Insights from the Jordan Team

When my husband Mark and I were invited to join Fred and Kristin and Greater Reach Ministries to journey to Jordan, we were both initially apprehensive and in awe of the door that God had opened for us…Why us, Lord?? What do we have to offer to this ministry, how could we possibly be of use to You there??

While most visitors go to Jordan for the sole purpose of seeing the magnificent rock-cut city of Petra, which is truly a feast for the eyes…or the amazing Biblical sites, they may miss the opportunity to experience Jordan’s greatest natural resource… it’s incredibly gracious and hospitable people…never have we experienced such an outpouring of love and warmth!!

We know the Lord went before us, clearing away any obstacles and preparing our hearts and minds and those of the attendees. We were deeply touched by the commitment these couples had to the instruction and the enthusiasm they had to share it with others! It was our joy to be there to share and encourage them. I think we learned more from their open hearts!!

Teaming up with AWT~ Arab Women Today, in a predominantly Muslim, male-dominated society, the concepts taught (conflict resolution, stress management and communication) provided the attendees with new insights, totally unfamiliar to their culture. Only upon our arrival in Heaven will we know the outcome of how our love and support during these seminars will further the message of who God wants us to be and how we are to love and respect one another.

The work being done by both of these ministries is transforming the lives of Arab women! Greater Reach Ministry truly lived up to their name, vision and mission statement!

Lives changed. Hearts blessed. Believers encouraged...

...as we travelled to the country of Jordan, a Muslim country known for its hospitality, biblical sites, and Petra. We conducted three seminars in three different communities over a two week period in mid-May.

• Greater Reach Ministries taught seminars for at least five different church denominations: Baptist, Nazarene, Evangelical Free, Pentecostal, and Alliance
• Topics covered: conflict resolution, communication, developing intimacy in marriage, motivation, seasons of a woman’s/man’s life, stress management
• Seminars presented in three different cities to 100’s of people
• Amman, Husn, and Zarqa were conference targets.

A sampling of comments from those who attended these meetings:

o “This is the first time we have ever learned how to grow deep in our marriage and the first time these topics have ever been taught in our church! Thank you!”

o “The stress management session helped me to realize that I do have a lot of different things causing stress, and it’s not always my spouse’s fault. I am sorry for blaming him for everything”

o “This has changed my life!”

o One husband said, “I realize I have been too selfish. I will start now to be more selfless, even saying yes now to a small request my wife made which I had said no to before.”

o Another woman said, “This conference was life-changing. My husband and I have made a commitment to change our life-style. The time here has shown me that we need to spend time together to develop our spiritual intimacy as a couple.”

Goals Reached: The goal of uplifting women in the Middle East, who are limited in many ways and not as respected as men, was achieved.

• Women and men were equipped and encouraged in their walk with God and in their marriages. Walls were broken down and hurts were addressed.


• The time in Jordan was well-spent:it was God-inspired and God-led.

We're home!

What a ministry trip we had in Amman, Jordan! Our conferences went so well, we can do nothing but thank God for all the answers to prayer, for all the many ways every aspect of our time was covered, protected and God-led. We are grateful!

We were blessed with good health, rest and safety. God wonderfully protected us in every way! Crossing the border between Jordan and Israel is very difficult, yet we passed through safely. International travel can be exhausting, yet each day we awoke rested and ready to go! Our flight connections were smooth and stress-free. What a blessing that was!

We asked that God would raise up visionary leaders to work alongside GRM: we have deepened our relationship with Arab Woman Today, especially our friend Ruba, a visionary leader. She and I look forward to developing more ministries together in the future. She would love for us to come back soon!

We also had a two-day side trip to Nazareth to visit the family of one of our good friends with Christar, which was also a special treat. To walk where Jesus walked in both these countries is such a privilege and thrill. I am always struck by how quickly time goes by when I am there. Two thousand years is nothing in light of eternity, and here we were, teaching God’s Word near where Christ was teaching not so long ago.

Photos and more will be coming shortly so be sure to come back and visit again soon!

Quick update from Jordan

It has been a busy week!

We are now getting a 5 hour breather and then off we go again tomorrow.

Things have gone really well in our first days here! We teach again tomorrow night and then all day Friday, plus lots of individual meetings.

It's been cold in Amman and hot in Nazareth, where we were yesterday and today.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement.

God is changing lives and answering prayers!

Our Trip to Jordan

Well, it won't be long now. My husband, myself and another ministry couple are leaving for Amman, Jordan this coming weekend. I already told you a little about this upcoming trip in an earlier posting, but I wanted to mention it again so you will pray for us that God's Word would be an encouragement to all we meet with. I am excited for this opportunity to partner with Arab Woman Today! I love the Jordanian people and especially Arab Woman Today! The Greater Reach team has been hard at work preparing for this conference, and we stand on tip toe to see what God will do through us.

Irene Marco has a word for you

In this picture: Irene Marco to the left, Kristin Beasley in the middle,
and Caye Siller to the right.

I met Kristin when my husband was in seminary and she was the Dean of Women there. She helped me see who I was in God's eyes and that he had a call on my life. God's call is so much more than being a wife or mother, though those two roles are really important and strategic. But Kristin's ministry has caused me to really seek God's path for my whole life, helping we to look further out instead of just focusing on my current tasks and trials.My friend Kristin is rock solid in God's Word and has a gift to speak living truth into a situation. She is a person that sees the importance of accountability and community. I have watched her as the wife of successful pastor navigate well the ups and downs of ministry life. And no matter how difficult her life experiences have been in the past, she has allowed God to use them to build her into the woman he wants her to be.

Finally, she and Greater Reach gave me a global perspective on God's plan and role for women. Before I met Kristin I never really thought about other women in the world and the struggles and issues they face. If you want to move past the typical women's ministry and become empowered to reach for God's best then this is the ministry for you!

A Priceless Gift by Caye Siller

I am visiting from Florida with the Greater Reach team and I was inspired to write this:

I remember, as a child, receiving a gift from a neighbor. Her name was Mrs. Clapper (funny name, I know! :)). One day she showed me a gold necklace that was in her jewelry box. I was so enamored with it; it was so shiny! Even though I didn't know how valuable it was, and it was very valuable, she gave it to me, and I took it home. My Mom told me, "It's too expensive a gift, you need to give it back." As a child, I didn't understand. I thought, "it's my gift, why should I give it back?" The years have passed, but there is still a part of me as a grown woman, that stuggles to know that I am valuable enough to be given a priceless gift. It's not because of Mrs. Clapper's necklace but because of a world that seems to scream, "you're not good enough!" The good news is that I, you, we all are children of God, and our worth is much greater than a gold necklace-we are priceless to God! "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

This is what Greater Reach wants you to know: you are a gift from God and have gifts and talents that He wants to see you invest in Kingdom work! Blessings, Kristin