The Brackett's in Transition

Finances still needed to be raised

Many of you are familiar with the Faisal Cup soccer and netball tournament that we were involved with while serving in Malaysia:  It is a unique tournament for the underprivileged that restores dignity, discipline, and the many other positive qualities of organized sports to these children.  Since 2006, the tournament has grown from 3 teams and 30 participants to an expected 104 teams and 730 participants this year!!!

The Faisal Cup was always one of my favorite projects while serving at Harvest Centre and I would like you to get involved.  There is still a lot of money that needs to be raised for this years tournament which will take place through October.  Our family is giving $100 towards the fund raising and we are asking you to consider matching our gift.  I know for some of us, $100 is a lot to give, but please consider making a sacrifice for this worthy cause.  If you would like to give more or less, that is also welcomed and appreciated!  All gifts are tax deductible. 

Family Notes:

• I (Nick) am now working at Smithtown Christian School.  I assist the children during lunch and recess.  It is a great blessing to be able to serve and I am really enjoying the structure it is bringing to my day!

• Nikao has begun his school year.  He is in 2nd grade at Smithtown Christian School and has been enjoying his time there.  We are excited to see his growth and interest in school!

• We celebrated Rosie's birthday on September 22nd.

Praise Report

Saturday, I dislocated my right wrist.  On Tuesday, I visited the doctor for an x-ray to see if there was any other structural damage, dreading the inevitable bad news and the costs that were sure to follow.  The doctor was amazed by the x-rays when he heard the story of the dislocation (and how I popped it back in), noting that it is very hard to dislocate a wrist and even harder to set it yourself. 

It was nothing short of a miracle that no damage or even swelling occured!  He called it "wacky!" and told me to just get a splint, while not charging me for the visit!  I am VERY THANKFUL that God healed my wrist in such a remarkable way and for the kindness of the doctor!!  I have also officially retired from tackle football. 

Five Weeks Down South

• On July 23rd, we set off from New York to visit my family in Tennessee and to share with churches about the ministry in Malaysia.  On our way down, we stopped by Delaware to visit with some friends who serve in East Asia.  We hadn't seen them for about 9 years so it was a great chance to catch up.
  
  
• While in Tennessee, we really enjoyed being able to see my family for the first time since we arrived back in the US in April.  The boys got to have lots of fun visiting Dollywood, the Zoo, science museums, and family.  We were also able to meet with some of our faithful supporters and share about how their partnership has helped to impact people in Malaysia.
  
  
• We also had the opportunity to share in 10 services in 9 churches as well as the YWAM Nashville base.  We were really encouraged by the response of the congregations to what God was doing and for those who responded to God's call to be involved in the cause of global missions.  We are so grateful for those who committed to supporting us financially and for those who gave generously while we were there.
  
  
• We would like to thank all of you who extended fine southern hospitality our way and to those new friends who we met on our visit.  We look forward to connecting with you all in the future!

New Season

• Now, we are beginning a new season, where we will be established in New York for a great majority of the next nine months.  We are each looking forward to getting involved in ministry here and will be exploring ways that we can continue to make a positive impact on people in our community while we are here.  We will keep you updated.

• We are also very grateful that we have been able to enroll Nikao into Smithtown Christian School for the 2011-2012 school year.  He will begin class today so please keep him in prayer as he adjusts to a new environment.

Furlough:  First 3 Months

Our first three months back in the US has been great!  Some of the highlights have been: 

• Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle Missions Convention in April
• Speaking at Sayville United Methodist Church
• 1 week spiritual retreat for Nick in upstate New York
• Reconnecting with family and friends
• Getting involved in the church at Smithtown
• Rosie is teaching 4 year olds in a Vacation Bible Camp this week.

Tennessee Bound!!!

While Rosie's side of the family has been enjoying the time we have been spending together, my family in Tennessee has been anxiously awaiting our trip to visit them.  We will be leaving New York on Saturday, July 23rd and will drive down to spend about 5 weeks in Tennessee.  On the way, we will visit with some missionary friends on the east coast who will be returning to China soon. 

During this trip, we will have the opportunity to share in between 6-10 churches so please keep us in prayer, especially me as I have a lot of preparation to do for so many meetings!!  If you would be interested in having us share in your church, please contact us ASAP as we are filling in the dates in a hurry!

Caleb Aiden Brackett

As we mentioned last time, we have a new addition to our family!  Caleb was born on October 11th without any complications.  He is doing very well.  You can check out some of the photos here. 

Destructive Fire

Two days ago, at about 2:30 a.m., a fire began on one of the floors which we occupy.  It is believed that this fire started because of an electrical short.  Although many things on this floor were destroyed, we are filled with a sense of extreme gratefulness to the Lord for several reasons.  First, we thank God that no one was on that floor when the fire began. Also, if this had happened in one of our dorms, it would have been a devastating tragedy. 

Harvest Centre Graduation

In November, we had our annual school graduation.  This year was another huge event with nearly 1,000 people in attendance and 98 students graduating.  Here is a news report that covered the event:

Merry Christmas!

Lastly, we would like to wish you a merry Christmas season!  It never feels the same as back home when the temperature is 80-90 degrees outside and you're sweating through a t-shirt and shorts, but we are looking forward to enjoying this season and hope you do the same.

Baby Countdown... 16 hours +/-

We are excited to announce that the conclusion to Rosie's pregnancy is drawing near!!  We plan to go to the hospital tomorrow morning (Sunday night 6:00 pm EST) to induce labor for Caleb Aiden Brackett!!   We would really appreciate your prayers that everything will go according to plan and that no complications or birth defects will occur.  The pregnancy has gone perfectly so far and we are looking forward to a perfect delivery as well!!! 

We will be sure to post some pictures on the website soon after the birth so you can all get a look at the latest addition to our tribe!

Faisal Cup 2010

WOW!  After months of planning and preparation the 5th annual Faisal Cup proved to be an event to remember!

For many children, the Faisal Cup is the highlight of the year.  That's because it's more than just a tournament or a competition, it is a voice of freedom and opportunity for the underprivileged.  The Faisal Cup is the only tournament of its kind, the only place where any child, no matter their race, religion, background or skill level, can enjoy the thrills of participating in organized sports.

This year was the largest tournament we have seen. The 2010 Faisal Cup saw 81 teams competing in 10 categories; that's 670 participants playing 208 games over the course of 2 days and a total attendance of almost 1,900 people on the second day alone!  What a special experience for the children!

Micah Challenge 10-10-10

100,000,000 Christians praying...

10,000,000 Christians making a promise to stand with the poor...

1,000 political leaders impacted by our action...

This is what the Micah Challenge is about.  The ultimate goal is to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015. 

We had a great time this morning in church, praying for the 8 Millennium Development Goals

We encourage you to not only pray for these development goals today, but to get involved, and commit yourself to making a difference in the lives of the many who are deprived of basic human rights.  The following is a video that shows the depth of poverty in Africa, putting a face to the statistics that we can easily pass over at times.

Goodbye to Josh

This week, we said goodbye to our friend and co-worker Josh Vogel.  After nearly 10 years of service here at Harvest Centre, Josh has returned to the US to seek God's direction for the next stage of his life.

I have known Josh for nearly 11 years.  We entered YWAM at the same time and took several trips together before eventually joining Harvest Centre at different times.  During his 10 years serving here, he has helped to pioneer the school here and been a tremendous creative influence in all that we do.  He will be greatly missed as a colleague and a friend, but we wish him the best and ask that you pray for him as he makes this transition.

New Email Campaign

If you are here, you probably have seen our shiny new email campaign!  Please leave us a comment and let us know what you think! 

New Baby Countdown...

As we announced with our last update, Rosie is expecting to give birth around October 15th to our 3rd son.  She is doing quite well with her pregnancy and will be stepping out of the ministry in the beginning of October to make preparations for the new baby and also prepare Nikao for home-schooling.

Somali Baking Project

For the last several months, Nick has been teaching Somali refugees how to bake at the cafe.  These refugee boys are in Malaysia without parents and without an education.  Even their homeland has been in turmoil for years without a government.  They expressed an interest in learning how to bake so sessions were set up to teach them many different items as well as purchasing ovens, mixers and other items needed to set up a small business so they can have some sustainable income.  Another Harvest Centre staff taught basic business management also.  Who would have ever thought that an American would move to Malaysia to teach Somalians baking??

Youth Alpha

In April, we were able to begin another intake of Youth Alpha with a local school.  Their christian fellowship swelled much higher than usual, up to over 40 students, and the students were showing a great interest in exploring the christian faith.  One student emailed us, ".the YOUTH ALPHA is really good.....i am not a CHRISTIAN actually....but i want to learn about Christianity.....its really fun and awesome.....i want to learn more about Christianity......."  Things were going great but unfortunately, we were asked to cancel the rest of the sessions due to exams.    The students were very disappointed but the teachers have asked us to do it again next year so let's hope for the best!

Renovation Update

As we mentioned in our last update, we recently had to shift several of our classrooms due to unsafe restrictions being placed upon us by the landlords.  The renovation is now complete and we now have more spacious classrooms and dorms for the children who are fostered by the ministry!

It has been a LONG TIME since you have heard from us.  I won't try to explain all that has gone on.  I will try to give you some brief bullet points on the last few months:

And then, there were 3

The most exciting news (I cannot believe we haven't shared this yet :/) is that Rosie is PREGNANT!!  Of course, it is another BOY!!  The pregnancy is going well and we would appreciate your prayers to help it stay that way!!  The baby should be making a jail break around October 15th. 

Youth Alpha

• Over the last several months, we completed two Youth Alpha intakes.  This included a powerful ministry time with the Holy Spirit in March.  Many of the youth were touched deeply. 

• One exciting development is that we are now running Youth Alpha in one of the public schools!  This is a tremendous opportunity and we now have about 50 young ladies attending the course!!!  Please keep this in prayer as it has the potential to really impact their lives!

• There is a possibility that we could also begin running Youth Alpha in another government school so please pray for that door to open.

Renovation / Moving

Recently, the landlords for one of the buildings we occupy has become exceptionally difficult to deal with, padlocking the front door and making threats.  We have no choice but to shift some classrooms of the school to another building.  The costs for this are approximately USD $60,000.  This financial strain is extremely hard on the ministry right now and your tax deductable contribution would be greatly appreciated.  If you are able to contribute any amount towards the moving and renovation, please click here for more information. 

Updated Prayer Requests

Our Prayer / Giving section has now been updated.  We REALLY would appreciate your prayers!!

Packed in!

January began a new school year for us at Harvest Centre.  After acquiring and renovating two additional floors during the holidays, we have an UNBELIEVABLE 700 STUDENTS!  Needless to say, it is rather crowded and hectic!  This of course comes with new challenges as well as opportunities.  Please continue to pray for our teachers and students as well as we continue to adjust.

Thievery

We have experienced 3 break-ins during the last month!  I won't go into details but my laptop, Pastor's laptop,the church LCD projector, and some equipment / tools have all been stolen.  The loss of my laptop was especially bitter as it had 100% of my data.  Photos, teachings, research, recipes, music, videos...everything, gone... with no back-up.  We are trying our best to secure our premises, but with 10 floors and 700 students, it is incredibly difficult.  Please pray for this situation.

Youth Alpha

AsI said before, having 700 students presents new opportunites.  Our newYouth Alpha intake has about 30 youth and I am now running a group onThursday as well with about 15 more students.  It is quite a handful to prepare and plan but I am really happy to be at this point in the ministry to where things are happening on their own.  It is nice to say, "Hey, there are way too many people here." as opposed to "Why is no one here."  Please pray for many lives to be impacted. 

Tough Month, but Thanks to All

All in all, this month has been a difficult start to the year.  The cost of a replacement computer as well as college fees was a massive hit on our finances but Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle was a tremendous blessing,assisting with much of the cost of both the school fees and the computer, so we extend a grateful thank you to our partners at Smithtown as well as all of you who continue to pray and support us! Let's look forward to a fruitful 2010!!

Recently, Rosie & John-Michael flew to East Malaysia to train preschool teachers and Nikao and I took the Youth Alpha group for our weekend away (Holy Spirit weekend). 

Youth Alpha Weekend Away

About half way through our weekly Youth Alpha sessions, we take our youth away for a weekend.  This gives us an opportunity to break away from the normal environment, have a little fun, and cultivate an environment that limits distractions.  We always look forward to these (Holy Spirit) sessions because this is where many of them really experience God for the first time.

This occassion did not disappoint.  All of the youth, christian and non-christian, experienced God's presence in a powerful way.  It was a really powerful time.  We also went to the famous Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary for a few hours.  That was a lot of fun.  Not only did we get to ride the elephans bare backed, Nikao also fed the young ones with lots of cucumbers (after initially being forced by me :wink:). 

Rosie's trip to Sarawak

While we were off riding elephants, and experiencing God, Rosie was off in East Malaysia experiencing teacher training and a preschool graduation.  Over the past few years, we at Harvest Centre have established several preschools in towns and in the villages of East Malaysia.  The training of the teachers in these preschools is an ongoing process and Rosie was able to spend a week training about 20 teachers.  It looks like she may be traveling a lot more in 2010, continuing to train teachers in different parts of the country.

Faisal Cup 2010

For those of you who need a review on what the Faisal Cup is, please check out a couple of short videos which can be found in our video section here. 

This year's Faisal Cup was another HUGE event with unbelievable hours of planning.  There were over 40 teams involved this year with over 1,000 people in attendance.  This year, we even had some refugees from Afghanistan in the tournament! 

I have been training our soccer team since February and I'll be honest, it has been tough.  Some students thought they were moving to Australia (but got swindled and were sent to a detention camp) and left our school.  Other students who remained constantly struggled with commitment to the team and practicing with excellence.  Through it all though, we stuck with it and arrived at Faisal Cup.

During the tournament, I coached the Under 16 soccer team and we also had an Under 18 team and several different netball categories for the girls.  The day was overcast through most of the morning with some light rain in the early afternoon.  That was a GREAT blessing, as the Malaysian sun is not very kind during soccer tournaments. 

So how did our team fare?  Well, the Under 16 team did surprisingly well.  We advanced to the semi-final game, which needed penalites to decide the 1-1 draw.  We won the game in dramatic fashion as Ayub denied shot after shot and Farouk slotted home the winning goal. 

In the championship game, we played a taller team, but played fair, although we missed several great opportunities.  With the score tied at 1-1, the pace became frantic at the end with the other team assaulting our goal.  Ayub made 4 fantastic saves in a row, denying the opponet the victory, but injuring his ankle in the process.  The game finished at a draw which of course meant... more penalties.  But alas, it was not meant to be for us this year.  Ayub's ankle injury restricted his movement and he wasn't able to save any of the penalites, as we missed all of ours.  So, in the end, we achieved 2nd place... which honestly, is much better than I anticipated!  Next week we will begin to train again and hope to win it all next year!!