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As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God… If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10-11

Dear Friends and Family
Several months ago, I was taking promotional photographs of some of our students. As we were setting up the camera equipment and positioning people for the shot, one of the students asked me, “Why aren’t you doing photography as a ministry?” I replied, “Because the Lord hasn’t called me to do that.” Little did I know that just a few days later, the Lord would indeed call me to do that very thing.

After five years of serving the Lord with Word of Life Fellowship Canada in the Bible Institute ministry, Naomi and I will be starting a new journey of service. This fall,we will be joining the missionary staff of GoodSeed International.

The Decision
Throughout most of my life I never considered myself a creative person (overactive imagination excluded). But over the last seven years I have learned that I enjoy writing and that I have a passion and an eye for photography. However, with my history of administrative work I was very surprised to have the opportunity to minister with GoodSeed in their creative department. It was something I hadn’t really considered, but the more I have thought about it, the more it fits. Others have recognized this too. When my supervisor here at WOL heard what I would be doing, he said, “Troy, this is you!”

That doesn’t mean that it was an easy decision. We have really enjoyed our ministry with WOL and the fellowship of our coworkers and students. We wish we could be in two places at once! There were many things to think about: moving to Alberta, attending a different church, having to buy or rent a place to live in a crazy housing market, a radically different role for me, but of first importance… Is this what God would like us to do? After several months of prayer and discussion with close friends, we decided that, yes, God is calling us to make this change of ministry. And now we are excited to see how God is going to use us in and through GoodSeed.

As part of the Creative Ministry Team, I will be helping the ministry of GoodSeed as a writer, photographer and videographer (shooting and editing video) as we create tools to share the Gospel through books, video and the internet.

What does our future hold?
Along with this change come some challenges. We plan to continue working with WOL preparing for the start of a new school year. Then in September we will pack up and, after Troy helps teach an evangelism seminar at WOLBI using GoodSeed materials, we will begin the process of moving to Alberta and finding a place to live.

Below are some challenges we face in the next six months:

• We are praying that the Lord will provide housing for us, as there is currently 100% occupancy in Olds, Alberta (the location of GoodSeed’s Canadian office) and even renting is now very expensive.
• Troy will need to undergo extensive training for the new type of ministry he will have even while we are getting our family settled in this new location.
• GoodSeed is a non-profit ministry and as missionaries, we will continue to be supported the same way any other missionary would be if they were working overseas. We rely upon churches and friends to make our participation possible. GoodSeed does not deduct administrative expenses—100% of what is designated for us will go to our support. We are currently at 75% of our support needed for working with GoodSeed. Pray that the Lord will raise up those who will partner with us to make the difference. If you are interested in supporting us in our ministry with GoodSeed, please look at the box below for more detail.
• If you have any questions about this change in our ministry, please feel free to email us at troy.johnstone@gmail.com.

Feedback from WOLBI students whom Troy helped teach using GoodSeed materials:

“It has taught me so much more about God. I never really connected things up before now. Now I actually understand how everything came together. I really appreciate being taught about [the Gospel]. I can now talk more about God’s Word to people, because I understand it so much better!”

“I learned a lot of how things tie together that I did not know before. Answers to questions that I was afraid I would not be able to answer if someone asked me to explain something…”

“This study has been beneficial because I have had some doubts to the truth of the Bible lately. I know that there is mountains of evidence that points to the truth of the Bible, but by taking this course, I know that God has his hand in everything and that this book cannot be anything but truth… It has helped to clarify certain things in the Bible that I was struggling with.”

“It’s all new to me, but it’s so helpful to think I can use it to help my non-Christian family.”

What is GoodSeed?

Along with Word of Life, GoodSeed International is passionately committed to sharing the Gospel of Christ clearly with this lost world. GoodSeed believes in the need to be crystal clear on the Bible’s primary message, the Gospel, and being able to pass it on in a way that makes sense. To that end GoodSeed is committed to:

1. creating tools
GoodSeed produces materials that present a Creation to Christ approach to sharing the Gospel, laying down a foundation about God and His holy character before presenting Jesus Christ. We provide materials that are sensitive to different ages, settings, cultural and religious backgrounds, the illiterate, and such groups as the seeing impaired. Our goal is to translate culturally contextualized materials into all major and many smaller language groups.

GoodSeed has materials for use here in Canada, including materials geared for those from Muslim and Polytheistic backgrounds. We are producing materials for children, teens, ESL (English as a Second Language), correspondence courses, DVDs, audio CDs, visual aides for teaching, and many other materials. There is a constant stream of products being translated in languages from all over the world.

2. teaching people how to use those tools
Seminars are conducted around the world to train pastors, missionaries and lay people in how to use these evangelism tools. For the last few years Troy has helped teach this seminar at WOLBI to our students.

If you wish to learn more about GoodSeed, visit us at http://www.goodseed.com/. You may also sign up for the GoodSeed newsletter, Gleanings.

Just a few of GoodSeed’s Evangelism Tools…

Financial Information:
Our ministry with GoodSeed officially begins in October. Current supporters will need to make the switch by the end of September. All donations should be made payable to GoodSeed and be designated for Troy & Naomi Johnstone.

GoodSeed is able to process funds through EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer – online form for Canada for USA) if so desired (that is a fancy way of saying they can transfer directly from a donor’s bank to our GoodSeed account).
GoodSeed Contact information:
Address: PO Box 3704, Olds, AB T4H 1P5
Phone Number: 1-800-442-7333
Web: www.goodseed.com
Email: info.ca@goodseed.com

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precious baby girl

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Is. 40:11

How graciously the Lord has led us these past six months since Naomi’s complications first began. Adelaine’s full term arrival is a miracle to us and we thank the Lord for His goodness. Already, we can’t imagine life without her! Naomi’s labour went quite well and she is recovering quickly. Adelaine has been a very content baby thus far. Ellie is quite excited about her little sister and loves to watch her and help mommy and daddy care for her. She often mimics what we do with Adelaine when she plays with her dolls. We’re so grateful for her enthusiastic acceptance of her new little sibling.
Ellie meets Adelaine

busy months ahead..
The students arrived back January 3 before heading down to New York for a challenging two-day Missions Conference at our main campus. Their time there resulted in many life-changing decisions being made, with over twenty students expressing a desire to serve the Lord in ministry.

The big challenge of this quarter is Snow Camp. Beginning on January 26, the students will be heavily involved in these six weekends of ministry to teens.

From March 9-19, Troy will be leading a group of students on the first WOLBI missions trip to Jamaica for ten days. They will be doing Bible clubs, open air evangelism and other outreaches into the community.

extreme makeover: basement edition
We feel as thrilled with our new basement room as those people on the reality TV show! It was incredible to see the Lord use you, His church, to bless us in so many different ways. In the end, we received just the right amount of money, came in just under budget, and the workers completed far more than we ever imagined. Ellie napped right through the banging and sawing and our hearts were encouraged and uplifted by the gifts we received and the men who came to help us out. To the right is a before and after photo of our basement. For a better look at this huge blessing, visit www.troyandnaomi.com/2006/12/extreme-makeover-basement-edition.html

Please pray:

• for energy and stamina for the students during this busy quarter.
• for Troy, as he pulls together the many details necessary to make the trip to Jamaica a success.
• the students would be a blessing and would be challenged in their own lives.
• for Naomi, as she stays home alone with Ellie and Adelaine during this time.

…for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the heart knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:26-28

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
The verse above has held very deep meaning for us these last few months. As we have sought to trust the Lord in our circumstances, we have gained a deeper appreciation for the Comforter and Interceder the Lord has given us.

BASEMENT PROJECT
As we shared in our last prayer letter, we are hoping to finish a part of our basement to make room for the newest little Johnstone. You responded with great generosity. We are happy to tell you that we’ve had enough funds come in to enable us to complete the first phase (enclosing the base­ment for an office/guest room) of this project. Thank you so much for enabling us in this area. We are hoping to have it com­pleted by the end of November, when a work team from Olds, AB plans to come to assist us.

NAOMI’S PREGNANCY
We also shared with you some serious complications Naomi had encountered in her pregnancy. Considering the risks associated with the pregnancy, we are amazed and excited to tell you that it’s progressing well. Our moms have been such a help, taking turns staying with us to help out with Ellie and around the house. Naomi is now 7 months along, due December 25. When Naomi first had the placental abruption, the haematoma covered an area of 15 cm. This was a huge abruption according to our doctor and the odds of the pregnancy continuing to where it is now were not good. According to the latest ultrasound, the area of the haematoma has shrunk to 2 cm! What a huge answer to prayer! In fact, Naomi was told at her most recent appointment that she can feel free to resume normal levels of activity as she’s able. We are very thankful to the Lord for this and grateful to you who have prayed so faithfully with us.
The next Johnstone

TEACHING FAITHFUL MEN & WOMEN TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO
The Lord has also certainly answered our prayers regarding a good class for this year. We currently have 46 students and they seem eager to learn, grow and minister.

Troy had the opportunity once again to help teach a week of classes to prepare them to clearly share their faith. He and John Cross taught through By This Name, a book GoodSeed is developing to communicate the Gospel in our post-modern era.

[for a full report on this event, please click here]

Troy helping with the teaching.

The group just completed their week of Open Air Evangelism in Toronto and Hamilton. They re­turned with many stories of what they learned and how the Lord enabled them to speak with so many about their faith. More than 35 adults and children expressed a desire to trust Christ as their Savior, for which we thank the Lord.

Last weekend, our students attended our annual Youth Missions Ex­travaganza, a day dedicated to challenging young people to consider what their role may be in reaching others for Christ. Seventeen of our students expressed a desire to be involved in missions in some capacity. We look forward to seeing what the Lord will do in their lives over the coming year!

Naomi & Ellie out for a walk.
Ellie’s Corner: Ellie continues to grow and learn new things daily. We talk to her often about the coming baby and how she’ll be a big sister, however she’s a bit young to understand. Ellie is still a very laid-back, cheerful girl. She loves to find a cloth and “clean” around the house. Mommy hopes this trend continues. She has loved having her grandmas around. She also enjoys being around the students, though she is a bit shy. They seem to enjoy her too—we’ve had many offers to babysit.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Troy,Naomi, Ellie & ??? Johnstone

[Click here to download PDF version]

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DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
It’s interesting for us to see how the Lord directs and guides our steps along the way. We were planning to head to Alberta for Christmas this year, but it seems the Lord has other very special plans for us. On December 25 we are expecting a new addition to our family! We look forward to meeting this new little person.

With this change in plans, we’d like to share some other “changes to plans” and prayer requests with you.

BUILDING PLANS
With baby #2 on the way we will have to do some room-shuffling. We plan to put the baby in our office/guest room. However, we have a lot of visitors and really do need the office space.

With this in mind, we would like to build a room in our basement to act as our office and guest room, as well as a small bathroom. Because we rent our home from Word of Life, this has been deemed a special project for which we must raise funds. We have broken the project up into two phases. Phase 1: Enclose the basement for an office/guest room. Phase 2: Install a bathroom. The first phase has been estimated to cost about $4500. We will finish each phase as the Lord supplies the finances.

If you wish to help us with this, we would really appreciate it. As with any funds directed toward our ministry, please make out cheques to Word of Life, with a memo that it be used toward the “Johnstone Basement Project” so you may receive a tax-deductible receipt.

NOT NECESSARILY IN OUR PLANS…
Naomi’s pregnancy has not been without complications. Currently she has to stay off her feet much of the time due to a placental abruption she experienced during our trip to New Brunswick. This serious condition places both her and baby at risk. Troy’s mother, Starr, has been staying with us and has been so helpful. Naomi’s mom, Janice Cross, plans to join us in August after Starr leaves to help around the house. Please be in prayer for us. We specifically ask that you pray that the abruption would stabilize and that the baby would continue to develop healthily and normally to full term.

YEAR FIVE, HERE WE COME
We are very encouraged with our number of applicants for the Fall. We are hoping for between 35 and 45 students. However, more important than “numbers,” we pray that each student would truly desire to learn and grow.

We have enjoyed having Ben from Troy’s home church here the past two years as he attended the BI and then ministered on the Impact Team. Now we look forward to having two students from Naomi’s home church with us this coming year.

CAMP SEASON
Word of Life is not just a Bible Institute. Among other ministries, we run Summer Camps and Winter Camps in which our students play a vital role. We are halfway through our current summer camping season. It is wonderful to hear the reports of changed hearts and lives. So far, we have seen over 100 kids put their trust in Jesus as Saviour for which we are so thankful.

Ellie’s Corner: Our little baby girl is no longer! In her place is a busy little toddler. She babbles non-stop about who-knows-what and brings us so much joy. More of her independent nature and unique personality emerge each day. During the day she enjoys the outdoors, playing in her sandbox and with her balls. In the evening she and daddy enjoy storytime together. We pray for wisdom as we teach her, discipline her and love her.

Troy & Naomi Johnstone