Ministry Update: May 2013

Shalom Friends in Yeshua’s Love,

Please allow me to thank those of you who have contributed financially to Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources. Also, thanks to those who have supported us through prayer, by your viewership, readership and by referring this ministry to your friends. We are deeply grateful for all of your love and support!

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When I say “we,” I’m not referring to the hired staff that we don’t have, although from appearances (our website, teachings, videos, and so on) it may seem otherwise. Hoshana Rabbah is made up of my wife, Sandi, and me. That’s it. What’s more, I work a full-time job (40 to 60 hours per week), which is how I support my family (I receive no remuneration from this ministry—my work is all volunteer). Additionally, I pastor a local congregation (from which I also receive no remuneration). For her part, Sandi, who manages the website (a huge, time consuming responsibility) receives a small financial allowance each month (she could easily make three or four times as much in the corporate world). Beyond this, all financial contributions go directly into the ministry to pay for expenses to serve the needs of the body of Yeshua. So again, thank you for your support. We do this because we love Yeshua, because he has called us with an irresistible and irrevocable ministry calling, and because we love the brethren. It’s not about us, it’s about Him, so give our Lord all the glory!

Now having shared this, please let me share with you some ministry update information. The ministry was recently able to purchase a new computer for me. We prayed for the money to come in, and it did. My old one, while still functional, was running out of memory, hard drive space, and general crunching power, which made the video editing slow and difficult. After seven years of hard ministry use, I was blessed to be able to pass it on to my teenage kids to use in their schooling.

As some of you know, we just launched a YouTube video ministry. Until now, Hoshana Rabbah has focused primarily on producing written teachings and other resources (written by me and edited and produced by Sandi). However, with more people relying on video teachings these days, it was imperative that we begin meeting these needs. So several months ago, I took a little leap of faith and began recording my Shabbat services teachings with my I-Phone, an inexpensive lighting set-up and corded microphone, believe it or not! The total financial outlay to begin doing this (minus the I-Phone and tripod, which I already had) was only about $200. I also began recording some teachings from my converted chicken coop office (a little out building that sits in our backyard). (To let you in on a little secret, it’s for this reason that on all my videos you hear a rooster crowing at the beginning. Okay, the truth be told, the rooster is also there to wake people up from their spiritual slumber and to get ready for Yeshua’s coming as well.) In addition, I taught myself the I-Movie editing program (an application that I already had on my computer).

My trusty little I-Phone was doing a stellar job of recording my teachings, but it didn’t have enough memory on its hard drive to record very long or multiple teachings. Therefore, it soon became apparent that we needed to purchase a regular video camera. We prayed, and asked for the money to come in, and soon it did. We were just able to purchase a new Canon Vixia HF G20 HD camera. It’s for this reason that the video and sound quality on the videos has suddenly improved. Again, thank you to those who have contributed to Hoshana Rabbah, and all glory be to YHVH for allowing us to purchase the computer and camera for our new video ministry. So far, I have recorded, edited and uploaded about 25 video teachings since January. Through this medium, more and more lives are being touched for the kingdom of Elohim, which is all that matters.

Other than this, Sandi, to this point has been self taught with regard to web design. To improve her skills at coding, layout and design, she recently enrolled in a local community college and has been taking classes toward a certificate and ultimately an associates degree in web design. I’m very proud of her for this, since it’s a lot of hard, technical and tedious work, but she loves it! She’s got a real knack for it. With the skills she’s learning, she plans to totally revamp and update the Hoshana Rabbah website in the very near future. Frankly, there would be no ministry without her tireless and unceasing daily effort in this endeavor.

In addition, Sandi and I pastor our local congregation where she is the secretary, bookkeeper, event coordinator, kid’s teacher, co-pastor and overall mom to those of our local spiritual family.

Now that Shavuot is passed, Sandi and I are preparing for our week-long regional Sukkot gathering in the high desert inter-mountain region of central Oregon. She’s the event planner and organizer, while I oversee the teachings and speakers side of things as well as being the main teacher myself. Oy vey!

I hope that this brief update gives you a better view into our ministry, our hearts and future plans. Basically, we’re kind of the pragmatic type who take it a day at a time relying on YHVH Elohim’s Spirit to guide us step-by-step. Frankly, we don’t have any grandiose plans, and we’re not trying to create a ministry empire or anything of the sort. We’re just attempting to use the talents YHVH has given us to be a blessing to his people. That’s all.

May Yeshua be glorified and praised!

In and Because of YHVH’s Love and Grace,

Natan and Sandi Lawernce

 

7 thoughts on “Ministry Update: May 2013

  1. Thank you Natan and Sandy, We have enjoyed your teaching much, it is getting better and better for us, as we been at this stuff for nearly 14 years now, and the teaching is more on the strong meat side that we desire. Robin and I love you, your family, and feel a part of you, I first met you at Hank and Marilee’s in Central Oregon, that is where we live. Looking forward to more of your teaching, we really love you.

    • Thank you for your kind words. Perhaps you can email me privately and bring me up to date on what’s happening spiritually in your neck of the woods.

      Hoshana Rabbah will be sponsoring Sukkot NW again this year in La Pine. Maybe we’ll see you. The details will be on the website soon.

      Love and blessings back at you!

  2. What a remarkable story about the ministry! Sandy, you do an EXCELLENT job and literally make it look like there is a team of staff members involved in creating all your materials! And Natan – way to go! YHVH has blessed you with many talents and one of them is being such a good stewart. You do so much with what Abba has given you! (I’ll always remember the shots you got of the Oregon coast for the Law of the Fringes video! Beautiful!)

    Keep up the great work and thank you so much. We all really do appreciate it!

  3. Thank you Carol. With the new and better camera, I hope to do more on site shooting at interesting places that will help make the video teaching message more interesting and appealing.

  4. Great! I also like the video you did showing us the terrain of Tigard. For those of us who live throughout the USA and abroad; it was great to see the area where you live! (It reminded me a lot of Santa Fe, NM.)

    Again, thanks for making the videos not only educational but “eye interesting” too!

    Enjoy your Shabbat! : )

    • I’m not sure which video you’re referring to, but if it’s the two that I did in the high desert of Central Oregon, this is not Tigard (it’s about 150 miles east of Tigard). Tigard (a suburb of Portland) is in the western part of Oregon, which is a lush, green rain forest. The video I did about the feast of Pentecost was shot in my backyard. This will give you a better idea of what it’s like where I live.

      To recap, western Oregon is lush and green and very wet, while central and eastern Oregon is a dry and high desert.

  5. Ooops – when I was viewing the high desert Central Oregon, I thought it was near Tigard! Now I know and am looking forward to more outdoor shots you take when recording your videos! It is always a blessing to see where others live and the beautiful work of Abba’s hand. Thanks for sharing!

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