March 2023 Update

It’s been too long since my last update. But it doesn’t mean nothing is happening (double negative intended!). I returned from my sixth trip to Cameroon in 2022 the day before Thanksgiving. So I have been stateside for 3 months. Wonderful time with my family in Minnesota. Welcomed my 7th grandchild, the baby of my baby, Emma. Emma and her husband, Will, named him Thomas Matthew Troyak. Matthew is Will’s Dad’s name and you can share my astonishment that he is Tommy #2 in the Steller lineage.

Teaching-wise in December we finished our worshipful journey through Romans 9-11, ending in doxology, “To Him be the Glory forever!” This semester I am teaching Biblical Theology and we are working our way slowly and meticulously through Pastor John Piper’s “Providence”. What a climactic study as they move toward graduation day on May 13, reflecting on God’s purposeful sovereignty grounded in and aimed at the glory of our crucified Savior and our eternal joy in Him.

During these three months stateside I have also been accepting opportunities to preach, teach, and present updates on the work in Cameroon. We also have been spending time moving ahead with our project to build a ministry center in Yaounde. We are seeking to raise in the neighborhood of $1.6 million dollars. Over $100,000 has been raised so far with a signficant amount coming from the people of our church plant in Yaounde. I will be sending out a specific report on the building project in the not too distant future to elicit your prayer, possible giving, suggestions, and connections..

The Print on Demand equipment has now completely arrived, half from China and half from the US. The equipment is sitting un-opened in Bryan’s living room. We are renting a home across the street to temporarily house the equipment. When Bryan comes back to Cameroon from his home assignment in the US in June, we will begin the process of setting up the book-making equipment, hire those who will be trained to operate it, then begin producing books that will be valuable and affordable for pastors and Christian leaders in Cameroon.

Please pray as we are now interviewing applicants for the new cohort that will begin next year. We have some wonderful applicants and are eager for God to solidify next year’s cohort.

We are also excited that our current students taught 4 cohorts of hungry men and women course 1 of the Training Leaders International curriculum that we hope will provide training for pastors and Christian leaders who have not had the opportunity of formal training. The response of these first four TLI cohorts confirmed the deep hunger in so many for the solid and practical expositional teaching from God’s Word. It’s been especially satisfying to Dieudonne, Bryan and me to see our students passing on with joy and skill what they have been learning these last several years.

I returned to Cameroon a few days ago. What joy to see my loved ones here. To hear Dieudonne preach on Ruth 1:19-22 strengthened my faith in our sovereign and loving God filled me with joy as I saw our growing congregation feast on the faithful preaching of God’s Word. People are now sitting on the back steps because there is no more room in the sanctuary. Today I enjoyed 6 hours in the classroom. Your partnership in all this is as appreciated as ever.

In His Mercy and Joy,

Tom

This is a picture of Julie surrounded by our grandchildren, taken last summer before #7 arrived: Karsten, Sam, Rosie, Olive, Simon, Maeve and Tommy. We are grateful beyond words. Please include them in your prayers.