Photos from Picnic in the Quad 2012

Photos from our 2012 Picnic in the Quad table...

Refreshing Rain and Prayer

The smell of rain today before the dawn gave an extra burst of life to prayer meditation this morning.  It also brought with it a sense of anticipation—the same anticipation I felt on the air yesterday before meeting with a college student over coffee; the temperature was only 59 at 8:00 a.m. after weeks of it being even up to almost 90 by that time in the morning.  With the long morning rays slanting down it felt distinctly of fall and things to come this semester.

There is much going on at Fort Hays campus as we prepare for students to return; many of them already have begun returning.  It is exciting to see old friends and to prepare to meet new ones.  Next week, in particular, will be the first big chance to meet much of the incoming freshman class.  Please pray that we meet them well in the name of Christ and that we come into connection with many whom Christ can impact through us for the better.

In particular, please pray that we make necessary connections at ‘Picnic on the Quad’ on Monday, that Thursday’s big event ‘Get Plugged In’ is used by Christ to reach out to campus, challenge perspectives about Christians, and be an opportunity for great community, discussions, and connections, that new students connect with believers through the Aikido club and dojo, and that the grand opening launch of our Friday night non-profit coffeehouse and game night (revamped for the school year with new supplies, new menu, and new chances for students to interact with God) go well that Friday.  Our small groups have shifted times for the semester, and I also pray that God help the right connections be established through that outreach.

Beyond all of this, I pray that all believers be especially aware of chances to reach out in love as many in all walks of life shift gears.  Times like this are exciting and new and can be amazing opportunities for the true life that Christ freely gives to show profoundly, like a refreshing rain or burst of wet wind during a dry Kansas summer.  Pray that He be evidently visible amid all of the hustle and bustle and that students, faculty, and families would give pause and be challenged to trust Him, surrender a little more, and receive more of the abundant life that He does faithfully give as promised.

Thank you all for your prayers!

--Brandon

Reflections and Prayer Request Aug 12

Last night we wrapped up a six-day Aikido camp that I had been instructing with a free, open-to-the-public late afternoon session; a few of the students who had previously had been gone most of the summer were back to get ready for college at Hays or were back getting ready to resume the usual school schedules, and they were able to practice with us.

Even during stretches I felt such a great warmth.  It was EXCELLENT having everyone back together again to joke, laugh, and experience community together.  I cannot tell you how much I had missed that, and I hadn't even realized it was something I had missed until last night.  Thank God for showing me how valuable that is and for the reminder that the work I do at the dojo is as much a part of the ministry I do here in Hays as leading the small groups  or game night or any of the big projects we put on or help with.  The community that He has helped establish there is such a great blessing, and I cannot afford to easily forget it.

I am truly excited for more and more students to get back and for the semester to start gearing up.  It is an unbelievably busy time as we prepare for many things to get busier or start back up all at once.  Nonetheless, it is one of the best times for God's Kingdom impact to happen.

Please pray for all involved in any ministry that we take the time to listen especially deeply to God.  As waves of things needing our attention threaten to sweep us away, may we anchor in to His deep, reassuring voice and step out for the Kingdom.  Thank God for this opportunity and this time!
--Brandon

A Great Weekend and Prayer Requests

This was a great weekend!  It began with a terribly fun youth group lock-in that my girlfriend and I helped at all Friday night and ended with me meeting some excellent folks out at Red Line Church of God near Palco, Kansas (they had me out there to share a message Sunday).

Sunday in particular was a blessing to me.  I hadn't slept more than twenty minutes Friday night due to the lock-in, and while I got a four hour nap Saturday, I was still pretty tired.  Then the ministry game night I lead caused me to get home about two a.m. Sunday night, and I had to get up at six a.m. Sunday to prepare some missionary profile packets for the congregation at Red Line with enough time to spare to get to Palco.  Needless to say I could have been exhausted; thankfully, I had some people praying for me (thank you), and I felt pretty energized as I shared.

It is always a blessing to be able to share what God has done and to use it to highlight principles that He clearly speaks to in scripture that are not always emphasized in our society.  My primary message was over giving up our lives to gain true life, but I also spoke some about obstacles to surrendering our lives, the power of community and of living a life trusting God, and several other things.

Afterwards, I was pleased to be able to meet many in the congregation and learn about their desires to reach out in love.  It was very exciting to see a group who obviously honestly wanted to step up and serve and do outreach.  I know many lead pastors who struggle (sometimes at the risk of their very careers) to get their congregations to live as Jesus did loving others and serving.  To have a congregation in pastor transition so readily desire to reach out was very encouraging and spoke volumes about their health as a congregation.

I was also greatly blessed and encouraged by the congregation both financially and through their words.  I knew that some churches offered speaker fees and some did not, but I did not expect a speaker fee; to my surprise they not only offered a speaker fee but even covered mileage!  On top of that, several in the congregation anonymously donated money to support me as a missionary!!  (If any of you are reading this, thank you TREMENDOUSLY for such a surprise blessing!).  In all honesty, it was a stretch for me to afford the gas money to get out there to speak, but I had been willing to do it to serve the Kingdom without expecting any money to come in at all.  What a surprise it was for me to receive not only a speaker fee but also mileage and an anonymous donation!  God certainly is good, and I thank Him and those in the congregation who felt led to support this part of the Kingdom work!  As I also mentioned, I was blessed by the congregation through their words.  At some of the tables we sat at after service and also later over lunch it was exciting to see how God had struck some of them through the message/stories I had shared.  It led to some great conversations about God and His Kingdom in real life, which I loved listening to and participating in.

All in all it was an extremely good weekend, and I thank God sincerely for the ability to meet the people out at Red Line and to share with them in community.  It has been a tremendous blessing on my end, and I hope it is also a blessing to them, as well.  Thanks be to God and I sincerely look forward to seeing what He does with this connection I now have with several there and their desires for outreach.

Please pray that God help the right connections form there and that He help them find where they can best reach out in Christ's love for the Kingdom and/or that He challenge their perspectives on the subject so that they better reach out where they already are.  Thank YOU all for keeping up with me and for your prayers and encouragement--it is truly deeply appreciated!

--Brandon

Brandon's July Newsletter and Missionary Profile

   I was very excited as I drove out of the parking lot of Westview Church in Hays.  I had just passed on an invitation for them to join us at ‘Get Plugged In’, a yearly event we put on that invites all area churches and college ministries to come welcome students to Fort Hays State University campus in the name of Christ.  Westview was one of the last churches on my list to invite; I had made personal connection with almost every other church on the list, culminating with them and a couple others that day.

   Sometimes it is tempting for me to look at ‘Get Plugged In’ as just another event our ministry does, but my thinking has really been challenged on that subject in my prayers and meditations this last month.  I have come to realize that I sometimes look at the ministry work as ‘my area’ of God’s Kingdom ministry, but that really isn’t what I am supposed to do.  When I look at it that way, the things I have to do just become things to do, and that can sometimes remove the heart and excitement.  Instead, I have to look at the broader picture of God’s Kingdom advancement here in Hays.  In truth, I can still see very little even of that—His Kingdom is far too complicated and moves in ways we often don’t look for.  Nonetheless, we are called to seek first His Kingdom and live for Him.  As I seek that out in prayer and through reading scripture, I cannot escape that the chance for churches to come onto campus and serve students in love is a hugely powerful potential for Kingdom advancement.  So many students on campus view Christians as pushy individuals who want to make everyone think the same way they do and who don’t really care about others.  Since Jesus commanded us first to love God and others, this shouldn’t ever be the case—and this is a rare opportunity to challenge that perspective en masse.

   It is the heart of ‘Get Plugged In’ that churches come to welcome students as the churches themselves want their college students welcomed in other cities, and that the churches and ministries come to serve students humbly in love—expressing our genuine, God-given concern for others.  Hopefully some churches will bring care packages, some will bring food, and some will bring entertainment and opportunities to connect with the community.  Ultimately, I pray that all bring smiles and sincere love.  If the students at Fort Hays see this, it can substantially rock the negative perspective that many of them have.  It is also a great way for incoming Christian students to connect with churches.

   Seeing it in this light, I have been much more excited this year to spend a week and some promoting it one-on-one to the churches.  It takes quite a bit of time to promote the event this way, but it is the best (and really the only) good way to convey the heart of the event and a sincere invitation.  I know there were several churches I had to only leave materials at because the person who needed to receive them wasn’t in, but I hope to be able to follow up with each of them and convey this exciting opportunity in person.

   I am also extremely excited for our game nights and coffee house to switch back to Fridays over the semester and for what may transpire there.  I feel that we have a stronger team of committed individuals who genuinely want to see that night and ministry grow, and we have some chances to do that by partnering with some other ministries and offering new alternatives late at night.  I will go into that further in the quarterly ‘Unite Updates’ (I plan to send a special one out next month), so I will save talking about it in greater detail for that newsletter.

   Finally, I am genuinely excited to see how God will answer prayers regarding my personal finances and missionary support.  I have long been hesitant to put myself out as a missionary who could use support since God has always provided for my needs day to day (as He promises

He will if we seek first His Kingdom).  That provision has been a profoundly powerful faith-building experience.  When I started this endeavor, I had no set supporters.  It was difficult for me beyond words to jump out and trust Him.  I spent three months continuing on with my job even though I knew that I should resign it to do this ministry full-bore simply because I didn’t see how He could provide for me.  I distinctly recall thinking of Matthew 5—when He said that if we seek first His Kingdom that He’ll provide our basic needs—and realizing that I didn’t truly trust in what He said (or I’d have already resigned my job to do the ministry I knew I should do).  I even recall sarcastically wondering how I would eat with no income and pay rent and cellphone bills—was manna going to fall from heaven?  Still, I eventually jumped, and He always provided month-to-month.  It was usually last minute and just the right amount to make it—often through an odd temporary job, something I owned selling, or through a surprise last-minute support check.  One time a couple even contacted me out of the blue, hardly knowing what all I did, because for one month only they were switching churches and wanted to send their tithe my way; it was exactly what I needed to make that month work.  Ultimately, He showed me that He does live up to His Word and that I need to trust Him more.

   That is why, after the initial wave of support letters over two years ago, I haven’t sent out anything further stating that I need support.  I didn’t want to do it out of a spirit of fear—not trusting God for providence and hoping some new supporter would come through—instead I only wanted to do it if I knew beyond a doubt that I was trusting God and this was just another way for Him to provide.  Over those two years, He has shown me beyond a doubt that He will provide and that part of that providence comes through the support of those He leads to be financially involved in me as a missionary (and also through those He leads to financially support the ministry I lead in the rare instances in which it needs money); it may be that He has some people prepared to support me that I don’t even know about because I haven’t made the need known.  All that I have to do is be honest when I present the need and make sure people understand that it is an invitation to participate in this part of the Kingdom work ONLY if they are led to or if they wish to; if their money is supposed to be going to some other part of the Kingdom work, then I do not want it coming to me.  That is why I will be certain to ask people to pray about it and see what they feel God is saying they should do.  Presenting the opportunity for support in this light, I am excited to see what the full range of His providence may be. 

As such, I am including a missionary support profile with this newsletter, and I am asking all of you who keep up with the ministry, those who pray for us, and those who already financially support me to please pray about what to do with it—and especially to pray and see if there is anyone you know who may want to participate financially or prayerfully in this part of the Kingdom work.  If a person or a church or entity sticks out to you in prayer, please pass the profile on to them OR contact me so that I may contact them.  I am happy to send more profiles if you need them, or to come speak to private individuals or even churches and other entities about my life as a missionary and the ministry.  I have no way of knowing who may already be prepared to prayerfully or financially support me and the ministry, but I am excited to see what God plans.  Thank YOU so much for your financial support, and ESPECIALLY for your prayers!  Please keep praying for the Kingdom work here and for all of us involved in it!

Missionary Profile

Name: Brandon Nimz

Age: 26

Location: Hays, Kansas

Status: Full Time Missionary as of 2010

Position: Missionary and Unite Ministry Leader

Missionary Support (current): $907/mo

Missionary Support goal: $2,320/mo                                                             

Education: Mathematics B.S., Spanish B.A., Biology Minor

Introduction

I find it easy to trust Christ with my death because I don’t have control over what happens after I die, but I find it hard to trust Christ with my life.  He asks us to surrender our lives for Him: to give up our hopes, our dreams, and our kingdoms and follow Him (Luke 9:23-24).  He also promises that He has better for us if we do; God has shown me that this is true.

My name is Brandon, and I am a support-based missionary in Hays, KS.  About two years ago I felt led to begin ministry 24/7 in Hays.  The problem was that I would not be able to continue my 40 hr/week job.  In Matthew 5 is says that if we seek first God’s Kingdom He will provide our basic needs; however, when it came to actually resigning my job with a stable income to ‘seek first the Kingdom’ with no prospect of income, I learned that I didn’t trust God’s Word as much as I thought I did.  How was He going to provide?  I had bills to pay, and I did the math.  If I sold everything I owned including my car, computer, and clothes then I could make it one year at most, and that didn’t sound great to me; yet everything kept pushing me towards that decision.  God spoke to me through some missionaries, I had an opportunity to join a nonprofit so that people could tax-deductibly support me (though I had no supporters at the time), and I had a chance to move out of my one-bedroom flat into a three bedroom house with four college guys.   Throughout all of this, I felt a weight and more clearly knew what I had to do.  Finally, like a kid who is terrified of going off the diving board into deep water will often do, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped.

He caught me.  Somehow ends met every month, usually with pennies to spare.  Either something I owned would sell, I would get a last minute odd job that didn’t conflict with Kingdom work, or someone would send a support check just in time.  Over two years I have gone from no financial support to almost $907 per month, and I haven’t had to sell my car or computer.

God has grown the ministry and has given me more in life than I ever could have asked for.  God has used me and changed me.  The ministry has grown from scratch to now include multiple small groups, large community and campus events (‘Get Plugged In’ and [alt]), several community projects reaching into different areas, a small coffee-house and game night that offers an alternative to the bars on Friday evening, mission trips and ministry trips, and more besides!  Each day is rich, each day is an adventure, and each day is more of a blessing than I can possibly explain.  It is true that we have to surrender our lives to let God show us what He built us for and for Him to give us true life and life to the full, but He is faithful and He will live up to His Word.  Thank God for His blessings and providence!

Missionary Work (what I do)

Daily I have to ask God to help me surrender my kingdom and live for him for whatever the day may bring.  While most days have quite a few scheduled things that happen in the ministry, much of the time is spent on surprising things that I didn’t know were going to come up in my day.  Sometimes I will run into someone who needs to talk, sometimes a college student will call who needs a jump start or an emergency ride from the airport or a place to stay.  Sometimes the calls are much more serious and involve violence, suicide, rape, and other hard parts of life; though often difficult, these are the times I live for.  Suffice it to say, much of the ministry work that I do cannot be planned for in advance or quickly explained on paper.

That said, a good part of the missionary work can be briefly explained.  I lead a few small groups of college students and congregation members from multiple churches that meet on campus on different days at different times.  These groups are open to any students who are near to sit down with and even to join, if they wish.  We spend some time reading the Word and some time sharing about life and praying for each other.

I also oversee a small non-profit coffee house that is open Friday nights as an alternative to the bar scene with a game night that lasts until after the bars close.  This year we hope to serve more varieties of coffee, to work with another ministry that would meet before game night to talk about God (and game night students could come early to join in on that), and to have a ‘technically Sabbath’ at midnight where the game night students who want to can join in the chapel for a small discussion, some prayer, and possibly singing (those who didn’t want to join in on that could continue playing their games).

Unite, a local ministry I founded (more at www.unite-haysks.com) also holds yearly events like ‘Get Plugged In’ (which invites all local college churches and ministries to campus to welcome the incoming freshman to Hays in the name of Christ) and we help with [alt] (a Christian rock festival that is an alternative to the partying after Oktoberfest).  We further take trips to NOMADS mission conference and usually take at least one large mission trip to a children’s home in Juarez and to Joe’s Addiction in Oklahoma City.

Beyond that, I weekly meet one-on-one with quite a few individuals to chat about life, relationships, and faith.  Some of these times are just to build relationships, while others are to provide tangible help or some advice or mentorship.  Along with these meetings, I try to somewhat regularly talk with local ministry leaders and to develop relationships with the 24 churches in Hays.  This is important as part of the mission of ‘Unite’, and it helps me better serve the Kingdom here in Hays.  Furthermore, it helps us get multiple congregations involved with our small groups, game nights, and big events like ‘Get Plugged In’.

Though there are not regular meetings at set times, I also help with international student ministry, some types of bar ministry, and a little bit with the Hispanic churches in Hays.  If you want more information, please send me an email (Brandon.Nimz@gmail.com), give me a call (785-259-2539), or mail me (Brandon Nimz, PO Box 1264, Hays, KS  67601) and request to be added to the newsletter.  You can also check out our prayer blog at (http://uniteeph4-1-16.blogspot.com).

The dojo (another part of my missionary work)

I’ve taught Aikido (a self-defensive Japanese martial art) at Fort Hays State University for a few years; it’s been one of my best connections to new groups of students and ministry outreach opportunities.  As we continued to practice, more and more community members became involved with the club until it came to the point that we really needed to have a separate full-service dojo (practice hall) to meet the needs of those coming to the club.  Also, I was seeing tremendous overlap between the art and what I read in scripture—along with great opportunities to teach scripture through Aikido (but that wouldn’t fit well at a university club).  At the time I was doing frequent odd jobs to help make ends meet every month since my direct missionary support wasn’t always enough; so, after some prayer and thought and a few doors unexpectedly opening up, I opened a part-time dojo (Aikido of Northwest Kansas) in downtown Hays in the hopes of meeting part of that financial need while serving God in missions even more.

The dojo offers a Godly Warrior program that focuses on applying the Word and principles of Aikido into our daily lives.  Our lessons are typically both physical Aikido techniques and portions of the Word along with a fair amount of discussion.  Topics include being active peace-makers, not being overly focused on whatever is attacking us (physical, emotional, something stressing us, relationship issues, sin issues, etc.), being thankful in all things, loving our enemies, and many other Biblical principles for Godly living.  While this new program itself is still quite small, around seven local youth groups and two college ministries have asked us to do Godly Warrior demos/lessons for them at the dojo.  We have even been asked to travel to other towns’ fifth quarter events and to summer camps to do Godly Warrior lessons.

The dojo further offers an early church prayer and breath meditation program that includes meditations such as Lectio Divina, Examen, centering prayer, and breath prayers.  This has been a HUGE outreach, even though the program is small.  The quality and intensity of these prayer and scripture meditations in small community is quite amazing.  It was completely surprising to me that this (in my mind) was probably one of the most powerful early outreaches of the dojo, and it was something I hadn’t even planned on!

                                                                                      

While the dojo does not currently augment my income because it is new enough it barely breaks even, I am confident that the community at the dojo and the outreach of the dojo are huge opportunities for Kingdom outreach and impact, and that these should continue to be a part of my missionary work in Hays.  I am also very excited to see what God does through that in the future.

Stewardship

My current financial goal is based on the lowest amount I might be paid working as a starting teacher with my degrees in Kansas (the lowest-paying job I might obtain with them).  While in-state missionaries often earn $3,000 per month or more, I feel that this smaller goal of $2,320 will meet my current financial needs and allow me to continue to do Kingdom Work, unhindered.  (For comparison, this is also a typical full-time starting youth pastor’s salary).  This support level would also allow me to make some wise purchases for my life that I cannot currently afford (such as a health insurance or medi-share policy, the ability to set some small amount aside to replace my computer and car—both of which I frequently use in ministry—on a realistic depreciation scale, and the ability to more rapidly pay off student loans to decrease the total interest paid on them so that I have more money available to serve the Kingdom, etc.).  A support level of $2,320 would further give me the potential to support a spouse and also to better help college students who are in legitimate financial need and want to go to the mission’s conferences with us or on our mission trip, or even who just need some food money. 

Regardless of the specifics, I do want to assure you of one thing: if do you choose to support me as missionary, you will be supporting someone who seeks to serve the Kingdom 24/7 with everything he has.

General Info

For more information about Unite, see www.Unite-HaysKS.com or send a letter to:

Unite

PO Box 1100

Hays, KS  67601

For more information about the dojo see www.AikidoofNorthwestKansas.com or send a letter to:

Aikido of Northwest Kansas

PO Box 1264

Hays, KS  67601

To ask me any questions or to get more information from me directly, please email me at Brandon.Nimz@gmail.com or call 785-259-2539.  You may also send mail to me at:

Brandon Nimz

PO Box 1264

Hays, KS  67601

My missionary prayer blog (if you want to keep up with me and pray for the ministry) is at: http://uniteeph4-1-16.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your prayers and support!

 

Reflections Thurs July 19

Today I read Malachi, and it really struck me.  I think I'll continue re-reading it over the next few days, but it has some amazing parallels to much of Christianity today.  I am far from saying that everyone is like Israel at the time of this warning, but I find that the general idea of Malachi is a powerful critique not just of Israel, but of much of the modern church.

I also hope to begin to use this blog more and more frequently.  I have left off communicating with much of the community who is praying for me and for the ministry in this blog and instead opted to do it through the newsletter.  However, not everyone gets that, and it is downright wrong not to bring you all along with me on this journey.  I hope that if you haven't been reading due to my lack of updates that you begin checking this again and find it encouraging.

Prayer Requests:
Please pray for the summer small groups.  They are dealing with what most small groups do over the summer--everyone is off on vacation or has a special project at work or is generally busy.  We do still meet and several times they have been very full--with even seven or eight people.  They are also often just two or three.  Please pray that we interact powerfully with God's Spirit in those times regardless of how many or few show up and for good community in Christ in those groups.  Thank you for your prayers!

May 4 Prayer Requests and Update

Hello everyone!  It's a transitional time for Unite things as we switch over to summer mode.  At least three of the small groups will continue to run over the summer (even though some students are heading home), and we will drop down to just one game night per week in June.  The United Methodist Student Center where we normally have game night will be closed for renovations in June, so we are praying about what alternative location(s) to use.  We have a few options, but we also want to keep in mind that some students walk from campus, so we want to stick near to that area if we can.

Please also keep the upcoming summer mission trip in your prayers.  As usual, we will head to Juarez and Oklahoma City.  This year we will also spend one day in Hays examining this area as a mission field.  The approx dates at this point are June 30-July 14.

Finally, it is time to start getting out the word about Fall semester happenings like 'Get Plugged In' and [alt].  All in all--it's a busy time of year.

As students prepare for finals next week, please keep them in your prayers.  As we start to spool up for the busy summer, please keep US in your prayers.  Thanks again for any time spent praying for us!

Sincerely,
--Brandon

Tonight and Update

Hello everyone!
   Please keep tonight in your prayers as we plan on having a 'big team competition game night'.  Every Friday and Saturday we have game night and serve coffee so that students have alternatives to the bar scene and can swing in and get to know people in the faith community.  It is usually extremely casual with a Christian radio station playing in the background and whatever games people want to play on the tables (card games, board games, video games on a console that is there).  Tonight only we are dividing everyone into teams and playing some large, fun games (including a video scavenger hunt across Hays, an ice-cream decorating challenge, a Mario Kart racing challenge, and more)...  Please pray that it go smoothly and that everyone have fun.
   Also, please keep the small groups in your prayers.  The Tuesday all guys group has rapidly grown in depth of community and trust, and the topics tend to be very deep and powerful.  The Monday group has gained a new member who is very fun.  It has also gotten less focused (which can be good for community but harder to guide on the Bible study part of things).  The Thursday group has grown; both two international students and one local student have made visits and may return (one of the Chinese students has visited a couple times and plans to come back for sure).  Unfortunately, that group has also had more sporadic attendance from some regular members as the end of semester approaches.  Please feel free to pray that everyone in all groups have peace in Christ and focus on true life in the Kingdom during this busy time AND that our community time be quality time in the Word and in the Spirit together as we share.
   Thanks again for all of your prayers!
   Brandon

Ministry Snapshot

Last night I enjoyed the chance to speak at Encounter, Celebration church's college ministry.  I prayed quite a bit before-hand, and I do think that God spoke through the message both to me (even as I gave it) and to others there.  After the message, I led the group in two early church prayer meditations: one over experiencing God's presence, and one that involved listening to God speak through scripture called Lectio Divina.  It was a very cool opportunity, and I am thankful that God worked through it.

It has also already been a good morning; we had a very nice conversation at prayer meditation at the dojo this morning.  It was very cool to learn more about the backgrounds of some of the people who come to spend time with God and with us in the morning.  I also really enjoyed the opportunity to pray together over what was going on in each person's life.  After that, I had a great two-hour chat with a Spirit-led young man who was at the Encounter event and who is doing some great outreach into the fraternities. 

We talked about quite a few things including some of the outreach he plans to do over the summer and some of what is going on in each of our lives.  Meeting with him isn't new; we tend to meet every two weeks.  It was just that this week's meeting was particularly open and even more encouraging than usual (and it is usually quite encouraging).  Thank God for a good start to a new day.  :)

April 2nd/3rd Prayer Info/Update

Friday March 30th Game Night photo of students playing Rock Band

Last Friday’s game night was a truly a blast.  Almost everyone was engaged in something, and all of the games were diverse.  One group was into the board game Dominion, another was playing the interactive video game Rock Band, another group was playing various card games, while still another was playing sketching games.  We also had a large amount of free sugar available to the students, and our donation-based coffee house was brewing some amazing Direct Trade Rwandan Coffee.  In addition to that, one of the men in the Thursday small group pulled two of us aside in the chapel for a very quality discussion about some difficulties he’d recently had in life; we were able to listen in the Spirit, share some thoughts, and pray together.  About an hour and a half later we all went back into the game night to return to the fun… and it lasted until almost five am: the momentum was just that strong.  All in all, it was a great night.

It was contrasted sharply by the scene Saturday night after we shut game night down and I started to take one student home.  Just up the street, where the stabbing occurred off campus earlier in the year, a large group of partying students had a bonfire.  They were yelling, drunk, and obviously angry and stressed as what appeared to be a couch had gotten thrown into it and it was blazing almost twelve feet into the air.  They were milling about and yelling about not calling the cops or fire department, but the blaze was obviously getting past their control as it approached the porch and a tree.  A few of the thirty to forty students were trying to dump coolers of ice onto it, but they leapt back yelling, unable to get close enough.  I called it in to the fire department (though I doubt I was the first) and watched until they arrived.  Several individuals and groups were leaving the crowd before the fire department arrived, and one young woman ran past our car crying.  I asked if she was ok and she said yes and kept running.  Several other groups near the bonfire scattered and ran.  Eventually, the fire department showed up.

As I drove one of the game night students home, I saw more parties like the first everywhere.  There were also more drunk people than usual—many of them yelling and making gestures at my car and every other car that drove past.  Parties and drunk people are not uncommon at that time of night in that part of town; what was uncommon was the number of parties, the intensity, and the aggressive and angry feel to all of it.  I carried it with me and pondered it as I drifted to sleep.

The next morning I awoke to a beautiful, peaceful day.  My girlfriend and I went to a palm Sunday march that a few of the local churches put on, I cooked some food for a large group of college students for lunch after services were over (which is our weekly custom), and the rest of the day proceeded in a very peaceful manner.  Both game night and Sunday were sharp contrasts to what I saw Saturday night.  Game night was community in love having fun and dealing with life’s difficulties together; Sunday was community at peace in God and life.  Saturday out in the city was extremely different…  even though people were together the ties that bound them felt different, and the very spirit of the night felt angry or like it was hungry and missing something.  There was a feel to the evening that I still can’t put words to but that lingers in me internally; it is not a good feeling.

That sharp contrast still sits heavy on my mind today.  I am not sure what all I am supposed to do about it, so I continue to pray and see what God wants to show me from it.  It does seem appropriate, however, to ask you all to please pray that God’s light, God’s love, God’s way would penetrate into the darker parts of our city.  I don’t know how or what form it would take, but I would like to see the churches and our ministry reach into this place better and not just provide a safe haven/alternative to it.  Thank you for your prayers!

--Brandon

Web Info Update

Hello!  Some of you may not be aware, but if you want more information about Unite and our game nights, small groups, mission trips, etc. or if you want more information about the dojo Aikido of Northwest Kansas, you can find it online:  If you want more information about Unite game nights and to see some photos and more, check out http://www.facebook.com/groups/216204665138067/.  If you would like information about the Dojo/Aikido of Northwest Kansas and its Godly Warriors program and prayer meditation program, check out http://www.facebook.com/AikidoofNorthwestKansas or www.AikidoofNorthwestKansas.com.  Finally, if you want more information on Unite, check out http://unite-haysks.com/...  Will post another update here soon!  :)

March 12th Prayer Requests and Updates!

Hello everyone!  This week I would request special prayer for our small groups.  Over this semester the two women’s small groups have had trouble getting off the ground.  While many of the ladies have been talking and trying to work schedules out, most haven’t been able to meet yet.  Since the groups plan to go through Captivating once they are regularly meeting, this semester could be HUGE for many of the ladies present.  Unfortunately, scheduling and other things have prevented them from meeting regularly enough to get there.  Please pray that God help people (and the right people) come together for that to happen.  I know that the study and God time has very powerfully impacted young women before, and that it has tremendous potential for the ladies who might attend this year.  Please keep these groups especially in your prayers!

Though we originally didn’t have enough interest to do it, we now have a men’s only small group again this semester—it kind of randomly formed on a Tuesday afternoon and has been going very well for a few weeks now.  Please pray that it continue to go strongly and that more young men get attracted to it.

Finally, the mixed group Monday is going well, and the mixed Thursday group is going very well.  I would request prayer that in each group we be open to the Spirit and that He help us listen to His voice as we study the Word.  I would also request prayer that obstacles not prevent us from meeting.  We have several very busy people in each group, but we generally get close to the full group every time.  I know as midterms approach and then the end of the semester that it will be easy for that to change unless we pray and make an effort.

Thank you all for your prayers and support!
   --Brandon

New Year Updates and Prayer Requests

Hello everyone!
   It is great to report to you some of what is going on in the Kingdom!  I hope this update finds you well and that you enjoy the chance to read about some of what God has done.  We can send you a pretty version of this newsletter if you email us at Uniteeph4.1.16@gmail.com.  Thank you, and have a great New Year!
   Brandon

A Story

Walking up to the front door of the house on a cold December morning, I noticed a sign ‘no soliciting’ followed by ‘no religious soliciting’ and then a third sign ‘no soliciting whatsoever’.  I was at the house that morning with a few strong college guys I had brought with me after receiving a call from a local church that someone needed help moving.  However, there were no moving trucks present, not much appeared packed, there were no real signs of life inside, and the signs made me hesitant to ring the doorbell—I wondered if I had the wrong address.  Hoping it wouldn’t go badly, I rang the doorbell.

When the woman answered the door, she appeared confused for a second, and then she immediately began apologizing—explaining that her dad had called the church to cancel the move.  (It turned out that a few churches had been contacted and he didn’t know to call the one that called me, so we were never informed of the cancellation).  She then got very teary-eyed, and I could tell that something was deeply bothering her.  I said a quick prayer internally and we began what turned into a forty-five minute deep discussion about her strong considerations of suicide the day before and even that morning as we were arriving, her current condition in life, and her feeling of having no value.  As I was praying internally, I encouraged her about her value and used examples from her own stories to highlight it.  I honestly feel that God was really the one speaking to her, because I could see in her eyes the ways that the words were hitting her, encouraging her, and helping her.  I wanted to emphasize that I felt like it was really God who wanted her to know how valuable she was, so I told her that, and she said that she really felt that our stopping by when we did while she was at such a critical moment was entirely an act of God.

Eventually I understood the situation better, and I realized that she needed some people to help her organize her items and box them.  I also began to realize that, right or wrong, she didn’t feel respected since many people around her didn’t listen to her.  Since that was the case, I picked some sweet young ladies to help her organize whom I knew she would be comfortable with and who would listen to her.  I joined them, and the first day we listened to her for about thirty minutes before we got started.  As she talked, I think she started to see that we really did care about what was important to her; once she noticed that, she calmed down considerably, and we got quite a bit accomplished.  This same process was repeated several times over the next few weeks with different crews of young college ladies and me as we helped her get ready.  Finally, we assembled a big crew and helped her load everything into a U-Haul with her family.  She was so much relieved and so very thankful, and I really thank God for the opportunity He gave us to help her out and to be blessed by helping her out.  I could see in the eyes of quite a few of the college students involved in this endeavor that this experience was a big blessing to them, too.  It made me very happy to see so many amazing things accomplished over those two weeks—and all of them unexpected.

I share this story because it is one of many from last month alone.  The stories of how the Kingdom is advancing here and how God is using individuals in the ministry are too numerous to put into this newsletter and would be too time consuming to fit on the prayer blog.  Also, most of the stories are too private to share due to other peoples’ confidentiality; many details were even left out of the story above. 

 

That said, I do want to share what I can with you about what is happening here and how incredibly exciting it is to see and to be a part of it.  I want you to realize that through reading this and through praying for us (and some of you through supporting me financially as a missionary and ministry leader), you ARE a part of this.  Thank you SO MUCH for what you are doing and for sharing in this work with us!  We are blessed to have you, and I want you to remember that you are always welcome to come alongside us in person in one of our small groups, at the game nights, or on special projects or mission trips, as well.  If there is anything that you want to join—even just to see the Kingdom work first hand and experience it without coming back or joining long term—please let me know, and please come and be encouraged.  Thank you for your blessings last year and we look forward to sharing this New Year with you!

A Personal Lesson in Humility

“No, I don’t need those cards; it’s ok—I am happy to help you out!” I said to the young man. 

To help make ends meet and to be a good steward, I continue to sell anything I own of value that I don’t use much, and this includes some collectible cards.  This young gentleman knew that I was selling them to earn money, but he didn’t have money and really wanted some of them, so he wanted to trade.  He proposed a card trade that was unequal in financial value, but that left me receiving more cards in number, and I accepted it since he wanted the cards so badly.  Later, he wanted to give me some more cards because he had gained financially in the trade, but I told him that I didn’t need them and was happy to help him complete the card sets he wanted.  At the time I didn’t see how this was prideful on my part, but then God taught me a beneficial lesson.

I was drinking my morning coffee in Semolino at our Tuesday morning small group, listening as each person shared some about how the verses we had just read in scripture affected them.  At the time, Martha, who leads a local coffee house ministry, was sharing with some of the college students a very unique quote that related to the scripture we had just read.  It was something to the effect that ‘we have to be humble enough that the poor can forgive us for helping them.’ 

It struck me as a very unique statement at the time, but also as a very true one.  I could understand how our giving to the poor is an assault on their pride.  In fact, I often have to overcome my pride to allow myself to receive help from others—especially when I am capable of ‘doing it on my own.’  As I was thinking, it struck me that this is exactly what had happened with the young man and the card trade.  His pride was hurt because he knew he had received the better end of the deal and couldn’t financially repay me.  Even though the cards he was offering weren’t really cards I needed at the time and didn’t financially offset anything, I should have graciously accepted them for the sake of his pride instead of refusing them and telling him that I was happy to help.  Though I couldn’t see it at the time, that was a very prideful thing to do!

Later that week, this lesson proved to be directly valuable when I got a call from an international student who needed help jump-starting her car on a frigidly cold day.  As soon as I had jump-started it, I could tell that the battery was bad and needed replaced.  I took her to a local auto parts store and helped her pick a good battery that was still pretty cheap.  On our way back to campus, she said that she wanted to buy me some food to say thank you.  It was about supper time, but I had already eaten and had some pretty physical activity that I had to do immediately after she dropped me off, plus I was in a hurry to get back to campus, and she knew that.  I mentioned that I just had eaten and didn’t have much time, but she insisted that she wanted to buy me some food.  Remembering the lesson, I thanked her greatly for her generosity and let her buy me a one-dollar burger at a fast food shop on the way to town.  I also made a point of eating it, enjoying it, and thanking her for the food as she dropped me off.

In truth, I really was full and would have benefited from not eating, especially since I began some physical work immediately after she dropped me off.  What was really important in this situation though, was the person and her pride.  I was very glad that she called and more than happy to help—that’s what my time is for, but in her mind she felt like a burden and like she was stealing my time.  To free her from that, I had to be humble enough to help her.  It was and is honestly a difficult thing for me to do, and I thank God for helping me become aware of it.

A New Thing…  And a Prayer Request

“Thwack!” is the sound a body makes when it hits the mats in a dojo.  I know, because I have taught Aikido for the Fort Hays State University Aikido club for the last couple of years and assisted with instruction before that.  The FHSU Aikido club has been one of my largest connections to students and to campus.  Many of the individuals who come to our game nights and small groups come from Aikido or know me originally from when I am on campus to teach Aikido. 

What is Aikido?  Aikido is a self-defensive Japanese martial art that seeks to protect both the attacked and the attacker.  It also has a very unique philosophy.  The founder of the art wrote in his book The Art of Peace, “The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship.  Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited.”  This is evident in the art; smaller aikido students can disable larger, stronger attackers because they use Aikido principles to redirect their attacker’s energy, take their balance, and neutralize them through throws, chokes, or joint locks and pins.

The longer that I have studied Aikido, the more I have seen parallels between it and the Way of life that Christ talks about.  In fact, the parallels are so strong that I have long desired to teach a ‘Godly Warrior’s’ class that would discuss how to embody Biblical principles of love, respect, compassion, harmony and peacemaking in day-to-day life while practicing them in Aikido.  Now, I get the chance!  I am opening my own school, Aikido of Northwest Kansas, at 208 E 8^th in Hays on January 15^th.  I am very excited to add this venue for ministry to what I already do.  We will offer early church prayer meditation classes in the morning, the Godly Warriors program and youth program in the afternoon, and Aikido classes in the evenings (more info at www.AikidoofNorthwestKansas.com).  The best part is that I will still be able to do all of the ministry that I currently do.  This only adds twelve hours a week to what I already teach in Aikido and lets me spend more time with many of the students I hope Christ will reach through Unite.  It is also my hope that these twelve hours a week will replace the small odd jobs that I currently do to augment my missionary support, providing the same income while letting me do more ministry with that time.

I strongly request prayers for this endeavor and for its financial success.  Starting a new part-time business with a very low income from my full time missionary work is quite a stretch, but it is do-able and I believe that this is important for the Kingdom opportunities it presents.  THANK YOU for your prayers!—Brandon 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!
Thank you very much for your prayers and support in the Kingdom Work in and around Hays, KS. It’s been a great semester—the small groups have been experiencing good community and time in the Word. We’ve had some really excellent discussions based on the Word that directly apply to students’ lives in the groups at the time. It’s also been a great semester for one on one discussions and walking with people through difficult times. We’ve had several opportunities open up to assist members in the community, international students, and college students. Each one has been a blessing to us and to the people we’ve helped—thank you for your prayers that enable these situations.
Game night continues to be an alternative for many, and we are excited to be adding more interaction opportunities to it and possibly some new activities. It’s also been EXCELLENT working with new leaders this year in the ministry and during game nights; we have some very Godly young leaders who are also very refreshing presences to be around.
We will be passing on quite a few updates to you soon. The Christmas Season newsletter will be coming out shortly, and it will contain several ministry updates. I will also pass out more information about myself as a support based missionary; to serve with more longevity I want to get that information out to see how God will provide. My current support is $670 per month, and I would like to have enough more that I could afford health insurance and some vision correction for my right eye. Finally, I will pass on information about a new school, Aikido of Northwest Kansas, which I will open up January 15th. It will have traditional self-defensive Aikido martial training, prayer meditation sessions, and Godly Warriors classes (you can find out some more information about this at http://aikidoofnorthwestkansas.com/vision.html). I already spend about 8-10 hours a week teaching Aikido and working with Aikido related things (it is one of my most important connections to the university students—many in our small groups and at game night come from the FHSU Aikido Club or I meet them when I am on campus to teach). This school will be a powerful augment to the ministry I already do as a missionary and through Unite. Though it will likely not earn much at first, it also may serve as an augment to missionary support and replace the small odd jobs that I currently do to make ends meet. I will still be devoting more than 40 hours a week to missionary projects and Unite without counting the time that will be spent at Aikido of Northwest Kansas. With all of these exciting happenings, I would ask you to PLEASE keep us in your prayers. Again, we want to thank you and wish you all a VERY…
Merry Christmas!
Brandon Nimz

Updates!

So much has been happening in the past two weeks that I hardly know where to start!  I will be typing it all into the newsletter, which I will post here, but I do want to start by saying thank you for your prayers!  God used several of us VERY powerfully last week, and I have to believe that prayer support is a big part of how everything went so supernaturally well (that will be a large part of the newsletter).  Please continue to pray for us--finals are this week, and after that many of the students will be away on break.  I personally will be traveling to train for an upcoming ministry endeavor (will mention more about that in the newsletter as well), then will be returning to head out as the Instructor/Sponsor for the FHSU Aikido Club Jan 7th.  That should be a great time to bond with about 16 students, so please keep that in your prayers.

Right NOW we can use prayers for the students in finals.  Many of them are very stressed and are having difficulty finding time for God in any location.  I will be excited to meet with those who show up at today's 3:30 p.m. small group in the Union, and we will be praying for everyone--especially those who can't make it.  Still, even most of those who will make it have been requesting prayer for studies and stress and not spending enough time with God.

Thank you all again for your prayers--it is critical.  If there is any way we can pray for you, feel free to post it on the Unite facebook page or email us at uniteeph4.1.16@gmail.com!

Thanks

This morning I brewed up a pot of coffee about 4:50 a.m. and a young guy in one of our small groups came over and shared some caffeine with me as he prepared to hop on the road to get to his family.  After he had left, I sat around in thought for awhile.

I want to take the time to thank you especially for your prayers and for your financial support.  If it wasn't for the way you are blessing me, I couldn't be available at all hours for simple interactions like this one.  While they may seem small, they are pivotal to what I do (to developing relationships and loving people).  The Kingdom advances in so many small ways that we often cannot clearly see.  Thank you so much for enabling me and whoever else you support through prayers and finances to do what we do.  Your blessing is SINCERELY appreciated.
--Brandon

PS  During this holiday season I am doing an extra large amount of small odd jobs that won't conflict with ministry times, so if you or someone you know needs such work done, please let me know!

Crazy days

It seems as though every college student (with a few exceptions) is very stressed right now with tests and exams right before fall break.  Please keep them in your prayers--especially that they take the time to STOP, and listen to God and rest in God.  In these stressful times it is so key and so hard to do.

For me, please pray that God help me clearly hear and follow Him--especially right now.

Thank you for your prayers!

Updates/Prayer Requests

Hello all!  I appreciate you keeping up with us and praying with/for us.  Please let us know if we can pray for YOU by emailing us at Uniteeph4.1.16@gmail.com with any prayer requests!

Ministry Leaders—I think we have an opportunity to begin coming together with a renewed fire and better sense of purpose in Christ.  I am meeting one on one with my leaders to discuss this and to catch up with them in life; this time of year many of them are EXTREMELY busy between classes and work/life.  Please pray that God help us be open to coming together as He wishes in this.

International Students—I have met many new international friends this year and am regularly meeting with a couple to work oral English (and learn some Chinese).  Please pray that the Spirit loudly direct me and others who interact with these communities that we may make the connections we need to and be available to help in whatever way may be needed at the right time.

Small Groups—The students in many of the small groups have been completely over-burdened with classes this semester such that the groups fluctuate greatly from week to week.  This isn’t always a problem and can actually be a very good thing, but please pray for the students as they are stressed and also that they come when then should and that we be ready for them when they do.

Game Night Advancements—You get a better feel for how to pray for game night on the other page; we have been serving a little coffee and now have contact with a man who will hopefully train us this month in how to best use our equipment and brew the more difficult drinks.

Prayer Request/Update—I teach Aikido at FHSU (Aikido is a Japanese self-defensive martial art built on protecting one’s attacker and oneself).  I am not paid to teach and spend about 7 hours a week instructing, but God uses this HEAVILY to connect me with new students—many who come to game night or are in small groups come from Aikido (and vice versa).  I plan, Lord willing, to open up my own dojo Jan 15 and offer a ‘Godly Warriors’ ministry at it.  This will only increase my instruction hours by 5/week, will increase ministry opportunities, and will give me a chance to earn money teaching Aikido to augment my current missionary support ($675/month) so that I may better/more freely serve.