Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips.
(Proverbs 27:2)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  Holiday season is starting to settle in—except for us here in the Netherlands, it’s Sint Maartens and Sinterklaas, instead of Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  I’m amazed to realize that we’ve now been here in Holland long enough that the Dutch holidays actually stir feelings of fondness and nostalgia for us (even while we still miss the American holidays a bit, too).  What was once so foreign is now familiar!  It’s good to realize that God has blessed us with a sense of home and family on either side of the Atlantic.

One of our “family” units here in the Netherlands is the group of missionaries who work with us in Amsterdam through Great Commission Ministries.  We’ve been through a lot together since the church was started, and God has given us a strong sense of brotherhood and sisterhood in the process.  At one of our recent staff meetings, we came up with the idea to take a turn writing prayer letters for each other—going off the principle to “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” (as it says in Proverbs 27:2).  Thus:  the primary content for this month’s prayer letter is coming to you, not from my own hand, but from my friend and colleague, Eva Ellingsworth, who ministers here primarily through her gift of evangelism, her skills in coaching, and her natural talent in music.  I’ll let her take it from here:

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Dear ministry team of the wonderful Eric Asp,

You don’t know me but my name it Eva Ellingsworth, and I have the privilege and honor to work with Eric as a full-time missionary in Amsterdam.  There are a lot of things that I like about Eric: his humor, wisdom, patience and grace.  He is also an amazing example of being a caring husband and Father.  Over the last 6 years of working with Eric, I have seen him grow as a ministry leader, pastor, teacher, discipler, and friend to many people in the city of Amsterdam.  He is a faithful shepherd that has an amazing passion for this church and to see people unleashed to reach unbelievers for Christ.  Some of the greatest insights I have received from Eric that I carry with me and teach to others are: Own who you are, live life in balance, and the greatness of the so-called “simple”. 

I remember when Eric came to terms with being a guy from Ohio, no longer running the race of conformity, Eric come to terms with his uniqueness here in Amsterdam, which he displayed by pulling out his buried baseball cap and Carhartt jacket, then proudly wearing them as he biked through the city.   He didn’t just make this step for himself but also as a way of unleashing others to own what also makes them unique.

The second lesson, “living life in balance” came out of a conversation where he said very poignantly “I am becoming more convinced that life is about balance”.  He shared how easy it is to bounce to extremes in so many places in life: religion, money, relationships, etc – and that it’s good to look at the two extremes, then find the line in the middle and walk there.  When I think about it, this is also about walking in grace!

The third lesson is displayed in Eric’s leadership style and his desire for plural leadership.  Eric is not about “doing what the experts do,” but he really believes that in our church we have the resources we need to hear from God about the “what”s and “how”s of community life.  He does not disregard outside wisdom and input, but instead takes note of it but also trusts that the Holy Spirit is working inside our community to lead and guide us.  In a time of experts and hypes, especially in church planting, this is a great insight and asset to complement a culture that tends to become skeptical of big ideas.

I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you only a slice of what makes Eric such an amazing leader, pastor and friend.  I want to also thank you for all that you do that makes is possible for Eric and his family to be here in Amsterdam.  We are all thankful for Eric, his family and you - his ministry team.

Ways that you could pray for Eric:

1. That God would continue to bless and grow him as a husband, father, pastor, friend, mentor, teacher and disciple maker.
2. Protection for the whole Asp family.
3. That God would continue to speak to Eric’s heart and fill him up so that he can be pouring back into others.
4. That Eric would find some solid male’s support here in Amsterdam, men who would be an encouragement and be willing to challenge him where it’s needed.
5. That Eric would continue to own who he is, find the balance in all things, and call out the greatness in the so-called “simple”.

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It’s interesting to hear the perspectives of someone else—isn’t it?  I appreciate Eva’s kind words, and I hope that it was enjoyable for you, too.  At any rate, please know that your support for our ministry is much appreciated (not just by our family but by the “extended family” here in Amsterdam, too)!  Thanks for everything, and I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday.  We’ll be in touch…

Eric