September/October 2007

". . . AND YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES BOTH IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND EVEN TO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH." (Acts 1:8)

Chris and I never thought that in our lifetime we would actually see the UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH, but upon arriving in Outer Mongolia on June 29th, we realized that we were experiencing the very mandate that Christ gave to all His believers before He ascended to Heaven! In many ways we were "way out of our comfort zone," but we also knew we were right in the center of God’s will for us. The Lord was with us every step of the way! He was with us when our flights were cancelled and we had to travel 52 hours to get there. He was with us as we sang an outdoor concert for the sweet Mongolian townspeople, sharing the gospel in word and song. He was with us as we presented two banquets for the elderly Mongolians, some of whom would enjoy that banquet as the only outing they would have for the entire year, and their only chance to hear the gospel. God was with us as we ministered to the 63 orphans - the children that Jerry and Susan Smith took in from the sewers and who now have food, shelter, education, and have had the opportunity to hear about Christ and trust Him as their Lord and Savior. God was with us as some of the teachers in our group were able to be a witness for Christ as they taught the Mongolian teachers English and teaching skills. And God was with us as we joined with a precious worship team from a local Mongolian church to present a concert in Mongolian and English for a large city there in the country. God was with us, and God has been with Jerry and Susan Smith and their ministry, "Change the World" from the very beginning. In a country with great needs, God is moving in great ways, and we are grateful to have been a part of that ministry.

We are very excited about our new CD which will be out by the first week in November. It is called "GOD STILL MOVES – THE BEST OF CHRIS AND DIANE MACHEN – 1985-2005", and contains 16 songs from that 20-year time period, old and new pictures, and stories behind the writing of each song. You can pre-order them now. They might make good "stocking-stuffers" for Christmas!

Thank you for your prayers and support as the Lord continues to provide opportunities for us to minister in conferences and churches in addition to our Prestonwood ministry. I just returned from a Women’s Retreat for FBC, Arlington, TX where I had the humbling opportunity of being both the worship leader and keynote speaker. I was recently informed that there were at least two professions of faith as a result of the retreat, which I praise the Lord for. Please pray for us as we lead worship for a Senior Adult Conference for the NW Baptist Association in Oregon, Oct. 29th-31st, and a Conference for Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Austin, TX Nov. 9th and 10th. Thank you again for partnering with us in ministry! For pictures from our Mongolia trip, visit the Mongolia Travel Log.

God Still Moves,

Chris & Diane