putting him in the hospital with at concussion and fractured skull.  Ten days later, Cooper was trying to reach a toy from behind our couch, when he fell and broke his right arm in two places.  Needless to say, that turned into another hospital visit, followed by a bone specialist, and then a cast.

December Report

December looked like a fairly relaxing month at first, but did not slow down for us at all. Being home allowed us to go to Sunday School Christmas parties, Christmas dinners, Christmas Caroling, and be part of our churches Christmas Cantata, all of which were a joy and blessing.  However, it made for a very busy month.  To top it all off, on December 11, I was ordained into the gospel ministry.  By the end of that night, I was emotionally and physically drained.  Praise the Lord that He would use me to preach His Gospel!  We were excited to be home most of the month of December and to be with family for what would be our last Christmas in the States for quite some time.

Paperwork Update

I had mentioned in our last prayer letter that our paperwork had been sent over and would soon be sitting on the desk of someone at immigration.  We actually had an extra step in the process.  The paper work had to be sent to the Margaret River/Augusta Shire’s local government with a letter stating the reason for us coming over to Australia.  They would have to approve it and then would send it over to immigration.  This extra step added about 7-10 days on our visas, but Praise the Lord, it was nothing major.  We will continue to keep you updated as we know more concerning out visas.  Please continue to pray, as this is a very crucial time in our paperwork process.  We trust you all had a Merry Christmas and a HaHappy New Year.

First let me start out by saying, “Thank You,” for all the e-mails, cards, phone calls and gifts given to us for our birthdays.  They were such a blessing to us.

October was a very busy month for us, and was spent mostly in the state of Texas.  We are finishing up our deputation as we continue to raise the last of our support needed to leave for Australia.

Support and Visa Report

We are currently at 94% on our support level and as I mentioned in our last prayer letter, we have sent over all of our paperwork necessary to apply for our Australian Visas.

I spoke with Bro. Manessis (the national pastor helping us with our visas on the Australian side) via e-mail, and he is confident that our application should be sitting on the desk of an immigration representative by the end of this week sometime.  We are so excited!  The application, once turned in to immigration, could take as long as 6-8 weeks to be approved.  Once the application is approved on the Australian side, they will send us an application that we will need to fill out and turn in to the Australian Embassy here in the United States, which will include, health checks, and background checks from local and federal law enforcements.  Once we turn these applications in and get approved we will purchase plane tickets and prepare for the BIG move to Australia.

Pastor Manessis seems to think that this whole process should put us over in Australia sometime around March or April of 2010, depending on how quickly or slowly immigration is about approving our applications.  Please pray for this process and also pray that our visas will be approved without any problems.

Thanksgiving

We are excited that our schedule affords us the opportunity to be home for Thanksgiving.  We have so much for which to be thankful.  Most importantly, we are thankful for God sending His son to make a way of salvation so that mankind could escape the fires of hell.  We are also very thankful for churches like you who support missionaries, in your prayers and finances, so that we might be able to share this Good News with others.  We trust you all will have a wonderful, Happy Thanksgiving.

We started out the month of September back in Missouri.  I had the opportunity to preach at the Missouri Independent Baptist Preacher’s Fellowship in Strafford, MO.  What an opportunity for a young preacher to be able preach the Word of God to so many seasoned preachers.  It was truly an honor.

Outdoor Revival Meeting

Being back home in Missouri also afforded us the opportunity to be at our home church for our Old Fashion Outdoor Camp Meeting.  Having missed it the past couple years while on deputation, we were very excited to be there.  Bro. Dean Herring, Pastor of the South Valley Baptist Church in Kuna, ID, was the guest speaker.  As he expounded upon the Word of God, the Holy Spirit moved in hearts and we got to see souls saved and many decisions made for Christ.  What a refreshing time it was for us as the Lord spoke to our hearts concerning areas in our own lives that needed correction.

Support Level And Visas

As I write this letter, we are currently in the state of Texas continuing to raise the remainder of our support.  We are currently at about 93% on our support level, and we are trusting the Lord to give us the other 7%.  He has brought us this far and we are confident He’s not going to forsake us now.  We have sent off all the paperwork that we needed to send to Australia for our Visa applications to be submitted, and by the beginning, to middle part of November, the applications should be sitting on someone’s desk at immigration waiting for approval.  We are still continuing to put back love offerings toward our plane tickets and set up fund.  Thank you again to each church that has had a part in helping us with this financial need.  Thank you also, to each one who takes a part in supporting us faithfully each month through your finances and prayers.  Only eternity will tell, the results of your faithfulness.

It’s hard to believe as I write this letter that there are only 100 days until Christmas.  Where has this year gone?  The past nine months have been very busy.  August was a full month starting with a preachers meeting in St. Joseph, MO and then heading to our last Vacation Bible School of the summer.  It was also a month of ups and downs as far as our paperwork for Australia was concerned.  We felt like we were on a roller coaster with the immigration department.

Visa News

We found out that the way we were planning on going into the country with the $35,000.00 up front was only a one-year temporary visa which would have to be renewed every year and would never become permanent.  That would require that every year, we have the $35,000.00 up front in an Australian bank, and every year we would have to go through the headache of getting it renewed.  However, just when it seemed like one door was closing, God opened another door, which I mentioned briefly in our last letter.  It’s called the “Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme” (RSMS), and would essentially be a migration visa, which means it, would be permanent.  This is truly an answer to prayer!

How It Works

This visa would be a two-year permanent visa, which would require that we be sponsored in by a national pastor, and would require a lot of paperwork proving that all of our support would be coming from the United States, and that we would not be taking anything from the Australian government.  While the Australian government would not necessarily require the $35,000.00 up front in order to approve our visas; according to Bro. Chris Manessis, (The national Pastor sponsoring us into the country) it would still be a good thing to provide these funds up front as an extra nail on which to hang our application.  We have already started the process of the (RSMS) application, and we are continuing to raise money for our plane tickets and set up fund.  Any money that we raise we will send over to be used for the application, and then once our visas are approved we will put it towards our airline tickets and set up fund.  Thank you again to everyone who has given thus far towards this financial need and thank you especially for all the prayers on behalf of our family and the visa situation.  We are continuing to schedule meetings and raise the remainder of our support, as well as starting to tie up loose ends, and set things in order as we prepare to go to Australia.  We trust this letter finds you all doing well.

July was a great month.  It was busy, but a lot of fun.  We started out the month by going to a week of “Family Camp” with our home church.  That was very enjoyable and good for our family just to have a break from the road.  After camp we had two more Vacation Bible Schools in Missouri, where we were able to see two other children call upon the Lord to be their Saviour, and many others raise their hand that the were lost and needed to be saved.  Please continue to pray for the seed that’s been planted in the hearts of these children, that they will see their need, and be saved.

Support Report

Praise the Lord for his continued blessings.  We are now at 92% on our support level and we still have some churches that have said they are planning on taking us on for monthly support.  We trust the Lord will allow these churches to take us on and get us up to 100% very soon.  We are still scheduling meetings, and raising support, although we have slowed down a little as we try to raise money for our visas, plane tickets, and set up fund.  I can remember when we were only at 8% on our support, and now we only need 8%!  If we could get the last 8% as quickly as we got the first, it would truly be a blessing.  Please pray with us that the last of our support will come in quickly.

Visa Report

I had explained in our last prayer letter, that due to the fact that the laws in Australia have changed, we would need about $35,000.00 for our Visas to be approved, however, we could use that $35,000.00 for airline tickets and for getting set up over in Australia once our visas were approved. The Australian government is really making things difficult for us to get in, even with $35,000.00 up front, However, Bro. Manessis has come across the “Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme” (RSMS), which is a spinoff of the way, that Bro. Carr got into the country, only with better terms and conditions.  Going through the RSMS would allow us a two-year temporary visa that would automatically become a permanent visa after the two years.  This would require a little more paperwork up front on our part, as far as showing recent financial support statements, but would definitely be the most beneficial to us in the end.   As far as having the $35, 000 up front for going the RSMS way, we are not sure on this yet, but we will still need some money, for plane tickets, and our set up fund for sure.   Thank you to everyone who has given thus far towards our financial need and thank you especially for all the prayers that have gone up on the behalf of our family and the visa situation.  God knows, and He is ultimately in control.  If you have any questions concerning our visas or would like to speak with me personally, you can call my cell @ (417) 894-9901 or e-mail me at missions4wa@me.com.

Hello once again from the Schrope family.  We trust this month’s prayer letter finds you all doing well.  It seems we just finish writing a prayer letter and then it’s time for another one to be sent.   This year is going by way too quickly.  Just the other day, my wife and I were discussing how that the year 2009 was over half way gone, and would you believe it, the same day we went into a store and they already had their Christmas stuff out and on the shelves.  WOW!!!

June Report

As we reported last month, we started out the month of June with the birth of our son Carter Lewis Schrope.  We left the hospital with him on Friday, and the following Wednesday, we went to Cassville, MO to start their Vacation Bible School.  What a blessing it was to see all the children come and have the opportunity to hear the gospel.  We left Cassville and headed back to Springfield, MO on Monday morning and we started Vacation Bible School again at our home church.  June stayed so busy, that by the time July got here we looked back and asked ourselves if we missed a month!  God was so good to give fruit for the labors of VBS.  Seven boys and girls trusted Christ as their Saviour at VBS and many had the seed planted in their hearts.  Please pray for all those who still need to be saved.  Many raised their hands that they were uncertain about where they would spend eternity.

Current Report

We are currently in the process of trying to raise money for our visas and plane tickets to Australia.  In summary, due to the fact that the laws in Australia have changed, we will need about $35,000.00 for our Visas to be approved, however, we can use that $35,000 for airline tickets and for getting set up over in Australia once our visas are approved.  I am contacting pastors and explaining to them in full details the situation and I have a letter that I could send anyone who would like it explaining the situation of our visa paperwork in detail.  Please let me know or contact me if you have any questions.  Please pray for us as we start to near the end of deputation and begin wrapping things up here in the states.  Pray as we raise the funds and begin the process of applying for our visas that the Lord would have His will and His way with all the upcoming obstacles we may encounter through this process.  Thank you to everyone who has a part in our ministry through prayers and support.  We love you all and we look forward to the day we will be sending our monthly reports to you from Australia, “The Land Down Under.”

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  We spent the month of May finishing up some final meetings close to home and then getting everything prepared for the arrival of our fourth son Carter.  The more we thought about what all needed to be done, the more overwhelmed we became.  I guess after two years of not having a baby, you forget about the little things like, what all goes in the diaper bag and where will the little guy sit in the car, and just little things that you don’t normally consider.  Everything worked out though, and before he arrived, we were ready.

Carter Lewis Schrope

Carter Lewis Schrope was born on June 1, 2009.  He weighed 8lbs and was 20 ½ inches long. He was born with lots of hair and looks pretty much like a Schrope boy.  Our pastor, Jeff Ables, said, “If you’ve seen one Schrope baby, you’ve seen them all, because they look alike,” and he’s right.

Delivery Report

Everything went perfect as far as the delivery was concerned, and that is no doubt because God’s people were interceding on our behalf, and God heard and answered prayers.  Praise His name!  As you know, we were concerned about Angie being able to have the baby naturally as opposed to a C-section, but God saw fit to allow her body to go into labor on it’s own.  We arrived at the hospital on June 1^st around 9:00pm, and by 11:08pm, we had a baby.  It was the fastest and easiest delivery my wife has ever had.  Again thank you for your prayers for Angie and Carter, and our family during that time.

April was quite a busy month for us.  We went from Texas, to Oklahoma, to Missouri, to Oklahoma again, to New Mexico, and then to Nebraska.  The New Mexico trip, however, was only Chandler and myself.  Angie, Connor, and Cooper returned home while we took an airplane out of Oklahoma City to Albuquerque.  It was a good trip and Chandler really enjoyed the time with Daddy by himself.  After returning from New Mexico, we picked up Connor in Missouri and headed to Nebraska for another meeting, Connor Chandler, and me.  

One final trip

We came back home after Nebraska, and had a meeting scheduled with one of our supporting churches, the Faith Baptist Church in Eldon, MO for the first Wednesday through Sunday in May.  I had been asked several months ago to preach their Mission’s Conference.  We had a good meeting, and because it was so close to home (2 hours) Angie travelled with us. That was a blessing for all of us.  We finished up with that meeting and headed back home where we will be until Carter is born the end of this month.

Baby Report

Speaking of Carter, everything seems to be going just fine. In the beginning of the pregnancy, the doctor was doing ultrasounds with every visit to make sure there were no problems, but with the due date being so close, the ultrasounds are no longer necessary.  The doctor says that everything is looking great and they will do one more ultrasound next week to see Carter’s size, and depending on how big he is, the doctor will decide whether or not to take him via C-Section.   The next time I send out a prayer letter, we should have another addition to the family.  Please continue to pray for Angie and Carter in these last two weeks of the pregnancy.  

Support Level

We are so excited that several more churches have voted to take us on for financial support this past month.  We are now at 85% of our support level.  Please continue to pray that the Lord would supply the other 15% so that we can get over to the field.

Visa Paperwork

Also, continue to pray for our Australian Visas.  We just sent some paperwork over to Australia last week and we are trusting that God will provide everything we need for us to get our Visas quickly.  We trust all is well with each of you.  Thank you for praying faithfully for the Schrope family.