— Updates —

1. How is God moving in your ministry/what can we celebrate with you? 

We praise God that He has brought many students from around the world to Dallas International University to prepare them for work in many different missions. Our student body continues to grow and the majority of DIU's students are already connected with mission organizations so it's great to know that we are helping equip people who are well on their way to reaching the unreached. I'm grateful for the time I had to train with the previous Registrar, which has helped me feel better prepared to serve in this role.   

 2. Fun fact:

Now that I'm a university registrar, DIU has to pay a printing company to print official transcript paper with my signature on it, which is really ironic if you've ever seen how terrible my handwriting is.  

Please pray:

• Please pray that I would continue to grow in experience and understanding of my role as Registrar.

• Please also pray for direction for our family as we move into new seasons. Rosa and Juli are looking into college and career options. Natalie is a sophomore in high school and is hoping to start learning to drive soon. Noelia and Rafael began attending a local charter school this fall, and we're still getting used to the new routine.

• Please also pray for our whole family as we continue to grieve the loss of our son, Jacob, who died this past March.

 We praise God for Lake Tapps Community Church and your prayers and partnership over the years. We could not do what we're doing without you. Thank you!

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MAY 2024

Thank you all for your partnership with our Wycliffe ministry and your prayers as we continue to navigate the path of grief following the loss of our son Jacob. We'd appreciate your prayers for the following:

1. We're looking into different options for counseling and grief support groups for everyone in the family.  Please pray that we could find the right fit for everyone. 

2.  Please pray for Joel as he continues to learn his new role as registrar from the current registrar, who is retiring at the end of June. 

3.  Please continue to pray for peace and healing for our family in this difficult time. 

Thanks again for being part of our ministry and part of our lives.

Joel & Becky Matuszczak

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DECEMBER 2023

We praise God that I was recently cleared to begin my new assignment as Registrar at Dallas International University.  This is an exciting step and I am really enjoying the new role.  The fall semester has just ended and the spring semester is beginning in January so I am learning a lot about the different processes performed by the Registrar.  We are honored to be working with students as far away as Hong Kong and Nigeria.  Please pray for our family as we adjust to new routines and changes in our lives.  

Our kids are growing up and lots of changes have happened for them! Our firstborn, Rosa, recently got her driver's license and continues to work full time at the Wycliffe center.  Jacob moved to Kansas last month and our third born, Julianna will be graduating from high school this coming May. These changes are exciting but also sobering.  Our younger three kids are doing well. Natalie, our 9th grader attends a charter school and Noelia and Rafael are homeschooled by Becky along with the kids from another missionary family that Becky does a homeschool co-op with. Becky also babysits for another missionary family two days a week.

We are grateful for all of you who have made it possible for us to follow God's calling on our lives.  Thank you for your prayers and partnership and may you all have a blessed Christmas!  

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JULY 2023

We praise God for the opportunities we've had to reconnect with churches, friends and family and for bringing us safely to Washington. 

1. Please pray for our continued travels. We're almost halfway through this trip of nearly seven weeks and 5000 miles, where we visit seven churches and many individuals to give updates on our Wycliffe ministry.  

2. Trips like this can be exhausting and stressful so please pray for moments of rest and encouragement.  

3. Please also pray that God would move people to partner with our Wycliffe ministry so Joel can begin his new assignment at Dallas International University in September.  

Thank you all for your prayers and the role you've played in our ministry over the years!

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MARCH 2023

One of the changes affecting my role at Cowan Apartments that has occurred in the last few months is that the management of Cowan has switched to a different part of the Wycliffe organization.  This change has allowed us to get more help with maintenance and repairs around the building, which is a blessing, but we are all still learning how to work together so please pray for guidance as we adjust to the new arrangement, that we find the balance that works best for everyone and serves our residents best. 

On the home front, we're continuing to deal with health issues in the family.  The latest is that Jacob has been referred for numerous tests to find out the cause of some fatigue and fainting episodes he has experienced.  He has undergone several tests and seen a cardiologist who is ordering some more tests.  So far, they're discovered some abnormalities but none clearly explain the symptoms he's experiencing so please pray for clear answers. Finding the best arrangements for schooling for the younger four kids is also a prayer request.  

We praise God for the many ways he has blessed us and led us and we are so grateful to everyone at Lake Tapps Community Church for being part of our ministry team!

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OCTOBER 2022

It's been nearly two years since I (Joel) began serving as Maintenance Coordinator at Cowan Apartments and I'm blessed to work with the amazing, retired missionaries who live here.  I praise God that we have been able to help solve some significant problems in the building in the past few months.   

- Due to a recent organizational change, Cowan Apartments is now under a different department than it was previously, and the staff is still learning what this change means for us on a day-to-day basis.  Please pray for wisdom and guidance and that we are able to continue serving the residents well throughout this period of adjustment.   

- On the home front, please pray for Becky as she homeschools three kids and runs the house full-time.  My job is 9 to 5, while hers is 24/7 so please pray for stamina, wisdom and good health for her!  Every school year brings different challenges and the routines involved in the current year are especially demanding, so please also pray that we can find a routine that fits Becky's gifts.  Our six kids range in age from four to nineteen; please pray that each one would grow closer to the Lord daily AND grow in the practical ways that each one needs.   

- Finally, financial giving to our Wycliffe ministry has decreased significantly in the past several months.  We have seen God's amazing provision many times during our 21 years as missionaries and we trust him to provide now as well.  Please join us in praying for God to move hearts to join our team.   

We are so thankful to all of you at Lake Tapps Community Church for your prayers and partnership over the years!  We couldn't do what we do without you.  Thank you!

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JUNE 2022

Joel is currently in the process of helping the IT staff at the Dallas Wycliffe center upgrade the Wi-Fi system at Cowan Apartments.  Several of our residents use Zoom meetings to work with their co-translators around the world on completing or revising Scripture translations while other residents teach online classes for people training to become Bible translators, so this simple technology upgrade will speed up the process of getting God’s Word into the hands (and hearts) of those that still need it.   

Becky and some of the kids help out at Cowan from time to time.  Becky used her organizing skills to put the workshop in order.  Julianna has been hired by a couple of the residents to do some cleaning and odd jobs at their apartments.   

We're so grateful to all of you at Lake Tapps for your prayers and partnership in our Wycliffe ministry!

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for wisdom for us as parents as we care for our six children’s needs and train them up in the way they should go.  A typical week in our life involves homeschooling, a doctor or dentist visit or two, driving lessons and late-night talks about navigating life’s challenges.  Our son Jacob just finished high school and we were blessed to have Becky’s parents visit from Puyallup to celebrate with us. 

• Please pray that God would guide Jacob to the career path that’s right for him.  You may remember our garage ceiling collapsed a year ago.  We have encountered numerous obstacles to getting it fixed and we’re starting to see that God may have a specific plan for that space as there may be an opportunity for Rosa and Jacob to host a local group of college-age kids (mostly other missionary kids). 

• Please pray for direction and provision as we seek to be good stewards of the home God has given us.  

• A couple of our residents are currently recovering from COVID so please pray for protection for them and us.

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January 2022

We praise God that we are all healthy again after a mild bout of COVID (our second time).  We have been in our home for a year and a half now.  That feels like a long time after all the moving we did in the two years before we moved here.  Joel has been serving at Cowan for a year and is learning a lot and enjoying getting to know the residents.  This past summer, we found a local church to attend.   The kids have different circles of friends here, some with other missionary kids, some through our church.

Please pray . . .

. . . for wisdom as parents.  We have six very unique children, and we want to make the best decisions we can regarding their schooling and how to train each one up in the way they should go.  Please pray especially for Becky since four of the kids are homeschooled to some extent and that's a very big job, as you can imagine.

. . . for our kids to find their purpose in life and to follow God with their whole hearts.

. . . for Joel to have wisdom to solve the problems that come up each day as Maintenance Coordinator at Cowan Apartments and please also pray that God will bring an experienced person to help with maintenance in the new year.

. . . for guidance as we continue to work on putting our garage back together after the ceiling collapse last May.  Some of our plans have not been approved by the city so we're having to change directions.  Our house is a blessing, and we want to be good stewards of it. 

We are so thankful for all of you at LTCC who have encouraged, supported and prayed for us over the years.  Thank you!

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SEPTEMBER 2021

PRAISES

• Praise that they were able to purchase a good, used second car for the family.

• Praise that they found a wonderful Church home and it is a good fit for all eight of them (Joel, Becky and 6 kids).  The kids are able to attend two youth groups….one with Joel’s work and one with their Church home.

• Praise that the three younger children are being homeschooled and that it is going well.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please pray that they find a new doctor for three year old, Rafael.  He is doing well, but his blood pressure is increasing and he may need to be put on blood pressure medicine.  Their current doctor is moving and they ask that we pray that they find a new doctor soon. Raphael has an upcoming appointment.  He is a very happy, pleasant and energetic child.

• Their three older children are all in community college. Please pray that they adjust to the college culture which is very different from the culture they are used to and not be discouraged with all that is currently going on with COVID, etc.

• Joel is in need of a helper for maintenance. They are currently looking to hire an electrician and they are hoping he will be able to help with other general maintenance as well (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, etc.) as the facility continues to age and more maintenance is required.

• Please keep Joel and Becky in your prayers as they have had tenants of the facility pass away since they arrived. These tenants have become dear to Joel and Becky. They said the tenants experience grief when a spouse passes away and the tenant needs to move from a two bedroom unit to a one bedroom unit.  There are a lot of adjustments for the tenants as well as for Joel and Becky, more than they thought they would experience.
  

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JUNE 2021

As of May 21st, the Matuszczak family will have been serving in Dallas through the Wycliffe Bible Translators retirement housing center for one year! They report having seen God’s hand working in the lives of their family since they started serving at Wycliffe and are thankful for His guidance and faithfulness to the ministry.

Joel began work as the maintenance coordinator for the retirement center January 4th. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, they have been in dire need of volunteers to serve on the maintenance team. Please pray that God would raise up servant-hearted people to help meet the needs of the retirement center. 

The Matuszczak family always continues to give thanks to God for the honor of serving the retired missionaries who have given their lives to see the gospel preached to the people of all nations and who have advanced the Kingdom of God by translating the Bible into the languages of many unreached people groups. Pray that the Lord would provide the funds for a second car for the family.  

Please remember Becky Matuszczak, mother of six, in prayer. Pray that the Lord would bless her service to her family as she cares for their daily needs. Joel and Becky request that prayers for wisdom and endurance in faith would be made on their behalf and their family.  

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December, 2020

Please pray this week for Joel and Becky Matuszczak who are serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. After a number of years serving in Mexico, they have moved to Texas to serve as Maintenance Coordinator for a Wycliffe retirement center. When their needed support has been raised, Joel will be a part of a team that provides affordable and supportive housing for retired Wycliffe missionaries. These missionaries have faithfully served the Lord through Bible translation and many continue to serve by sharing their wealth of experience with missionaries in training.

Please pray that the rest of the support they need will come in quickly. They need just $176.00 more of pledged support each month to be able to begin their assignment. Please also pray for their health needs. On December 18th, Rafael, will be having surgery to put a stent in one of his kidneys. Joel is healing from a broken ankle. This has been a year of many transitions for their family. Joel has asked for prayer for him and Becky as they parent their children during these stressful times.

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July, 2020

Joel and Becky Matuszczak joined Wycliffe Bible Translators in 2001 and served for 12 years in Bible translation and administrative roles with SIL Mexico Branch. When family health needs required them to remain in the US, Joel was asked to serve as Maintenance Coordinator at the Cowan retirement apartments in Dallas, Texas. In his new role, Joel will be a part of a team who provide an affordable and supportive environment for retired Wycliffe missionaries who have faithfully served God through Bible translation. Many of these continue to contribute by sharing their wealth of experience with missionaries in training.

Joel and Becky are excited to be moving into their new home soon. Closing was scheduled for the 13th and they hoped to start moving in on the 15th of July. The temperatures in the area are expected to be over 100 during this time! They need some fencing done soon for safety reasons and are having trouble finding a contractor who’s available before September. They would like prayer for all of these things.

They need wisdom about Rafa’s surgery. His new kidney specialist sounds willing to do it soon but is willing to do another scan first, if that’s what they prefer. Given the COVID situation, they really need wisdom as to what’s best and what their timeline should be. Pray that they all stay healthy as Dallas is a hotspot for COVID-19 right now.

Joel and Becky invite you to consider investing in Bible translation through their Wycliffe ministry. Please pray that God will move new prayer and financial partners to join their ministry. Thank you so much!